scholarly journals Development of a casual video game (Match Emoji) with psychological well-being concepts for young adolescents

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. 205520762110478
Author(s):  
Russell Pine ◽  
Lisa Te Morenga ◽  
Mitch Olson ◽  
Theresa Fleming
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Video Games ◽  
Video Game ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Learning Theories ◽  
Implicit Processes ◽  
Psychological Well Being ◽  
Randomised Controlled ◽  
Game Developers

Digital interventions for mental health and well-being have been shown to be effective in trials, yet uptake and retention in real-world settings are often disappointing. A more significant impact may be achieved by building interventions that are closer to how target groups use technology to support their own psychological well-being. Casual video games may be poised to offer an opportunity in this area as they are a highly popular activity among young people. We propose that mental health content can be integrated into the explicit content and the implicit processes used in casual video games. In this paper, we describe the design and core processes of Match Emoji, a casual video game designed to support the development of psychological well-being via gameplay and micro-messages. The iterative development of Match Emoji involved various phases, including a systematic review of the literature, consultation with target users, clinicians, game developers, and close reading of the literature. Expert collaboration was sought throughout the process to ensure gameplay and messages matched behaviour change and learning theories. An acceptability and feasibility study of Match Emoji will inform a randomised controlled trial in the future.

scholarly journals A novel ACT-based video game to support mental health through embedded learning: a mixed-methods feasibility study protocol

BMJ Open ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. e041667
Author(s):  
Darren J Edwards ◽  
Andrew H Kemp
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Video Game ◽  
Emotional Regulation ◽  
Cognitive Skills ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Mental Health Disorder ◽  
Acceptance And Commitment ◽  
Randomised Controlled

IntroductionIn recent years, serious video games have been used to promote emotional regulation in individuals with mental health issues. Although these therapeutic strategies are innovative, they are limited with respect to scope of treatment, often focusing on specific cognitive skills, to help remediate a specific mental health disorder.ObjectiveHere, we propose a protocol for assessing the feasibility of a novel acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT)-based video game for young adults.Methods and analysisThe Medical Research Council (MRC) framework will be used for developing a complex intervention to design and test the feasibility of an ACT-based video game intervention using a mixed-methods approach involving qualitative and quantitative data. The primary outcomes will include feasibility testing of recruitment processes and the acceptability of the intervention through qualitative interviews, attendance and rates of attrition. Secondary outcomes will involve a series of quantitative questionnaires to obtain effect sizes for power analysis, allowing for the ideal sample size for an appropriately powered, randomised controlled trial to be determined.Ethics and disseminationThis study has been approved by the Psychology Department Research Ethics Committee (2020-4929-3923) at Swansea University in the UK. Dissemination activities will involve publications in peer-reviewed journals, presentations at local and national conferences and promotion through social media.Trial registration numberNCT04566042.

scholarly journals School-based intervention study examining approaches for well-being and mental health literacy of pupils in Year 9 in England: study protocol for a multischool, parallel group cluster randomised controlled trial (AWARE)

BMJ Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (8) ◽  
pp. e029044 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Hayes ◽  
Anna Moore ◽  
Emily Stapley ◽  
Neil Humphrey ◽  
Rosie Mansfield ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Cost Effectiveness ◽  
Randomised Controlled Trial ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Cluster Randomised Controlled Trial ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Implementation Evaluation ◽  
Cluster Randomised ◽  
Parallel Group ◽  
Randomised Controlled

IntroductionThe prevalence of emotional difficulties in young people is increasing. This upward trend is largely accounted for by escalating symptoms of anxiety and depression. As part of a public health response, there is increasing emphasis on universal prevention programmes delivered in school settings. This protocol describes a three-arm, parallel group cluster randomised controlled trial, investigating the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of two interventions, alongside a process and implementation evaluation, to improve mental health and well-being of Year 9 pupils in English secondary schools.MethodA three-arm, parallel group cluster randomised controlled trial comparing two different interventions, the Youth Aware of Mental Health (YAM) or the Mental Health and High School Curriculum Guide (The Guide), to Usual Provision. Overall, 144 secondary schools in England will be recruited, involving 8600 Year 9 pupils. The primary outcome for YAM is depressive symptoms, and for The Guide it is intended help-seeking. These will be measured at baseline, 3–6 months and 9–12 months after the intervention commenced. Secondary outcomes measured concurrently include changes to: positive well-being, behavioural difficulties, support from school staff, stigma-related knowledge, attitudes and behaviours, and mental health first aid. An economic evaluation will assess the cost-effectiveness of the interventions, and a process and implementation evaluation (including a qualitative research component) will explore several aspects of implementation (fidelity, quality, dosage, reach, participant responsiveness, adaptations), social validity (acceptability, feasibility, utility), and their moderating effects on the outcomes of interest, and perceived impact.Ethics and disseminationThis trial has been approved by the University College London Research Ethics Committee. Findings will be published in a report to the Department for Education, in peer-reviewed journals and at conferences.Trial registration numberISRCTN17631228.ProtocolV1 3 January 2019. Substantial changes to the protocol will be communicated to the trials manager to relevant parties (eg, ISRCTN).

Perceived acceptability and experience of COPe-support - a digital psychoeducation and peer support intervention: Interview study with carers supporting individuals with psychosis (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel Batchelor ◽  
Sarah Gulshan ◽  
Halpana Shritharan ◽  
Elen Williams ◽  
Claire Henderson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Computer Literacy ◽  
Care Delivery ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Scale Up ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Online Chat ◽  
Loved One ◽  
Self Confidence ◽  
Randomised Controlled

BACKGROUND Digital mental health interventions offer a novel, accessible and self-paced approach to care delivery to family carers, i.e., relatives and close friends who support a loved one with psychosis. We co-produced COPe-support, a psychoeducational intervention delivered via an enriched online environment with network support from professionals and peers. In addition to rigorous investigation of the effectiveness of COPe-support on carers’ wellbeing and mental health outcomes, it is imperative to understand carers’ experiences in using the digital intervention and its associated online implementation and facilitation strategies. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to explore (1) carers’ experience and perceived acceptability of COPe-support and its different components, and (2) how they found engagement with COPe-support affected their own wellbeing and caregiving. METHODS We conducted a qualitative study, individually interviewing 35 carers after their use of COPe-support for 8 months through an online randomised controlled trial across England. A semi-structured guide with open-ended questions was used to explore carers’ experience and perceived acceptability of the intervention, and their ideas to improve the provision. All interviews were conducted remotely through mobile phone or internet communication media, audio-recorded, and transcribed verbatim. We used the thematic analysis framework approach to analyse the data. RESULTS Three key themes were identified: (i) remote, flexible and personalised, (ii) impacts on well-being and outlook on caregiving, and (iii) future implementation and integration with existing services. Overall, carers identified COPe-support as a helpful resource for themselves and for their caregiving role. Participants’ experiences, usage and activity on COPe-support varied a great deal and differed amongst carers of various ages and level of computer literacy. CONCLUSIONS Carers found COPe-support a flexible source of knowledge and support from professionals and peers which they can personalise to suit their own needs and convenience. Participants described gaining self-confidence, hope, and a sense of connectivity with others in a similar situation which helped ameliorate isolation and perceived stigma. Most importantly, COPe-support promoted self-care in the carers themselves. While nearly all participants had a positive experience with COPe-support and supported its wider implementation as a beneficial adjunctive support resource for carers in the future, they suggested some improvements. These include having more graphics and visual-audio content materials, improving the navigation and building in more interactional and customisation options to suit various users’ style (e.g. emoji reactions, live online chat, opting in-and-out of updates and choosing frequency of reminders). Any future scale-up of such an intervention should also consider factors pertinent to reaching more carers and integrating the digital resource with other conventional services. CLINICALTRIAL Current Controlled Trials registration ISRCTN 89563420.

scholarly journals The Effect of Heart Rate Variability Biofeedback Training on Mental Health of Pregnant and Non-Pregnant Women: A Randomized Controlled Trial

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (6) ◽  
pp. 1051 ◽  
Author(s):  
Judith van der Zwan ◽  
Anja Huizink ◽  
Paul Lehrer ◽  
Hans Koot ◽  
Wieke de Vente
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Heart Rate ◽  
Heart Rate Variability ◽  
Beneficial Effect ◽  
Pregnant Women ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Biofeedback Training ◽  
Psychological Well Being

In this study, we examined the efficacy of heart rate variability (HRV)-biofeedback on stress and stress-related mental health problems in women. Furthermore, we examined whether the efficacy differed between pregnant and non-pregnant women. Fifty women (20 pregnant, 30 non-pregnant; mean age 31.6, SD = 5.9) were randomized into an intervention (n = 29) or a waitlist condition (n = 21). All participants completed questionnaires on stress, anxiety, depressive symptoms, sleep, and psychological well-being on three occasions with 6-week intervals. Women in the intervention condition received HRV-biofeedback training between assessment 1 and 2, and women in the waitlist condition received the intervention between assessment 2 and 3. The intervention consisted of a 5-week HRV-biofeedback training program with weekly 60–90 min. sessions and daily exercises at home. Results indicated a statistically significant beneficial effect of HRV-biofeedback on psychological well-being for all women, and an additional statistically significant beneficial effect on anxiety complaints for pregnant women. No significant effect was found for the other stress-related complaints. These findings support the use of HRV-biofeedback as a stress-reducing technique among women reporting stress and related complaints in clinical practice to improve their well-being. Furthermore, it supports the use of this technique for reducing anxiety during pregnancy.

scholarly journals Online single-session interventions for Kenyan adolescents: study protocol for a comparative effectiveness randomised controlled trial

2021 ◽  
Vol 34 (3) ◽  
pp. e100446
Author(s):  
Akash R Wasil ◽  
Tom Lee Osborn ◽  
John R Weisz ◽  
Robert J DeRubeis
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Randomised Controlled Trial ◽  
Comparative Effectiveness ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Single Session ◽  
Post Intervention ◽  
Digital Interventions ◽  
Randomised Controlled

BackgroundMental health problems are the leading cause of disability among adolescents worldwide, yet access to treatment is limited. Brief digital interventions have been shown to improve youth mental health, but little is known about which digital interventions are most effective.AimsTo evaluate the effectiveness of two digital single-session interventions (Shamiri-Digital and Digital-CBT (cognitive-behavioural therapy)) among Kenyan adolescents.MethodsWe will perform a school-based comparative effectiveness randomised controlled trial. Approximately 926 Kenyan adolescents will be randomly assigned to one of three conditions: Shamiri-Digital (focused on gratitude, growth mindsets and values), Digital-CBT (focused on behavioural activation, cognitive restructuring and problem solving) or a study-skills control condition (focused on note-taking and essay writing skills). The primary outcomes include depressive symptoms (measured by the Patient Health Questionnaire-8), anxiety symptoms (Generalized Anxiety Disorder Screener-7) and subjective well-being (Short Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale). The secondary outcomes include acceptability, appropriateness, primary control and secondary control. Acceptability and appropriateness will be measured immediately post-intervention; other outcomes will be measured 2 weeks, 4 weeks and 12 weeks post-intervention.ResultsWe hypothesise that adolescents assigned to Shamiri-Digital and adolescents assigned to Digital-CBT will experience greater improvements (assessed via hierarchical linear models) than those assigned to the control group. We will also compare Shamiri-Digital with Digital-CBT, although we do not have a preplanned hypothesis.ConclusionsOur findings will help us evaluate two digital single-session interventions with different theoretical foundations. If effective, such interventions could be disseminated to reduce the public health burden of common mental health problems.Trial registration numberPACTR202011691886690.

scholarly journals Evaluating the impact of a common elements-based intervention to improve maternal psychological well-being and mother–infant interaction in rural Pakistan: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial

BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. e047609
Author(s):  
Zill-e- Huma ◽  
Ayella Gillani ◽  
Fakhira Shafique ◽  
Alina Rashid ◽  
Bushra Mahjabeen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Randomised Controlled Trial ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Common Elements ◽  
Psychological Well Being ◽  
Low Resource Settings ◽  
Low Resource ◽  
Secondary Outcomes ◽  
Randomised Controlled ◽  
Self Reporting Questionnaire

IntroductionMillions of children in low resource settings are at high risk of poor development due to factors such as under nutrition, inadequate stimulation and maternal depression. Evidence-based interventions to address these risk factors exist, but often as a separate and overlapping package. The current study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a common elements-based intervention to improve mother–infant interaction at 12 months post-partum.Method and analysisA two-arm, single-blinded, individual randomised controlled trial is being carried out in the community settings of the rural subdistrict of Gujar Khan in Rawalpindi, Pakistan. 250 pregnant women in third trimester with distress (Self-Reporting Questionnaire, cut-off score >9) have been randomised on 1:1 allocation ratio into intervention (n=125) and treatment-as-usual arms (n=125). The participants in the intervention arm will receive 15 individual sessions of intervention on a monthly basis by non-specialist facilitators. The intervention involves components of early stimulation, learning through play, responsive feeding, guided discovery using pictures, behavioural activation and problem solving. The primary outcome is caregiver–infant interaction at 12 months postpartum. The secondary outcomes include maternal psychological well-being, quality of life, social support and empowerment. Infant secondary outcomes include growth, nutrition and development. The data will be collected at baseline, 6 and 12 months postpartum. A qualitative process evaluation will be conducted to inform the feasibility of intervention delivery.EthicsEthics approval for the present study was obtained from the Human Development Research Foundation Institutional Review Board, Islamabad Pakistan.DisseminationIf proven effective, the study will contribute to scale-up care for maternal and child mental health in low resource settings, globally. The findings of the present study will be published in peer-reviewed journals and presented at conferences and community forums.Trial registration numberNCT04252807.

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