Interventions for Students' Well-Being at the University of Helsinki (INSIGHT): Protocol and Preliminary Descriptive Results for a Quasi-Experimental Controlled Trial of a Social Identity Intervention and Two Active Comparators.

Background: University students' mental health problems are prevalent globally, which underlines the need for accessible and cost-effective mental health services in universities. Loneliness is a key risk factor for mental health problems, and it disproportionately affects students from minority backgrounds. Therefore, addressing loneliness and fostering inclusion and equality can be crucial strategies for enhancing students' well-being. Objective: The aim of this study is to investigate a social-identity group intervention called Groups 4 Health (G4H) for university students' well-being using both quantitative and qualitative methods. Here, we present the research protocol and report preliminary descriptive findings from the study cohort. Methods: The quantitative part of the study is a 4 parallel-arm nonrandomized controlled trial aiming to recruit 600 student participants from the University of Helsinki. The experimental group, which receives the G4H intervention, includes 5 group meetings held over a 7-week period. The experimental group will be compared with 2 active comparators: groups organized by the University of Helsinki study psychologists and a 7-week online intervention course focused on well-being and study skills, and to a no-intervention control group. The primary quantitative outcomes of the study are loneliness and depression; secondary outcomes include several measures of students' well-being, academic performance, and cost-effectiveness of the intervention. Quantitative data are collected before the intervention, during the intervention (at week 3), immediately post intervention (at week 7 after baseline), and at 1- and 3-month follow-ups. The qualitative part of the study explores the challenges and opportunities related to inclusion and equality identified in the G4H intervention using observations, interviews, and focus group discussions. Results: In the preliminary findings based on the first data freeze in March 2025, we observed differences in the background characteristics between the trial arms, highlighting the need to address group selection bias. First results from the study are expected in 2026. Conclusions: If proven effective, these interventions have significant potential to improve students' well-being in both short and long term, fostering mental health and supporting academic success and future career paths.