scholarly journals Serious game to promote socioemotional learning and mental health (emoTIC): a study protocol for randomised controlled trial

BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. e052491
Author(s):  
Usue De la Barrera ◽  
Silvia Postigo-Zegarra ◽  
Estefanía Mónaco ◽  
José-Antonio Gil-Gómez ◽  
Inmaculada Montoya-Castilla

IntroductionThe development of emotional competences may be a protective factor for mental health problems, promoting well-being at such a complex age as adolescence. Technologies may be used to carry out this empowerment because adolescents are attracted to them. The purpose of the study is to design a serious game based on the Mayer et al’s emotional intelligence ability model and analyse the effectiveness of the emoTIC programme to develop emotional competences, well-being, mental health, and personal strengths immediately after completion and at 12 months.Methods and analysisThe new version of emoTIC will be designed following the suggestions of the adolescents who participated in the pilot study and the results obtained from the statistical analysis. The participants will be 385 adolescents aged 11–16 years who will be randomly assigned to the control group and the experimental group. The experimental group will complete the emoTIC programme. The primary outcomes include emotional competences and subjective well-being. The secondary outcomes are self-esteem; general self-efficacy; personality; social and personal responsibility; school social climate; somatic complaints; depression, anxiety and stress symptoms; emotional and behavioural difficulties; suicidal behaviour; and subjective happiness. Data will be collected at three moments: baseline (T1), immediately post-intervention (T2) and 12-month follow-up (T3). The effectiveness of the programme will be analysed using different statistical packages.Ethics and disseminationThe study has been approved by the Ethics Commission of the University of Valencia (H152865096049), and the standards of the Declaration of Helsinki to collect the data will be followed. Results will be disseminated across the scientific community.Trial registration numberClinicalTrials.gov Registry (NCT04414449).Trial sponsorUniversity of Valencia. Principal investigator: Inmaculada Montoya-Castilla.

2018 ◽  
Vol 31 (10) ◽  
pp. 1065-1072 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brigitta Munkácsi ◽  
Gábor Papp ◽  
Enikő Felszeghy ◽  
Karolina Eszter Kovács ◽  
Beáta Erika Nagy

Abstract Background Diabetes has previously been linked to mental health problems in children and adolescents, but more recent studies have yielded mixed findings. The aim of the current study was to compare symptoms of mental health problems in children and adolescents with and without type 1 diabetes (T1DM). Methods Life quality, subjective well-being, self-rated health, depression and somatic symptoms in children and adolescents with diabetes (n=130) were measured and compared to the results of a socio-demographically joined control group (n=177) which consists of healthy children and adolescents. Results A significant difference could be observed between the groups in well-being and depressive symptoms as according to the results, the research sample namely the children with T1DM could be described with significantly higher subjective well-being and mood, but with less physical symptoms and lower level of depression as those in the control group. Conclusions These findings suggest that T1DM is not associated with an increased risk of psychosocial problems, and confirm that even a severe disease of a child can lead to personal growth.


10.2196/31789 ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. e31789
Author(s):  
Sabine Kaiser ◽  
Monica Martinussen ◽  
Frode Adolfsen ◽  
Kyrre Breivik ◽  
Henriette Kyrrestad

Background Adolescents exposed to negative online events are at high risk to develop mental health problems. Little is known about what is effective for treatment in this group. NettOpp is a new mobile app for adolescents who have been exposed to cyberbullying or negative online experiences in Norway. Objective The aim of this paper is to provide a description of the content of the intervention and about a randomized controlled trial that will be conducted to examine the effectiveness of NettOpp. This protocol is written in accordance with the Spirit 2013 Checklist. Methods An effectiveness study with a follow-up examination after 3 months will be conducted to evaluate the mobile app. Adolescents will be recruited through schools and will be randomly assigned to the intervention (NettOpp) group and a waiting-list control group. The adolescents (aged 11 to 16 years) will respond to self-report questionnaires on the internet. Primary outcomes will be changes in mental health assessed with the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, the WHO-Five Well-being Index, and the Child and Adolescent Trauma Screen. Results Recruitment will start in January 2022. The results from this study will be available in 2023. Conclusions There are few published evaluation studies on app-based interventions. This project and its publications will contribute new knowledge to the field. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04176666; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04176666 International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID) PRR1-10.2196/31789


Author(s):  
Oskari Lahtinen ◽  
Jenni Aaltonen ◽  
Johanna Kaakinen ◽  
Lena Franklin ◽  
Jukka Hyönä

AbstractMental health problems like anxiety, depression, and stress have been increasing in many countries and the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic has further exacerbated their toll. Mindfulness-based interventions have been shown to provide evidence-based treatments for anxiety and depression, and accumulating evidence is emerging in support of using mindfulness apps yielding small-to-moderate treatment effects. The study was a 4-week randomized controlled trial with 561 university students and staff as participants, divided into a treatment group (mindfulness app) and an active control group (psychoeducational online content). Depression, anxiety, and stress were evaluated as primary study outcomes. Saliva cortisol samples were also collected from a subgroup of the treatment arm (n = 29). Using the mindfulness app for four weeks resulted in small reductions in stress (d = .16), and depression (d = .16). Attrition was 28.0%. Subjects who practiced more did not experience additional improvement in wellbeing. Mindfulness apps offer modest but clear benefits to users in terms of improved mental health. They present a promising supplement to traditional mental health services.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sabine Kaiser ◽  
Monica Martinussen ◽  
Frode Adolfsen ◽  
Kyrre Breivik ◽  
Henriette Kyrrestad

BACKGROUND Adolescents exposed to negative online events are at high risk to develop mental health problems. Little is known about what is effective for treatment in this group. NettOpp is a new mobile app for adolescents who have been exposed to cyberbullying or negative online experiences in Norway. OBJECTIVE The aim of this paper is to provide a description of the content of the intervention and about a randomized controlled trial that will be conducted to examine the effectiveness of NettOpp. This protocol is written in accordance with the Spirit 2013 Checklist. METHODS An effectiveness study with a follow-up examination after 3 months will be conducted to evaluate the mobile app. Adolescents will be recruited through schools and will be randomly assigned to the intervention (NettOpp) group and a waiting-list control group. The adolescents (aged 11 to 16 years) will respond to self-report questionnaires on the internet. Primary outcomes will be changes in mental health assessed with the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, the WHO-Five Well-being Index, and the Child and Adolescent Trauma Screen. RESULTS Recruitment will start in January 2022. The results from this study will be available in 2023. CONCLUSIONS There are few published evaluation studies on app-based interventions. This project and its publications will contribute new knowledge to the field. CLINICALTRIAL ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04176666; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04176666 INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT PRR1-10.2196/31789


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sylvia Xiaohua Chen ◽  
Jacky C. K. Ng ◽  
Bryant P. H. Hui ◽  
Algae K. Y. Au ◽  
Wesley C. H. Wu ◽  
...  

AbstractThe spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has affected both physical health and mental well-being around the world. Stress-related reactions, if prolonged, may result in mental health problems. We examined the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health in a multinational study and explored the effects of government responses to the outbreak. We sampled 18,171 community adults from 35 countries/societies, stratified by age, gender, and region of residence. Across the 35 societies, 26.6% of participants reported moderate to extremely severe depression symptoms, 28.2% moderate to extremely severe anxiety symptoms, and 18.3% moderate to extremely severe stress symptoms. Coronavirus anxiety comprises two factors, namely Perceived Vulnerability and Threat Response. After controlling for age, gender, and education level, perceived vulnerability predicted higher levels of negative emotional symptoms and psychological distress, whereas threat response predicted higher levels of self-rated health and subjective well-being. People in societies with more stringent control policies had more threat response and reported better subjective health. Coronavirus anxiety exerts detrimental effects on subjective health and well-being, but also has the adaptive function in mobilizing safety behaviors, providing support for an evolutionary perspective on psychological adaptation.


Author(s):  
Tzofnat Zadok-Gurman ◽  
Ronit Jakobovich ◽  
Eti Dvash ◽  
Keren Zafrani ◽  
Benjamin Rolnik ◽  
...  

Objective: The COVID-19 pandemic has had a major impact on teachers professional and personal lives. Our primary aim was to assess the effect of a blended Inquiry-Based Stress Reduction (IBSR), an emerging mindfulness and cognitive reframing intervention on teacher’s well-being. Our secondary aims were to assess the effect of IBSR on resilience, burnout, mindfulness, and stress among teachers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: The study was a prospective controlled trial with an intervention group (N = 35) and a comparison control group (N = 32). The intervention took place in the Jerusalem District throughout the school year from November 2019 to May 2020. The sessions were conducted in blended learning that included traditional learning (face-to-face) and online learning. Data was analyzed on an intention-to-treat basis. Results: IBSR blended intervention enhanced the resilience and improved the subjective and psychological well-being of teachers in spite of the breakout of the COVID-19 pandemic and the first lockdown in Israel. Simultaneously the control group suffered from enhanced burnout levels and a decline in psychological and subjective well-being. Conclusions: Implementation of IBSR blended intervention during the school year may benefit teachers’ well-being and ability to flourish, even during stressful events such as the COVID-19 pandemic.


2017 ◽  
Vol 32 (3) ◽  
pp. 158-168
Author(s):  
Stefanus Arista Christanto ◽  
Dea Brenda ◽  
Clara Assisiansi ◽  
Maria Jessica Pangestu ◽  
Ignatia Sarita ◽  
...  

A preliminary study of students of a psychology faculty, revealed the fact that there are some students with low life satisfaction and negative affect during their college life. Low subjective well-being (SWB) was associated with decreased productivity and cognitive flexibility, which are important elements for studying. Previous researchers found a significant correlation between gratitude and SWB. The aim of this study is to enhance student SWB through an intervention of gratitude letter. We use two stages in this study: first a descriptive method (N = 282) to have an accurate description of the level of their SWB. Then, we select 60 students with the lowest SWB to participate in the next stage, a quasi-experimental method with multiple group design, consisting of two experimental group and one control group. Measurements were conducted with modified SLS, SPANE, and GQ6. Data a-nalysis revealed significant differences in gratitude and positive affect level that are differrent in each group. Significant improvement in gratitude and subjective well-being based on the pre-test, post-test 1, post-test 2 were only found in the group that writes and expresses the gratitude letter.


Healthcare ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (11) ◽  
pp. 1588
Author(s):  
Sunhwa Shin ◽  
Eunhye Lee

The purpose of this study was to confirm the relationship between internal health locus of control, mental health problems, and subjective well-being in adults during the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic. In particular, the mediating effect of mental health problems on the relationship between internal health locus of control and subjective well-being was examined. A cross-sectional descriptive design was conducted via online survey. The participants were 600 adults over 20 years of age living in South Korea. The collected data were analyzed using hierarchical regression analysis and SPSS Process Macro (Model 4). As a result of the study, the internal health locus of control had a significant negative effect on mental health problems. In addition, in the process of the internal health locus of control affecting subjective well-being, the mediating effect of mental health problems was significantly shown. In the period of an infectious disease pandemic such as COVID-19, it is necessary to establish a strong internal health locus of control of individuals and to promote monitoring and treatment introduction for those with a low internal health locus of control. In addition, it was discussed that controlling mental health problems can improve subjective well-being, which is life satisfaction and happiness.


2007 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 107-113 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ryan B. Abbott ◽  
Ka-Kit Hui ◽  
Ron D. Hays ◽  
Ming-Dong Li ◽  
Timothy Pan

This study examined whether a traditional low-impact mind–body exercise, Tai Chi, affects health-related quality-of-life (HRQOL) and headache impact in an adult population suffering from tension-type headaches. Forty-seven participants were randomly assigned to either a 15 week intervention program of Tai Chi instruction or a wait-list control group. HRQOL (SF-36v2) and headache status (HIT-6™) were obtained at baseline and at 5, 10 and 15 weeks post-baseline during the intervention period. Statistically significant (P< 0.05) improvements in favor of the intervention were present for the HIT score and the SF-36 pain, energy/fatigue, social functioning, emotional well-being and mental health summary scores. A 15 week intervention of Tai Chi practice was effective in reducing headache impact and also effective in improving perceptions of some aspects of physical and mental health.


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (11) ◽  
pp. 4570
Author(s):  
Pablo Luna ◽  
Alba Rodríguez-Donaire ◽  
Débora Rodrigo-Ruiz ◽  
Javier Cejudo

The current study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of an intervention based on the Sport Education model, compared to an intervention based on the traditional model of Direct Instruction in children. The intervention was carried out during school hours for 18 sessions of 50-min each. The sample was made up of 146 children aged 10–12 years (M = 10.78 years; SD = 1.07 years). Participants were randomly assigned to the experimental group (n = 87) and a control group (n = 59). A quasi-experimental design with repeated pretest and posttest evaluations with the control group was implemented. The Positive and Negative Affect Scale for children and adolescents (PANASN) was used to assess the affective component of subjective well-being. The Child and Adolescent Behavior Assessment System (BASC) was used to assess psychosocial adjustment. The results showed significant improvements in the affective component of subjective well-being and a reduction in anxiety in favor of the experimental group. Our current results show the methodological and practical efficacy of a Sport Education intervention.


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