This study is a randomized controlled trial of an online, evidenced-based intervention (the ENHANCE program) that was modified to address the health and well-being challenges of COVID-19. Eligible participants will be randomized into the ENHANCE or Wait-List Control group over a 12-week period. ENHANCE participants will be introduced, and asked to practice, 10 evidenced-based principles and skills of happiness and well-being. Participants will complete an online survey about their health and well-being at baseline, midway (or 6 weeks), post-assessment (or at the end of the 12-week study), and 3-months following the end of the study.
The study is designed as a 12-week, two-armed, randomized controlled trail to assess the
efficacy of a COVID-19-modified version of the Enduring Happiness and Continued
Self-Enhancement (ENHANCE) program. The ENHANCE program represents a 12-week multi-construct,
evidenced-based intervention for improving overall happiness and subjective well-being. The
ENHANCE program was modified specifically to address the known health and well-being
challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Eligible participants will be randomized into either the ENHANCE program or Wait-List Control
(WLC) group. ENHANCE participants will be introduced to 10 evidenced-based principles that
have been shown to improve health and well-being outcomes. Participants will be further
guided to systematically practice these principles in their daily lives using a small-changes
approach. WLC participants will be asked to continue life a usual, and provided some
additional health and well-being resources that can be accessed online to support current,
ongoing distress, if needed.
Participants will be asked to complete an online survey about their emotional, social, and
physical well-being at baseline (or at the start of the study), midway (or 6-weeks into the
study), and at post-assessment (or at the end of the study period). At the end of the study
period, all control participants will also be offered the full ENHANCE program.
Investigators expect that participants receiving the ENHANCE program will show improvements
across all negative (e.g., depression, anxiety) and positive (e.g., life satisfaction,
quality of life) variables from baseline to post-study. Investigators further expect there to
be immediate positive health and economic outcomes linked to active participation in the
ENHANCE program (versus the WLC group). Investigators believe the impacts of this research
will include (a) mitigating the risk of a severe onset of mental health problems related to
anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress, and suicide, (b) increasing positive mental
health and well-being, and (c) increasing physical health in participants across time.
Other: Enduring Happiness and Continued Self-Enhancement (ENHANCE) for COVID-19
ENHANCE is a 12-session program designed to help improve subjective well-being, especially through the challenges of a pandemic. The ENHANCE program introduces and teaches people about the evidence-based principles and skills that have been shown across decades of research to improve overall health and well-being.
Inclusion Criteria:
- Individuals who are fluent in English and are 19 years or older.
Exclusion Criteria:
- N/A
University of British Columbia
Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada