PhD defence L. (Laure) Tajda

Below is a brief summary of the dissertation:

This dissertation presents the development and evaluation of ROOM to grow, a mobile application designed to support university students’ mental health and wellbeing. Guided by the CeHRes roadmap, the app was co-created with students to address prevalent challenges such as stress, anxiety, perfectionism, and loneliness, and integrates a transdiagnostic approach to foster emotion regulation through brief, micro-interventions. Two empirical studies examined ROOM’s effectiveness: a micro-randomized trial showed short-term improvements in emotional states in real time and positive user experiences with the intervention's content, while a randomized controlled trial found limited long-term effects, with engagement emerging as a critical factor for sustained impact. Findings highlight the potential of digital tools to provide accessible, low-threshold support, while underscoring the need for personalization, a better understanding of how the quality, frequency, and duration of engagement influence outcomes, and mechanisms that support long-term behaviour change—such as reflection, rehearsal, and progress tracking—or blended approaches that combine digital and human support.