Self-Help Plus (SH+) for Stress Reduction in Social Service Workers: A Pilot RCT

This is a two-arm, stratified cluster-randomized controlled pilot trial evaluating the feasibility and preliminary effectiveness of the World Health Organization's Self-Help Plus (SH+) intervention for stress reduction among social service workers employed by the Istanbul Provincial Directorate of Family and Social Services (ASHP). Four institutions (clusters) are randomized 1:1, stratified by service type, to receive either SH+ plus Enhanced Care as Usual (ECAU) or ECAU only, with a target of 50 participants (25 per arm). The primary aim is to assess feasibility indicators (recruitment, session attendance, retention, and acceptability) to inform a future full-scale definitive trial. Preliminary effects on perceived stress and related mental health and well-being outcomes are examined as secondary outcomes.

NCT Number	NCT07644949
Lead Sponsor	Istanbul Medeniyet University Collaborators: Istanbul Provincial Directorate of Family and Social Services
Conditions	Stress, Psychological, Occupational, Stress, Psychological, Psychological Distress, Burnout, Professional
Enrollment	50 participants
Start Date	2026-07
Primary Completion	2026-10 (estimated)
Study Completion	2026-11 (estimated)
Updated on ClinicalTrials.gov	2026-06-12