Classroom-based transdiagnostic intervention: Benefits for university students with elevated emotional symptoms

This work aimed to determine the effectiveness of a classroom-based transdiagnostic preventive intervention in the reduction of emotional symptoms and the improvement of emotional regulation strategies in university environments. The sample was composed of 220 university students. Group-classes were randomly designated as experimental (n = 111) or control (n = 109) conditions. The intervention was effective in reducing some emotional symptoms (anxiety and depression) in university students in comparison with the control group, but only in the subsample with elevated emotional symptoms. However, it was not effective in improving emotional regulation strategies when compared with the control group. It is concluded that although this study has not proven the effectiveness of this program as a universal intervention for young people with a wide range of baseline symptom levels, its application at the classroom level can benefit university students with moderate or severe emotional symptoms. • The classroom-based transdiagnostic preventive intervention in university settings can be effective in reducing emotional symptoms in those students who have moderate or severe emotional symptoms. • Although this study has not proven the effectiveness of this program as a universal intervention for young people with a wide range of baseline symptom levels, its application at the classroom level can benefit university students with elevated emotional symptoms.