Using a Self-Paced Web-Based Intervention to Promote Psychological Flexibility in University Students

In the current study, we collected data from undergraduate students who completed a web based, self-paced mental health intervention. The purpose of this study was to evaluate a web-based program and provide services to students who may experience barriers to accessing mental health services. We recruited students from several undergraduate courses attending a large public university in the Southeast United States. The intervention is based on principles from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. Outcomes measured included acceptance, mindfulness, values, stress, cognitive flexibility, and well-being. We did not find significant changes in outcomes for the intervention group, while waitlist group experiences a significant decrease in cognitive flexibility. If given a larger sample, significant changes may have been observed in mindfulness within the experimental group. Regarding implications, student counseling centers and others working with students with presenting mental health concerns may benefit from a web-based program targeted at increasing psychological flexibility. Future researchers may consider increasing user engagement and human interaction efforts, such as identifying strategies to enhance participation over time and investigating the role of human support (e.g., therapist guidance, peer support) alongside this web-based intervention.