A Web-Based Stress Management Intervention for University Students in Indonesia (Rileks): Feasibility Study Using a Pretest-Posttest Design

Dilfa Juniar; Wouter van Ballegooijen; Mieke Schulte; Anneke van Schaik; Jan Passchier; Elena Heber; Dirk Lehr; Sawitri Supardi Sadarjoen; Heleen Riper

doi:10.2196/37278

A Web-Based Stress Management Intervention for University Students in Indonesia (Rileks): Feasibility Study Using a Pretest-Posttest Design

JMIR Form Res. 2022 Jul 19;6(7):e37278. doi: 10.2196/37278.

Authors

Dilfa Juniar^{1

2}, Wouter van Ballegooijen^{2

3

4}, Mieke Schulte², Anneke van Schaik^{3

4}, Jan Passchier², Elena Heber⁵, Dirk Lehr⁶, Sawitri Supardi Sadarjoen¹, Heleen Riper²

Affiliations

¹ Faculty of Psychology, YARSI University, Jakarta, Indonesia.
² Department of Clinical, Neuro and Developmental Psychology, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
³ Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
⁴ Geestelijke Gezondheids Zorg inGeest Specialized Mental Health Care, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
⁵ HelloBetter - GET.ON Institut für Online Gesundheitstrainings GmbH, Hamburg, Germany.
⁶ Institute of Psychology, Leuphana University, Lüneburg, Germany.

PMID: 35852838
PMCID: PMC9491829
DOI: 10.2196/37278

Abstract

Background: University students are susceptible to excessive stress. A web-based stress management intervention holds promise to improve stress but is still at a novel stage in Indonesia.

Objective: The aim of this paper was to report the feasibility of the intervention we developed-Rileks-among university students in Indonesia in terms of acceptability and usability, and to propose recommendations for future improvements.

Methods: A single-group pretest and posttest design was used. Participants with scores of 15 or higher on the stress subscale of the 42-item Depression Anxiety Stress Scales were given access to the intervention (N=68). The main outcome measures were the 8-item Client Satisfaction Questionnaire (CSQ-8) score, the System Usability Scale (SUS) score, and intervention uptake. Participants' experience in each session was evaluated using closed- and open-ended questions for future improvements. Descriptive statistics were used to examine primary outcome and qualitative session evaluations. Participants' responses to each topic of the open questions were summarized.

Results: The intervention was evaluated as being satisfactory (CSQ-8 mean score 21.89, SD 8.72; range 8-32). However, the intervention's usability was still below expectation (SUS mean score 62.8, SD 14.74; range 0-100). The core modules were completed by 10 out of 68 participants (15%), and the study dropout rate was 63% (43/68) at postassessment. In general, the module content was rated positively, with some notes for improvement covering content and technical aspects.

Conclusions: This study indicates that Rileks is potentially feasible for Indonesian university students. In order to be optimally applied in such a context and before scaling up web-based interventions in Indonesia, in general, further development and refinement are needed.

International registered report identifier (irrid): RR2-10.2196/11493.

Keywords: Indonesia; cultural adaptation; digital mental health; feasibility study; internet intervention; low- and middle-income countries (LMIC); stress management; telemental health; university students.

©Dilfa Juniar, Wouter van Ballegooijen, Mieke Schulte, Anneke van Schaik, Jan Passchier, Elena Heber, Dirk Lehr, Sawitri Supardi Sadarjoen, Heleen Riper. Originally published in JMIR Formative Research (https://formative.jmir.org), 19.07.2022.