CompletedNot Applicable

ACTing Minds: An ACT-based Videogame for Mental Health

United Kingdom302 participantsStarted 2025-11-26

Plain-language summary

The goal of this clinical trial is to test whether a single-session Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) videogame (ACTing Minds) improves psychological flexibility and mental health in adults who report mild to moderate depression, anxiety or stress. The main questions are whether ACTing Minds increases psychological flexibility (CompACT Total) more than a time- and engagement-matched neutral commercial game at the end of the session and again at short-term follow-up (10-13 days), and whether it produces favourable changes in symptoms, wellbeing, social connectedness, health-related quality of life, and short seated heart-rate variability recordings. Researchers will compare ACTing Minds with the neutral game to determine whether the ACT-based experience leads to greater improvements. Participants attend one laboratory visit of about 60 minutes, complete brief questionnaires at baseline, immediately after the session and at short-term follow-up, and provide a short seated ECG at each timepoint for heart-rate variability analysis. The study uses a single-blind, two-arm, randomised, parallel-group design at Swansea University (UK).

Who can participate

Age range18 Years

SexALL

See this in plain English?

AI-rewrites the medical criteria so a patient or caregiver can understand them. Always confirm with the trial site.

Inclusion Criteria: * Aged 18 years or older * Able to read and understand English * Self-reported mild to moderate symptoms of depression, anxiety, or stress * Provides written informed consent * Willing and able to attend one \~60-minute laboratory session and complete online follow-up questionnaires 10-13 days later * Agrees to ECG recording (seated \~5 minutes at each timepoint) * Willing to play either study videogame on a study-supplied Samsung Galaxy S9+ (Android) Exclusion Criteria: * Current or past severe mental illness (e.g., psychotic disorder, bipolar disorder) * Current psychotropic medication use (e.g., antidepressants, anxiolytics, antipsychotics, mood stabilisers, stimulants) * Concurrent psychological therapy (any modality) * Pregnancy * Cardiovascular conditions or clinically significant arrhythmias that could affect ECG or HRV measurement or be exacerbated by study procedures * Implanted cardiac devices (e.g., pacemaker or ICD) * Any neurological condition, medical condition, or skin condition that would preclude safe ECG electrode placement or comfortable seated recording * Insufficient English proficiency to provide informed consent or complete study measures * Any other factor that, in the judgement of the investigators, would compromise safety, data quality, or protocol compliance

What they're measuring

Psychological flexibility (CompACT Total)

Timeframe: Baseline (Day 0); Immediately post-intervention (≈60 minutes after Baseline); short-term follow-up (10-13 days post-intervention).

Mental-health symptoms (DASS-21 Total)

Timeframe: Baseline (Day 0); Immediately post-intervention (≈60 minutes after Baseline); Short-term follow-up (10-13 days post-intervention).

Trial details

NCT IDNCT07272096

SponsorSwansea University

Sponsor typeOTHER

Study typeINTERVENTIONAL

Primary completion2025-12-09

View on ClinicalTrials.gov More Depression trials