A digital single session intervention for reducing stress and anxiety in emerging Singaporean adults: a pilot randomised controlled trial

Abstract

Emerging adulthood is a transitional phase between adolescence and full adulthood that poses challenges for many individuals in the form of mental health implications like stress and anxiety. A treatment gap has been identified in Singapore’s emerging adult population, where a large proportion of individuals failed to receive timely treatment for mental health challenges they had struggled with. Traditional multi-session therapy models of psychological intervention carry several shortcomings that has made them inaccessible to many requiring psychological help. The current study focuses on the development and evaluation of a novel digital Single Session Intervention (SSI) intervention targeted at reducing stress and anxiety in emerging adults in Singapore. A novel digital single-session intervention resource was developed and administered to participants under a two-arm pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT) design, comprising an experimental SSI condition and a control non-SSI condition. Participants comprised mainly of young Singaporean adults within the age range of 21-29 years. The feasibility, acceptability and appropriateness of the SSI resource were also evaluated to determine overall feasibility. Outcome measures of stress and anxiety were compared to determine preliminary efficacy. The current study addressed the research gaps regarding the implementation of digital SSIs in Singapore. The findings support the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of the digital SSI resource for emerging Singaporean adults, although overall outcomes were found to be similar to existing psychoeducation campaigns. The current study provides strong preliminary evidence to inform and justify a future main study to determine efficacy on a larger scale for future SSI developments.