NoiBene, a web-based intervention to promote mental health among university students: comparing guided with unguided self-help

NoiBene is a web-based psychological prevention program for university students. The study compared the efficacy of NoiBene as a self-help intervention (NB-SH), where students carry out the program in autonomy, and as a guided self-help intervention (NB-GSH) that involves the guidance of a Tutor. 303 students were included in the study. Standardized questionnaires to measure mental health, emotional awareness, assertiveness, and transdiagnostic factors were administered at pre- and post-intervention. Participants also received a feedback questionnaire to evaluate the degree of satisfaction. A significant time effect was observed: results showed an improvement in emotional awareness and assertiveness, and a reduction in perfectionism, self-criticism, worry, rumination and experiential avoidance. Analysis also yielded a significant time x group interaction on perfectionism, rumination, self-criticism and experiential avoidance dimensions. Moreover, participants in the NB-GSH condition reported higher levels of satisfaction; also, this condition was characterized by a lower percentage of drop-out. In conclusion, NoiBene is effective with and without support. Future research should better investigate the role of the Tutor in contributing to the clinical utility of the intervention.