MoodLift has been created by the Caring Universities Consortium. Caring Universities is part of the World Mental Health International College Student (WMH-ICS) Initiative . This international initiative aims to increase knowledge about students' mental well-being. By understanding students' needs, mental health problems can be prevented, recognized early, and treated more effectively. MoodLift is a scalable set of training programs that allow early interventions to be provided to whomever needs them.

MoodLift Scientific Background Overview

MoodLift is a comprehensive, evidence-based digital mental health platform that has demonstrated measurable impact across 9,000+ students since 2020. Developed through the Caring Universities Consortium—a collaboration of leading Dutch research universities—MoodLift combines rigorous scientific validation with practical, scalable implementation designed specifically for higher education.

The Evidence: Five Years of Rigorous Validation

Randomized Controlled Trial Results

MoodLift programs have undergone extensive evaluation through multiple randomized controlled trials, demonstrating significant therapeutic benefits:

Procrastination (GetStarted) - 403 Students

• Significant reduction in procrastination behavior (Cohen's d = 0.40, p < .001)

• Significant reduction in perceived stress (Cohen's d = 0.32, p < .001)

• 50% achieved clinically meaningful improvement vs. 28% in control group (1.8x relative risk)

• Sustained at 6-month follow-up with continued improvements in depression, anxiety, and stress

• Random Forest Lee bounds analysis confirmed robust treatment effects

Well-Being (LifeHack) - 283 Students

• Small-to-moderate improvements in mental well-being vs. waitlist control

• Moderate improvements in anxiety symptoms

• Moderate-to-large improvements in depression

• Significant between-group effects across multiple mental health domains

Insomnia (i-Sleep & BioClock) - 195 Students

• 42% achieved clinically meaningful improvement (ISI reduction ≥ 8 points)

• Zero participants experienced worsening of symptoms

Real-World Effectiveness Data

Beyond controlled trials, continuous monitoring across all students completing programs shows:

• Effect sizes for reducing symptoms range from d = -0.41 to -0.99 across individual programs

• Average effect size d = -0.59 for symptom reduction

• Consistent improvements observed across diverse student populations and institutional settings

Validated Therapeutic Quality

Evidence-Based Content Development Grounded in Gold-Standard Approaches

• All programs provide education and coaching on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and related evidence-based methodologies

• Content includes validated interventions with demonstrated efficacy

Co-Created with Students

• Extensive needs assessments, focus groups, and usability testing ensure relevance

• Content style and delivery optimized through iterative student feedback

• Topics directly address student-identified priorities and challenges

Professional Guidance Model

Trained Mental Health Coaches

• Coaches complete structured training inspired by UK IAPT low-intensity model

• Weekly personalized feedback sustains motivation and adherence

• Quality safeguarded through feedback templates, regular audits, and clear risk-response protocols

Superior to Unguided Interventions Guided support addresses well-documented limitations of self-help interventions, including lower effect sizes, reduced adherence, and higher dropout rates.

Demonstrated User Satisfaction and Engagement: High Acceptability Across Diverse Populations

Exceptional Satisfaction Ratings

• 85%+ overall satisfaction across all programs

• 80%+ positive therapeutic alliance ratings with e-coaches

• 85% usability rating (System Usability Scale)

• 72/100 average module usefulness rating from students

Meaningful Engagement

• 71% of registered students complete at least one full module

• 43-81% adherence rates among active users depending on program format—consistent with real-world digital health services

Diverse Student Reach

• 47% use anonymous access, reaching students who might avoid traditional services

• Effective across international students and diverse cultural backgrounds

Comprehensive, Validated Program Portfolio: 12 Evidence-Informed Interventions

MoodLift offers the most comprehensive validated program library for student mental health:

Mental Health Programs

• Moodpep (Low mood) - 8-module CBT program with behavioral activation

• Rel@x (Stress) - 5 core + 4 optional modules, transactional stress model

• i-Sleep & Bioclock (Insomnia) - 5-module CBT-I with chronobiology

• NoWorries (Worry/anxiety) - Evidence-based worry postponement techniques

Self-Regulation Programs

• GetStarted (Procrastination) - RCT-validated; 50% achieve clinically meaningful improvement

• GoodEnough (Perfectionism) - Based on Overcoming Perfectionism intervention (Rozental et al., 2017)

• EsteemUp (Self-esteem) - RCT-validated 4-module CBT program

• GetAGrip (Problem-solving) - Based on Self-Examination Therapy principles

Positive Development Programs

• LifeHack (Well-being/resilience) - RCT-validated with 13 flexible modules

• SociaLife (Loneliness) - Based on meta-analytic evidence for youth loneliness interventions

• SpiralUp! (Mood/resilience) - Single-session behavioral activation

• UseWise (Substance use) - Motivational interviewing and harm reduction

Each program includes relevant psychoeducation, practical exercises, and weekly coach support.

Institutional Integration and Scalability: Three Delivery Platforms

Main Platform: Population-Level Access

• Direct student access with anonymous option

• Includes peer coaching with secure chat function

• Integrated screening tools with personalized feedback

• Research infrastructure for continuous quality improvement

Blended Platform: Enhanced Counseling

• Counselors integrate programs into face-to-face sessions

• Evidence shows blended approaches enhance accessibility and engagement (Nunes-Zlotkowski et al., 2024)

• Extends counselor capacity without compromising quality

Education Platform: Curriculum Integration

• Faculty embed content in courses and mentoring programs

• Successfully deployed across multiple universities

• Faster and more flexible because research screening and peer coaching are excluded

• Can easily and quickly reach thousands of students through academic channels

Proven Implementation Success

Scale Achieved

• 9,000+ students served across participating institutions through the main platform

• Many more students served through the blended and education platforms

• Largest guided digital intervention platform for student mental health in the Netherlands

Sustainable Model

• Funded through institutional partnerships, not time-limited grants

• Embedded within university student services for long-term sustainability

• Continuous platform updates based on research findings and student feedback

Rigorous Research Infrastructure; Continuous Quality Improvement Framework

Built-In Evaluation Capacity

• Feasibility monitoring tracks uptake, adherence, and satisfaction

• Pre-post assessments measure symptom changes

• Longitudinal data collection across cohorts

• Extensive evaluation through multiple randomized controlled trials

Academic Rigor

• Developed within WHO World Mental Health International College Student Initiative framework

• Multiple peer-reviewed publications

• Scientific committee includes senior researchers from major universities

• Ethics board approval and data protection compliance at all institutions

Adaptive Research Design

• Platform accommodates both traditional RCTs and comparative effectiveness trials

• Tests design features (gamification, flexible sequencing) to optimize engagement

• Two additional RCTs planned for 2025-2026 (SpiralUp!, GoodEnough)

Validated by Leading Research Institutions

MoodLift is developed by the Caring Universities Consortium, representing:

• Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

• University of Amsterdam

• Utrecht University

• Erasmus University Rotterdam

• Maastricht University

Scientific Expertise: Founded and guided by internationally recognized experts:

• Prof. Pim Cuijpers – Founder of Caring Universities; Professor Emeritus of Clinical Psychology at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and Director of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Research and Dissemination of Psychological Interventions. Recognized as the world’s leading expert in psychotherapy and depression research, with over 1,000 peer-reviewed publications.

• Prof. Annemieke van Straten – Senior Scientific Supervisor of Caring Universities; Professor of Clinical Psychology at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and leading expert in digital CBT and insomnia treatment. She has led numerous randomized controlled trials on the cost-effectiveness of e-health interventions and serves as Editor of Clinical Psychology Review.

• Dr. Sascha Struijs – Project leader of Caring Universities; Assistant Professor in Clinical Psychology and licensed psychologist specialized in student mental health and psychosocial epidemiology

Further details and references available on request.