Reducing Procrastination With One-to-One, Lay-Delivered Teletherapy: Protocol for A Mixed-Methods, Waitlist-Controlled Trial
试验速览
- 阶段
- 不适用
- 状态
- 已完成
- 发起方
- Overcome
- 入组人数
- 117
- 试验地点
- 2
- 主要终点
- Change in Irrational Procrastination Scale (IPS)
研究概览
简要总结
The goals of this clinical trial are to assess the feasibility and efficacy of a one-to-one, layperson-delivered, online Motivational Interviewing (MI) and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) intervention for adults aged 18 to 64 experiencing severe procrastination but without moderate-to-severe anxiety or depression.
The main questions it aims to answer are:
- Can a layperson-delivered, online MI and CBT intervention effectively reduce procrastination compared to a waitlist control group?
- Can the intervention effectively improve self-efficacy and life satisfaction?
- Are the effects of the intervention maintained one month after completion?
Eligible participants will be randomly assigned to either the Intervention group or the Waitlist Control group, with baseline procrastination, self-efficacy, and life satisfaction measured beforehand. Participants in the intervention group will attend four weekly 60-minute online sessions delivered by trained lay coaches supervised by experienced specialists. Sessions will focus on goal-setting, identifying triggers, improving time management, and creating long-term plans to sustain progress. At the end of the intervention, 12 participants will be interviewed to share their experiences. Participants in the waitlist control group will continue their usual activities for four weeks and will receive the same intervention after completing the study assessments. This group will serve as a comparison to evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention.
详细描述
Procrastination is a prevalent behavioural issue affecting around 20% of adults, leading to decreased productivity, financial losses, and adverse mental health outcomes such as increased stress and reduced life satisfaction. Despite these significant effects, it is often overlooked in mental health services and under-researched as a condition requiring targeted interventions.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) has been the primary approach used to address procrastination, focusing on restructuring maladaptive beliefs, goal setting, and increasing task engagement. However, most existing studies focus on therapist-led interventions, making these treatments costly and less scalable. Motivational Interviewing (MI) complements CBT by addressing low self-efficacy and enhancing commitment to behavioural change through client-centred techniques such as reflective listening and eliciting "change talk". Layperson-delivered interventions, which involve non-clinicians providing structured support, have shown promise in making therapies more accessible and cost-effective.
There is limited research on scalable, lay-delivered procrastination interventions, particularly those combining CBT and MI techniques in a remote format. This study aims to address this gap by evaluating the efficacy and feasibility of a four-week online, one-to-one intervention.
The primary objectives are to:
- Measure changes in procrastination, self-efficacy, and life satisfaction.
- Assess the feasibility of delivering the intervention, focusing on recruitment, adherence, and participant satisfaction.
研究设计
- 研究类型
- Interventional
- 分配方式
- Randomized
- 干预模型
- Parallel
- 主要目的
- Other
- 盲法
- None
入排标准
- 年龄范围
- 18 Years 至 64 Years（Adult）
- 性别
- All
- 接受健康志愿者
- 否
入选标准
- •Aged 18 to
- •Access to a computer or mobile device with internet connectivity.
- •Ability to understand and speak English.
- •IPS score ≥ 32 to confirm severe procrastination.
- •PHQ-9 score < 15 to exclude moderate-to-severe depressive symptoms.
- •GAD-7 score < 12 to exclude moderate-to-severe anxiety symptoms.
排除标准
- •Cognitive impairments, significant health conditions or disabilities affecting the ability to provide consent and fully participate.
- •Psychiatric diagnoses requiring specialist care (e.g., schizophrenia, eating disorders, substance misuse). Such participants will be signposted to relevant local services if needed.
结局指标
主要结局
Change in Irrational Procrastination Scale (IPS)
时间窗: From enrolment to one-month follow-up (8 weeks in total).
Irrational Procrastination Scale is a self-report questionnaire measuring procrastination with 9 items on a 5-point Likert scale from 1 (Very Self or Not True of Me) to 5 (Very Often True, or True of Me). The total score is obtained by adding up the scores of each response, with three items reverse-coded. The total score ranges from 9 to 45. IPS has good internal consistency, strong reliability and concurrent validity for use across diverse populations. administered at sign-up, post-intervention, and at one-month follow-up to monitor the effectiveness of the intervention.
次要结局
- Change in General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSE)(From enrolment to one-month follow-up (8 weeks in total).)
- Change in Cantril Ladder(From enrolment to one-month follow-up (8 weeks in total).)