Individual-level predictors of adherence to a four-week internet-based stress management intervention: The role of conscientiousness and general self-efficacy.

INTERVENTION: Group 1: Intervention group: The intervention group receives the internet‐based stress management training described below. Questionnaires are completed at the pre‐intervention (T1) and post‐intervention (T2) time points. The intervention “Digital Multimodal Stress Management and Prevention” (DMSBP; original german titel: „Digitale Multimodale Stressbewältigung und Prävention“) is a self‐developed, internet‐based stress management training program that is modeled in terms of content, methodology, and structure on the stress management training program “Calm and Confident Under Stress” by Kaluza (2023). The intervention is conducted entirely online via a study website as self‐directed training using standardized self‐study materials. The intervention comprises four sequential modules with different thematic focuses on stress management , which are described below. Each module is completed over a period of seven days, with an expected weekly workload of approximately 60 minutes. The modules are unlocked sequentially (one module per week). The total duration of the intervention is four weeks. Within the intervention, evidence‐based Behavior Change Techniques are used, which are considered the smallest, observable, and replicable components for behavior change (Michie et al., 2021). The selection and dosage of the Behavior Change Techniques are based on established manuals, empirical findings on the dose‐response relationship, and the Effort‐Optimized Intervention Model (Baumel & Muench, 2021), with the goal of maximizing effectiveness and user engagement while minimizing effort. Module 1: “Learning Relaxation and Understanding Stress” Teaching basic knowledge about stress (including the transactional stress model, stressors, stress reactions, and stress CONDITION: Subjectively perceived stress PRIMARY OUTCOME: All outcome measures are collected online and standardized via the LimeSurvey platform. At the first measurement point (T1), prior to the start of the intervention (baseline; pre‐intervention), demographic variables (gender: male, female, other; age: numerical, in years) are collected, followed by the primary measures in the following order:; 1. Subjectively perceived stress using the Perceived Stress Scale 10 (Klein et al., 2016); 2. The five personality factors using the Big Five Inventory 2 (Berres et al., 2019) ; 3. General self‐efficacy expectations using the General Self‐Efficacy Scale (Schwarzer & Jerusalem, 2003). ; ; At the second measurement point (T2, post‐intervention), 28 days after the first measurement point (following completion of the intervention), the following variables are collected in the following order:; 1. Subjectively perceived stress using the Perceived Stress Scale 10 (Klein et al., 2016) ; 2. Exclusively in the intervention group: Participants’ satisfaction with the intervention using the Client Satisfaction Questionnaire adapted to Internet‐based interventions (Boß et al., 2016); ; In the intervention group, participant adherence is assessed throughout the course of the intervention – defined as the active use of an intervention in accordance with the guidelines provided for that purpose (Cavanagh, 2010). Adherence is measured based on the number of module components completed in the four‐week stress management training program. It is recorded through participants’ self‐reports in four short intervention diaries, each of which is filled out immediately after the completion of each module. The adherence variable can take on 17 values (0‐16 fully completed module components). SECONDARY OUTCOME: Throughout the intervention, the number of logins per individual page viewed on the study website is automatically recorded for each participant in the intervention group as a measure of engagement. This engagement variable serves as a control variable for the plausibility of participants’ reports on the number of module components completed and thus for the self‐reported adherence variable (Perski et al., 2017). INCLUSION CRITERIA: Internet access, valid email address (The study will include only healthy adults, defined as individuals with no known acute or chronic physical or mental health conditions, who have access to internet‐enabled devices.)