A randomised controlled trial of the Adult Resilience Program: A universal prevention program

A randomised, waitlist controlled, trial was conducted to evaluate the effects of the Adult Resilience Program (ARP), a universal prevention social–emotional programme for adolescents and adults, on self-reported depression, anxiety, stress, resilience, and self-esteem. Seventy-six students from a private university in Singapore were randomised to the ARP group or wait-list control (WLC) group and assessments were conducted at pre-intervention (T1), post-intervention (T2), and 6-month follow-up (T3). A 2 × 3 mixed between-within groups multivariate analysis of variance with the between-group factor of Group (ARP, WLC) and the within-group factor of time (T1, T2, and T3) and the dependent variables of depression, anxiety, stress, resilience and self-esteem, with age and stage of degree as covariates showed a significant decrease over time in depression (ηp² =.20), and anxiety (ηp² =.06). There was a significant decrease in stress for the ARP only from T1 to T2 (ηp² =.16). While there was a significant interaction of Time and Group for resilience (ηp² =.07), there was no significant change in resilience for the ARP group alone. The results provide preliminary support that the ARP can impart essential skills that can have a positive impact on mental health in university students.