Trial reportJMIR mHealth and uHealth2025
Cerina-Cognitive Behavioral Therapy-Based Mobile App for Managing Generalized Anxiety Disorder Symptoms Among University Students: Results From a Pilot Feasibility Randomized Controlled Trial.
Trial report in JMIR mHealth and uHealth, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT06146530 (Cerina- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Based Mobile Application for Managing GAD Symptoms), which is not on this map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
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Cerina- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Based Mobile Application for Managing GAD Symptoms: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
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Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
9 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundGeneralized anxiety disorder (GAD) is common among university students due to academic pressure and financial uncertainty, among other challenges. Despite the need, the receipt of available psychological services is often low.
objectiveThis study investigates the feasibility of a digital unguided cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)-based mobile app, Cerina, and examines the likely effects of this intervention in reducing GAD symptoms compared to the waitlist control group.
methodsEligible students (n=158) with mild to moderate GAD symptoms were self-assessed through web-based questionnaires and were randomly allocated to the intervention group (n=79) or to the waitlist control group (n=79) following their informed consent. The intervention group had direct access to Cerina and followed CBT-based interactive sessions for 6 weeks. The waitlist control group participants had access to optional on-campus well-being services, and they were given access to Cerina 6 weeks after their randomization. Participants completed assessments on anxiety, depression, worry, and usability at three time points. Additionally, upon completing the intervention, they were invited to a web-based interview to understand the implementation of the intervention in more depth.
resultsOn average, 13% (10/79) intervention group participants dropped out, 61% (36/69) completed the core clinical content (2 sessions), and 12% (7/69) completed the desired number of sessions (6 or 7 sessions). Analyses of the completers (2 or more sessions) revealed significant group differences in GAD (mean 8.4, SD 3.7; t
conclusionsThe Cerina app showed promising results in reducing GAD symptoms among students. This result supports findings from other randomized controlled trials showing that digital CBT-based interventions are effective and feasible for a wide range of age groups and populations experiencing GAD symptoms. The low number of participants completing the recommended number of sessions suggests a usability issue. To address this, the intervention could be refined through an iterative design process informed by user feedback, and the long-term impact of specific engagement features in improving usability and retention could be assessed through extended evaluations.
trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT06146530; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06146530. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): RR2-10.1136/bmjopen-2023-083554.
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.