Trial results for a study focused on designing a mobile application to support academic success for student veterans, addressing conditions including Depression, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Anxiety, and Substance Use Disorder, were posted on ClinicalTrials.gov on 2025-10-31. The study evaluated the usability and acceptability of the VetEd Mobile Application among a cohort of 13 participants.
Background
Student veterans often face higher rates of mental health disorders compared to their civilian peers in higher education; for instance, Depression rates among student veterans are approximately 24% versus 12.1% in civilian students. These mental health challenges can contribute to academic difficulties, such as lower enrollment rates and slower degree attainment. While supported education interventions exist, current in-person treatments offered by the VA are frequently difficult to access or are not locally available. This highlights a need for more accessible support mechanisms, such as mobile applications, to help student veterans navigate their academic journeys while managing mental health conditions.
Trial design
This completed study, designated as Phase NA, enrolled 13 participants. The trial investigated the design of a mobile app to support academic success for student veterans, focusing on conditions such as Mental Health, Depression, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Anxiety, and Substance Use Disorder. The intervention involved the VetEd Mobile Application, designed to provide support for these veterans. The study aimed to evaluate various aspects of the application, including its usability and acceptability.
Key results
The trial reported several key measurements for the VetEd Mobile Application:
- System Usability Scale (SUS): A mean score of 76.15 (Standard Deviation 9.16) was observed on a scale.
- Acceptability E-Scale (AES): A mean score of 25.38 (Standard Deviation 3.66) was observed on a scale.
- The Academic Self-Efficacy Scale (ASES): A median score of 40 was observed on a scale.
- The Coping With Education Barriers Subscale (CWBS): A median score of 75.62 was observed on a scale.
- Military to Civilian Questionnaire (M2C-Q): A median score of 3.11 was observed on a scale.
Additionally, key analyses were performed using the Wilcoxon (Mann-Whitney) method:
- A median difference (Net) of -0.84 was reported with a p-value of 0.4.
- A median difference (Net) of -0.11 was reported with a p-value of 0.92.
- A median difference (Net) of -0.42 was reported with a p-value of 0.68.
What this means
The posted results provide initial data on the usability and acceptability of the VetEd Mobile Application for student veterans. The mean System Usability Scale score of 76.15 suggests that the app is generally considered usable by the participants. The mean Acceptability E-Scale score of 25.38 further indicates its acceptability. While median scores for academic self-efficacy, coping with education barriers, and military-to-civilian transition were also reported, the specific context for the Wilcoxon (Mann-Whitney) analyses and their non-significant p-values (0.4, 0.92, 0.68) is not detailed. These findings contribute to understanding the initial design and reception of a mobile support tool for student veterans facing mental health and academic challenges, suggesting potential for further development and evaluation.
Source
The information regarding these trial results was obtained from ClinicalTrials.gov, a public database of clinical studies. The results for the study NCT05344092, titled "Designing a Mobile App to Support Academic Success for Student Veterans", were posted on 2025-10-31 on clinicaltrials.gov.