New program aims to ease stress and anxiety in autistic college students
NCT ID NCT07682753
First seen Jul 06, 2026 · Last updated Sep 04, 2026 · Updated 5 times
Summary
This study tests an 8-week program called MH-POWER designed to help autistic college students manage stress, anxiety, and depression. The program combines cognitive behavioral therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, and habit formation through weekly group sessions and daily practice. Researchers will measure changes in mental health symptoms and quality of life to see if the approach is feasible and effective.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- MH-POWER program (behavioral intervention combining CBT, ACT, and habit formation)
- What this could lead to
- If effective, this program could provide a scalable way to improve mental health and quality of life for autistic college students.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early feasibility study with only 30 participants, so results may not apply broadly. The program requires daily practice, which may be hard for some to maintain.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 30 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Jul 2026
- Expected to finish
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Jun 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 to 30 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria * College students at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley * age 18-30 years * self-reported autism diagnosis confirmed via Social Responsiveness Scale-2nd Edition, the gold standard to assess impairment in adults on the autism spectrum * elevated stress, anxiety (worry, feeling overwhelmed), or depression (feeling down), confirmed using highly reliable and validated screening tools; Patient Health Questionnaire-9, General Anxiety Disorder-7, Kessler Psychological Distress Scale-10 * not currently receiving intensive psychological treatment or psychiatric medication adjustments * must be able to speak and read English * willing to participate in an 8-week intervention study Exclusion criteria: \- None
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Department of Occupational Therapy, ESWOT Building, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
RECRUITINGEdinburg, Texas, 78539, United States
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