Protocol summary

Study aim
Determining the effect of Virtual Mental Health Education on the Self Stigma and Attitudes Toward Seeking Psychological Help Among Nursing Students
Design
A randomized, controlled clinical trial with a parallel group design on 130 students.
Settings and conduct
Students in the 3rd semester and beyond of the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery of Hamadan University of Medical Sciences will be included in the study if they are eligible and will be randomly assigned to the intervention and control groups.
Participants/Inclusion and exclusion criteria
Inclusion criteria: Bachelor of nursing students from the third semester on wards at Hamadan University of Medical Sciences; Willingness to participate in the research and complete the questionnaires; Age from 18 to 35 years; Internet access and a smart device with the capability to access email and applications; Exclusion criteria: Professional activity in the fields of psychology or counseling; Receiving psychological help in the past 6 months; A guest student; History of diagnosis of severe psychiatric disorders and history of hospitalization in psychiatric wards.
Intervention groups
6 individual virtual training sessions will be held as follows: Session One: Mental Health Session Two: Social Stigma and dealing with It Session Three: The Stigma of mental Illness and Its elimination Session Four: Normalizing therapy Session Five: Identifying warning signs and the Beta Plan Session 6: Introduction to the Iran Haal app and online counseling lines. The control group does not receive any training.
Main outcome variables
Self Stigma; Psychological help seeking attitude

General information

Reason for update
Acronym
IRCT registration information
IRCT registration number: IRCT20170411033378N13
Registration date: 2026-01-29, 1404/11/09
Registration timing: retrospective

Last update: 2026-01-29, 1404/11/09
Update count: 0
Registration date
2026-01-29, 1404/11/09
Registrant information
Name
Efat Sadeghian
Name of organization / entity
Hamedan University of Medical Sciences
Country
Iran (Islamic Republic of)
Phone
+98 81 3838 0150
Email address
sadeghian_e@umsha.ac.ir
Recruitment status
Recruitment complete
Funding source
Expected recruitment start date
2025-12-13, 1404/09/22
Expected recruitment end date
2026-01-02, 1404/10/12
Actual recruitment start date
empty
Actual recruitment end date
empty
Trial completion date
empty
Scientific title
The Effect of Virtual Mental Health Education on the Self Stigma and Attitudes Toward Seeking Psychological Help Among Nursing Students
Public title
The Effect of Education on the Self Stigma and Attitudes Toward Seeking Psychological Help
Purpose
Education/Guidance
Inclusion/Exclusion criteria
Inclusion criteria:
Bachelor of nursing students from the third semester onwards at Hamadan University of Medical Sciences Willingness to participate in the research and complete the questionnaires Age from 18 to 35 years Internet access and a smart device with the capability to access email and applications
Exclusion criteria:
Professional activity in the fields of psychology or counseling Receiving psychological help in the past 6 months A guest student History of diagnosis of severe psychiatric disorders and history of hospitalization in psychiatric wards
Age
From 18 years old to 35 years old
Gender
Both
Phase
N/A
Groups that have been masked
No information
Sample size
Target sample size: 130
Randomization (investigator's opinion)
Randomized
Randomization description
Initially, 130 eligible students will be selected with informed consent through simple random sampling using the random number generation function in R software version 3.4.1 with the specialized randomize package. In case of unwillingness or lack of entry criteria for each individual, the next individual will be selected in the same way until the sample size is complete. After selecting 130 eligible students, the allocation of individuals to two experimental groups (Group A) and control (Group B) will be done using the block random allocation method with fixed blocks of four. In such a way that in each block of four, two allocations to Group A and two allocations to Group B are considered, and the order of these four allocations is determined randomly. Therefore, the six possible states for each block will include AABB, ABAB, ABBA, BAAB, BABA, and BBAA. The random sequence of blocks will be generated using the R statistical software before the sample recruitment process begins, so that each of the six possible states is created with equal probability. After generating the random sequence, individuals will be assigned to one of two groups, A or B, in the order they entered the study and based on this sequence. To implement the random assignment and maintain allocation concealment, each assignment will be written on a separate piece of paper, and each piece of paper will be placed inside an opaque, sealed, and sequentially numbered envelope. The numbering order of the envelopes will exactly match the generated random sequence. When each eligible individual enters the study, the research associate responsible for enrollment will open the next envelope in numerical order and, based on the assignment written inside, the individual will be assigned to group A or B. The research associate will not be aware of the contents of the envelope or the individual's group assignment until the envelope is opened. This process will continue for all individuals until the sample size is complete.
Blinding (investigator's opinion)
Not blinded
Blinding description
Placebo
Not used
Assignment
Parallel
Other design features

Secondary Ids

empty

Ethics committees

1

Ethics committee
Name of ethics committee
Ethics Committee of Hamadan University of Medical Sciences.
Street address
Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Shahid Fahmideh St.
City
Hamadan
Province
Hamadan
Postal code
6517838736
Approval date
2025-11-08, 1404/08/17
Ethics committee reference number
IR.UMSHA.REC.1404.673

Health conditions studied

1

Description of health condition studied
Self stigma, attitudes toward seeking psychological help
ICD-10 code
ICD-10 code description

Primary outcomes

1

Description
Internal stigma regarding seeking psychological help.
Timepoint
Before and after the intervention
Method of measurement
Internal Stigma Questionnaire for Seeking Psychological Help

2

Description
Attitude towards seeking help
Timepoint
Before and after the intervention
Method of measurement
Attitude towards Seeking Professional Psychological Help Questionnaire Short Form

Secondary outcomes

empty

Intervention groups

1

Description
Intervention group: The intervention group will participate in 6 virtual, individual mental health training sessions via an application. The training sessions will be held for 3 weeks, with 2 training sessions per week. Each session will last 20 minutes. The researcher will send the session content, including a written post and audio of that post, to the intervention group members via their personal mobile phone for each session. The content of the training sessions is prepared from articles and recommendations of the American Psychiatric Association, which are as follows: Session 1: American Psychiatric Association Mental Health Education Package. Session 2: Overcoming Social Stigma and the American Psychiatric Association's Problem Solving and Resolving Stigma Package. Session 3: Demystifying and Dispelling Myths About Mental Illness Stigma, Problem Solving. Session 4: Training in normalizing therapy and talking about mental disorders, troubleshooting. Session 5: Training in identifying warning signs and explaining the beta plan, troubleshooting. Session 6: Introduction to the Iran Hal app and ways to reach psychologists at universities and health centers in the area of residence, and introduction to online counseling lines, troubleshooting.
Category
Other

2

Description
Control group: There will be no intervention for the control group.
Category
Other

Recruitment centers

1

Recruitment center
Name of recruitment center
Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, school of Nursing and Midwifery
Full name of responsible person
Dr. Efat Sadeghian
Street address
opposite Mardom Park., Shahid Fahmideh Blvd.
City
Hamadan
Province
Hamadan
Postal code
6517838698
Phone
+98 81 3838 0150
Email
sadeghianefat@gmail.com

Sponsors / Funding sources

1

Sponsor
Name of organization / entity
Hamedan University of Medical Sciences
Full name of responsible person
Alireza Soltanian
Street address
opposite Mardom Park., Shahid Fahmideh Blvd.
City
Hamadan
Province
Hamadan
Postal code
6517838736
Phone
+98 81 3838 0150
Email
soltanian@umsha.ac.ir
Grant name
Vice Chancellor for Research and Technology of Hamadan University of Medical Sciences
Grant code / Reference number
Is the source of funding the same sponsor organization/entity?
Yes
Title of funding source
Hamedan University of Medical Sciences
Proportion provided by this source
100
Public or private sector
Public
Domestic or foreign origin
Domestic
Category of foreign source of funding
empty
Country of origin
Type of organization providing the funding
Academic

Person responsible for general inquiries

Contact
Name of organization / entity
Hamedan University of Medical Sciences
Full name of responsible person
Efat Sadeghian
Position
Professor
Latest degree
Ph.D.
Other areas of specialty/work
Nursery
Street address
opposite Mardom Park., Shahid Fahmideh Blvd.
City
Hamadan
Province
Hamadan
Postal code
6517838698
Phone
+98 81 3838 0150
Email
sadeghianefat@gmail.com

Person responsible for scientific inquiries

Contact
Name of organization / entity
Hamedan University of Medical Sciences
Full name of responsible person
Efat Sadeghian
Position
Professor
Latest degree
Ph.D.
Other areas of specialty/work
Nursery
Street address
opposite Mardom Park., Shahid Fahmideh Blvd.
City
Hamadan
Province
Hamadan
Postal code
6517838698
Phone
+98 81 3838 0150
Email
sadeghianefat@gmail.com

Person responsible for updating data

Contact
Name of organization / entity
Hamedan University of Medical Sciences
Full name of responsible person
Efat Sadeghian
Position
Professor
Latest degree
Ph.D.
Other areas of specialty/work
Nursery
Street address
opposite Mardom Park., Shahid Fahmideh Blvd.
City
Hamadan
Province
Hamadan
Postal code
6517838736
Phone
+98 81 3838 0150
Email
sadeghianefat@gmail.com

Sharing plan

Deidentified Individual Participant Data Set (IPD)
Undecided - It is not yet known if there will be a plan to make this available
Study Protocol
Undecided - It is not yet known if there will be a plan to make this available
Statistical Analysis Plan
Undecided - It is not yet known if there will be a plan to make this available
Informed Consent Form
Undecided - It is not yet known if there will be a plan to make this available
Clinical Study Report
Undecided - It is not yet known if there will be a plan to make this available
Analytic Code
Undecided - It is not yet known if there will be a plan to make this available
Data Dictionary
Undecided - It is not yet known if there will be a plan to make this available
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