Background. Mental health in adolescence are highly related to life-stressors exposure and difficulties in adjusting to stressors. Research reveals a high prevalence of stressors in adolescence. Therefore, interventions for recovery from stress are in high demand. The study aims to evaluate the efficacy of the internet-based stress recovery intervention for adolescents.
Methods: A two-arm randomized controlled trial (RCT) on the efficacy of the FOREST-A – an internet-based stress recovery intervention for adolescents – will be conducted. The FOREST-A is an adapted version of stress recovery intervention initially developed for healthcare workers. FOREST-A is a third-wave cognitive behavioral therapy and mindfulness-based internet-delivered 4-week psychosocial intervention, which comprises six modules: Introduction, Relaxation, Psychological detachment, Mastery, Control, and Summary. The intervention will be evaluated using the two-arm RCT with intervention and care as usual (CAU) condition at pre-test, post-test, and 3-month follow-up. The measured outcomes will be stress recovery, adjustment disorder, generalized anxiety and depression symptoms, psychological well-being, and perceived positive social support.
Discussion: The study will contribute to the development of internet interventions – easily and broadly accessible tools – for the enhancement of adolescents' recovery from stress skills. Based on the study's findings, further development of the FOREST-A, including upscaling and implementation, is foreseen.
Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05688254. Registered on January 6, 2023.