School-based program using the Unified Protocol to promote adolescents' mental health
Official title: Prevention and Promotion of Mental Well-being in Adolescents: Efficacy of the Unified Protocol for Transdiagnostic Treatment of Emotional Disorders as a School-based Universal Prevention Program (UP-A Kind) Through a Cluster Randomized Controlled-trial
Run by University of Coimbra · NCT07021001 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This program will test whether an eight-week, school-delivered version of the Unified Protocol helps 11–18-year-olds prevent emotional symptoms and improve mental well-being.
Quick facts
| Study type | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Ages | 11 Years to 18 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 300 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | University of Coimbra Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Coimbra) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | October 1, 2023 |
| Main results expected | September 30, 2026 |
| Study ends | December 31, 2026 |
| Registry record updated | June 13, 2025 |
| Trial ID | NCT07021001 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Ideal candidates are Portuguese-speaking students aged 11–18 enrolled in 7th–9th grade at participating Coimbra schools whose guardians provide written consent.
✕Probably not a fit
Students who already need specialized mental-health treatment, who do not speak Portuguese, or who cannot attend in-person sessions are less likely to benefit from this universal prevention program.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
This cluster randomized controlled trial adapts the Unified Protocol for Adolescents (UP-A) into an eight-week universal preventive program delivered in schools by clinical psychologists. Classes of 7th–9th graders (ages 11–18) are randomized to receive the UP-A Kind program or no intervention, with outcomes measured at baseline, post-intervention, and at 3-, 6- and 12-month follow-ups. Primary outcomes include changes in emotional symptoms and mental well-being, and secondary outcomes focus on transdiagnostic processes such as cognitive flexibility, mindfulness, and distress tolerance. The intervention is group-based, manualized, and designed for delivery in Portuguese in participating schools in Coimbra, Portugal.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the program could lower future anxiety and depressive symptoms across whole school cohorts by strengthening emotion-regulation skills early.
How similar studies have gone: Randomized and nonrandomized trials of the UP-A have reduced adolescent anxiety and depression, though universal school-based adaptations have been less widely tested.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Frequent 7º, 8º or 9º grade * Providing written informed assent (the adolescent and the legal tutor) * Being able to understand, write and read Portuguese Exclusion Criteria: * No exclusion criteria because of being a universal prevention study
Where it's running
-
Center for Research in Neuropsychology and Cognitive and Behavioral Intervention (CINEICC), Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences - University of Coimbra
Coimbra, Portugal Recruiting
Study contacts
- Study coordinator: Inês Maçãs-Carvalho, MSc
- Email: inescarvalho.psicologia@gmail.com
- Phone: +351 239 247 410
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How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.