Improving Emotional Wellbeing of University Students Using Culturally Adapted Dialectic Behaviour Approaches in Group Settings" (UniWELL-D): Protocol of a Feasibility and Effectiveness Study

University students' psychological well-being is a growing public health concern. University life involves major psychological, social, and academic changes, increasing vulnerability to mental health issues. Group-based Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) has been shown to support student well-being effectively. However, interventions tailored to specific cultural and contextual needs are more likely to be helpful. Western-based therapy models may not fully align with non-Western populations, such as students in Türkiye.

In Türkiye, public mental health services are often limited to short psychiatric consultations, while therapy is typically accessed privately. University counselling centres offering free or low-cost therapy are therefore essential. Cost-effective interventions like group DBT may be especially valuable in these settings. To address this gap, culturally adapted DBT groups should be developed and evaluated for Turkish university students.

This study is part of the UniWELL Project (sister to UniWELL-C) and examines the effectiveness of DBT-informed emotion regulation groups for Turkish students. Any Bogazici University student aged 18+ is eligible. Exclusion criteria include severe mental illness, high risk of harm to self/others, or scoring below threshold on the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS-16), as these students may require more individual support.

The study includes participation in an 8-session DBT-informed group. Participants are expected to benefit from free psychological support, guided reflection, and shared experiences with peers. The research will also contribute to the evidence base for culturally adapted interventions.

There are some risks: participants may feel overwhelmed during the sessions or while completing questionnaires. If so, support will be provided by a clinical psychology master's student and/or the group facilitator, under supervision of an experienced clinical psychologist. If a participant's risk increases, they will be referred to psychiatric services. An emergency contact will be requested to ensure safety if needed.

The study will take place at Bogazici University through the Translational Clinical Psychology Lab, in collaboration with BUREM. It is expected to run for at least one year, possibly extending up to three years. The study is partially funded by the Bogazici Scientific Research Projects Unit (20022). Dr Ayse Akan (t-clinpsylab@bogazici.edu.tr) is the study lead and main contact.