Phd in PSYCHOLOGY AND SOCIAL NEUROSCIENCE

Thesis title: Mental health matters - innovative, scalable and affordable Internet-based interventions to promote mental health and help-seeking behavior among university students

Mental health problems are very common among young people, and many university students experience high levels of psychological distress and meet the criteria for mental health disorders. Mental health difficulties influence students’ lives, affecting academic performance, relationship satisfaction, and quality of life. Despite that, many students do not ask for help. Different kinds of obstacles often hinder help-seeking behavior, including individual, practical, and structural factors. Such evidence strongly suggests the need to deal with mental health crises among university students. In this wake, the studies presented in this manuscript refer to NoiBene and ComunicaBene, two Internet-based interventions to promote mental health among university students. In particular, NoiBene is a comprehensive web-based intervention for promoting psychological well-being and for preventing psychological distress; ComunicaBene is a guided self-help imagery training to improve assertiveness and reduce distress related to interpersonal interaction. The first study aimed to present the design phase, the aims, the theoretical framework, and the main characteristics of NoiBene, and to report the results of a study conducted to investigate the acceptability, perceived utility, and clinical effectiveness of NoiBene. The second study was conducted to compare the effectiveness, adherence, and utility perception of a guided and unguided delivery form of NoiBene. The third study aimed to examine factors associated with drop-out, adherence, and help-seeking behavior. The last study aimed to develop and test the efficacy of ComunicaBene. The first phase of the study aimed to review the literature about assertiveness and assertiveness training, identify the main limitations of the current status of assertiveness training, and identify new perspectives of intervention. The second and third phases of the intervention aimed to develop, implement and test the efficacy of ComunicaBene.