scholarly journals Developing an explanatory theoretical model for engagement with a web-based mental health platform: results of a mixed methods study

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dara Gordon ◽  
Jennifer Hensel ◽  
Zachary Bouck ◽  
Laura Desveaux ◽  
Charlene Soobiah ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Process Evaluation ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Treatment Strategies ◽  
User Engagement ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Important Indicator ◽  
Qualitative Process Evaluation ◽  
Complex Relationships ◽  
White Wall

Abstract Background With the growing need for accessible, high-quality mental health services, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been increasing development and uptake of web-based interventions in the form of self-directed mental health platforms. The Big White Wall (BWW) is a web-based platform for people experiencing mental illness and addiction that offers a range of evidence-based self-directed treatment strategies. Drawing on existing data from a large-scale evaluation of the implementation of BWW in Ontario, Canada (which involved a pragmatic randomized controlled trail with an embedded qualitative process evaluation), we sought to investigate the influences on the extent to which people engage with BWW. Methods In this paper we drew on BWW trial participants’ usage data (number of logins) and the qualitative data from the process evaluation that explored participants’ experiences, engagement with and reactions to BWW. Results Our results showed that there were highly complex relationships between the influences that contributed to the level of engagement with BWW intervention. We found that a) how people expected to benefit from using a platform like BWW was an important indicator of their future usage, b) moderate perceived symptoms were linked with higher engagement; whereas fewer actual depressive symptoms predicted use and anxiety had a positive linear relationship with usage, and that c) usage depended on positive early experiences with the platform. Conclusions Our findings suggest that the nature of engagement with platforms such as BWW is not easily predicted. We propose a theoretical framework for explaining the level of user engagement with BWW that might also be generalizable to other similar platforms.

scholarly journals A Process Evaluation of a Web-Based Mental Health Portal (WalkAlong) Using Google Analytics

2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. e50 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Jae Song ◽  
John Ward ◽  
Fiona Choi ◽  
Mohammadali Nikoo ◽  
Anastasia Frank ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Process Evaluation ◽  
Vital Role ◽  
Health Interventions ◽  
Utilization Rate ◽  
User Engagement ◽  
Improvement Strategy ◽  
Attrition Rates ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Mental Health Interventions

Background Despite the increasing amount of research on Web-based mental health interventions with proven efficacy, high attrition rates decrease their effectiveness. Continued process evaluations should be performed to maximize the target population’s engagement. Google Analytics has been used to evaluate various health-related Web-based programs and may also be useful for Web-based mental health programs. Objective The objective of our study was to evaluate WalkAlong.ca, a youth-oriented mental health web-portal, using Google Analytics to inform the improvement strategy for the platform and to demonstrate the use of Google Analytics as a tool for process evaluation of Web-based mental health interventions. Methods Google Analytics was used to monitor user activity during WalkAlong’s first year of operation (Nov 13, 2013-Nov 13, 2014). Selected Google Analytic variables were overall website engagement including pages visited per session, utilization rate of specific features, and user access mode and location. Results The results included data from 3076 users viewing 29,299 pages. Users spent less average time on Mindsteps (0 minute 35 seconds) and self-exercises (1 minute 08 seconds), which are important self-help tools, compared with that on the Screener tool (3 minutes 4 seconds). Of all visitors, 82.3% (4378/5318) were desktop users, followed by 12.7 % (677/5318) mobile phone and 5.0% (263/5318) tablet users. Both direct traffic (access via URL) and referrals by email had more than 7 pages viewed per session and longer than average time of 6 minutes per session. The majority of users (67%) accessed the platform from Canada. Conclusions Engagement and feature utilization rates are higher among people who receive personal invitations to visit the site. Low utilization rates with specific features offer a starting place for further exploration of users in order to identify the root cause. The data provided by Google Analytics, although informative, can be supplemented by other evaluation methods (ie, qualitative methods) in order to better determine the modifications required to improve user engagement. Google Analytics can play a vital role in highlighting the preferences of those using Web-based mental health tools.

scholarly journals A Process Evaluation of a Web-Based Mental Health Portal (WalkAlong) Using Google Analytics (Preprint)

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Jae Song ◽  
John Ward ◽  
Fiona Choi ◽  
Mohammadali Nikoo ◽  
Anastasia Frank ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Process Evaluation ◽  
Vital Role ◽  
Health Interventions ◽  
Utilization Rate ◽  
User Engagement ◽  
Improvement Strategy ◽  
Attrition Rates ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Mental Health Interventions

BACKGROUND Despite the increasing amount of research on Web-based mental health interventions with proven efficacy, high attrition rates decrease their effectiveness. Continued process evaluations should be performed to maximize the target population’s engagement. Google Analytics has been used to evaluate various health-related Web-based programs and may also be useful for Web-based mental health programs. OBJECTIVE The objective of our study was to evaluate WalkAlong.ca, a youth-oriented mental health web-portal, using Google Analytics to inform the improvement strategy for the platform and to demonstrate the use of Google Analytics as a tool for process evaluation of Web-based mental health interventions. METHODS Google Analytics was used to monitor user activity during WalkAlong’s first year of operation (Nov 13, 2013-Nov 13, 2014). Selected Google Analytic variables were overall website engagement including pages visited per session, utilization rate of specific features, and user access mode and location. RESULTS The results included data from 3076 users viewing 29,299 pages. Users spent less average time on Mindsteps (0 minute 35 seconds) and self-exercises (1 minute 08 seconds), which are important self-help tools, compared with that on the Screener tool (3 minutes 4 seconds). Of all visitors, 82.3% (4378/5318) were desktop users, followed by 12.7 % (677/5318) mobile phone and 5.0% (263/5318) tablet users. Both direct traffic (access via URL) and referrals by email had more than 7 pages viewed per session and longer than average time of 6 minutes per session. The majority of users (67%) accessed the platform from Canada. CONCLUSIONS Engagement and feature utilization rates are higher among people who receive personal invitations to visit the site. Low utilization rates with specific features offer a starting place for further exploration of users in order to identify the root cause. The data provided by Google Analytics, although informative, can be supplemented by other evaluation methods (ie, qualitative methods) in order to better determine the modifications required to improve user engagement. Google Analytics can play a vital role in highlighting the preferences of those using Web-based mental health tools.

scholarly journals M108. CONCA: AN ONLINE COGNITIVE ASSESSMENT FOR USE WITH PATIENTS WITH PSYCHOSIS

2020 ◽  
Vol 46 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S176-S176
Author(s):  
Amy Lynham ◽  
Jeremy Hall ◽  
Ian Jones ◽  
James Walters
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Bipolar Disorder ◽  
Psychiatric Disorders ◽  
Cognitive Assessment ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Cognitive Testing ◽  
World Health ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Highly Educated ◽  
Treatment Research

Abstract Background Cognition is impaired in patient with psychosis and is predictive of functional outcomes. Despite this, cognitive function is not routinely assessed in clinical services in the United Kingdom. Collecting cognitive data for research is also labour-intensive and expensive. Web-based assessments may be a solution for these issues but to date, these have not been utilised in patients with psychosis or other psychiatric disorders. Methods We have developed an online cognitive battery for use in psychosis research (and broader mental health research) in collaboration with The Many Brains Project, website developers, patients and clinicians (Cardiff ONline Cognitive Assessment, CONCA). Tasks were selected to measure the domains outlined by the Measurement and Treatment Research to Improve Cognition in Schizophrenia (MATRICS) initiative. We have undertaken a cross-validation study in those with schizophrenia (N=15), bipolar disorder (N=16), depression (N=15) and healthy controls (N=19) to compare the online tasks with the MATRICS battery. Following validation, we invited participants from the Cardiff Cognition in Schizophrenia Study (CardiffCOGS) and the National Centre for Mental Health (NCMH) to complete CONCA. Results Correlations between CONCA and MATRICS tasks ranged from 0.25 to 0.73 in our validation sample (N=65). A total of 6960 individuals were invited to participate and 1227 consented to take part. There was a better response rate from NCMH participants (who were recruited more recently) compared to those from CardiffCOGS. Online participants recruited from NCMH were more highly educated (W=1171600, p<0.001) and more likely to be professionals (χ2(1)=5.4, p=0.02) than the original NCMH cohort. In CardiffCOGS, online participants were more highly educated than non-responders (W=7786.5, p=0.003). A total of 887 individuals met inclusion criteria for our analyses including 43 participants with schizophrenia, 146 with bipolar disorder, 261 with unipolar depression, 187 controls and 250 participants with other psychiatric disorders. Consistent with studies using offline assessments, participants with schizophrenia were the most severely impaired group (compared to controls: g=1.36, p<0.001), exhibiting greater impairments than participants with depression (g=1.04, p<0.001) and bipolar disorder (g=0.71, p=0.002). Of note, lower performance on the battery was associated with poorer functional outcome as assessed using the World Health Organisation’s Disability Assessment Scale (B=-1.77, SE=0.3, p=5.8 x 10–9). Discussion Web-based cognitive testing is a suitable method for collecting large-scale data in psychiatric populations, although there was some evidence of recruitment bias. The results of the validation and recruitment phases were used to inform selection of the final battery. We consulted with patients and health professionals from a youth psychosis service and NCMH’s patient involvement group to create a user-friendly interface and will continue to work with these groups to develop clinically useful feedback to facilitate patient monitoring in early intervention psychosis services.

scholarly journals Development of a scoring system for non-specialist ratings of clinical competence in global mental health: a qualitative process evaluation of the Enhancing Assessment of Common Therapeutic Factors (ENACT) scale

2015 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. A. Kohrt ◽  
M. K. Ramaiya ◽  
S. Rai ◽  
A. Bhardwaj ◽  
M. J. D Jordans
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Process Evaluation ◽  
Clinical Competence ◽  
Scoring System ◽  
Clinical Skills ◽  
Global Mental Health ◽  
Task Sharing ◽  
Peer Ratings ◽  
Training And Supervision ◽  
Qualitative Process Evaluation

Background.Task-sharing is the involvement of non-specialist providers to deliver mental health services. A challenge for task-sharing programs is to achieve and maintain clinical competence of non-specialists, including primary care workers, paraprofessionals, and lay providers. We developed a tool for non-specialist peer ratings of common factors clinical competency to evaluate and optimize competence during training and supervision in global mental health task-sharing initiatives.Methods.The 18-item ENhancing Assessment of Common Therapeutic factors (ENACT) tool was pilot-tested with non-specialists participating in mental health Gap Action Programme trainings in Nepal. Qualitative process evaluation was used to document development of the peer rating scoring system. Qualitative data included interviews with trainers and raters as well as transcripts of pre- and post-training observed structured clinical evaluations.Results.Five challenges for non-specialist peer ratings were identified through the process evaluation: (1) balance of training and supervision objectives with research objectives; (2) burden for peer raters due to number of scale items, number of response options, and use of behavioral counts; (3) capturing hierarchy of clinical skills; (4) objective v. subjective aspects of rating; and (5) social desirability when rating peers.Conclusion.The process culminated in five recommendations based on the key findings for the development of scales to be used by non-specialists for peer ratings in low-resource settings. Further research is needed to determine the ability of ENACT to capture the relationship of clinical competence with client outcomes and to explore the relevance of these recommendations for non-specialist peer ratings in high-resource settings.

scholarly journals Informing the Development of an E-Platform for Monitoring Wellbeing in Schools: Involving Young People in a Co-Design Process.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claire Grant ◽  
Emily Widnall ◽  
Lauren Cross ◽  
Emily Simonoff ◽  
Johnny Downs
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Young People ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Development Process ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Mental Health Field ◽  
Advisory Group ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Health Technologies ◽  
Health Field

Abstract Background: The use of new technologies and methodologies in young people’s mental health research is needed to allow more frequent and reliable sampling. Mobile applications and e-platforms create exciting potential for the collection of large-scale cohort data, however there are various feasibility and ethical issues to consider. Consultation with young people is needed to inform the research agenda, and ensure these technologies are engaging, useful and safe. This article describes the process of Public and Patient Involvement (PPI) with a sample of young people in London, with the aim of i) informing the development of a mood-monitoring e-platform, and ii) providing feedback and advice for researchers developing web-based technologies in the mental health field. Methods: A total of 26 young people were consulted across four advisory group co-design sessions. All young people were students enrolled at one of the participating London based sixth form colleges, and voluntarily attended a workshop session. Audio recordings of the sessions were analysed using a thematic analysis framework. Results: We found that young people were engaged in discussions around mobile health technologies and valued the opportunity to collaborate throughout the early stages of the development process The advisory groups identified key considerations for future web-development work to encourage engagement and prolonged use, including, the promotion of trust and transparency, consideration of accessibility, provision of support, production of engaging and functional design, and acknowledgment of specific contextual influences surrounding young people’s wellbeing. Conclusions: Involving young people in the development process of e-health technologies contributes to optimising the successful adoption and prolonged usage of new methodologies. The thematic map and informant examples can be used to guide researchers interested in developing web-based technologies in the mental health field and will be directly applicable to the development of a mood-monitoring e-platform.

scholarly journals Increase in Social Isolation during the COVID-19 Pandemic and Its Association with Mental Health: Findings from the JACSIS 2020 Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (16) ◽  
pp. 8238
Author(s):  
Hiroshi Murayama ◽  
Ryo Okubo ◽  
Takahiro Tabuchi
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Isolation ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Population Data ◽  
Nationwide Survey ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Asian Populations ◽  
Frequency Of Contact ◽  
Good Mental Health ◽  
Socially Isolated

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is assumed to have caused an increase in the number of socially isolated people. However, the prevalence of social isolation during the pandemic has not been well studied, particularly among Asian populations. This study investigated changes in the prevalence of social isolation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and examined its association with mental health among the general Japanese population. Data were obtained from a large-scale, web-based nationwide survey conducted from August to September 2020 (n = 28,000; aged 15–79 years). Social isolation was defined as less frequent contact with people other than co-residing family members. We assessed the participants’ frequency of contact in January (before the pandemic) and August 2020 (during the pandemic). Mental health outcomes included psychological distress, suicidal ideation, loneliness, and fear of COVID-19. We analyzed the data of 25,482 respondents. The weighted prevalence (95% confidence interval) of social isolation was 21.2% (20.7–21.7%) and 27.9% (27.3–28.4%) before and during the pandemic, respectively. The prevalence of social isolation increased by 6.7 (6.3–7.0) percentage points during the pandemic. Older people and men had the greatest increase in the prevalence of social isolation. People who became socially isolated during the pandemic had greater loneliness and fear of COVID-19 than those who were consistently not socially isolated since before the pandemic. This study suggested that social isolation had increased during the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan. Our findings highlight the importance of developing immediate measures against social isolation to maintain good mental health.

scholarly journals Informing the Development of an E-Platform for Monitoring Wellbeing in Schools: Involving Young People in a Co-Design Process.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claire Grant ◽  
Emily Widnall ◽  
Lauren Cross ◽  
Emily Simonoff ◽  
Johnny Downs
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Young People ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Development Process ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Mental Health Field ◽  
Advisory Group ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Health Technologies ◽  
Health Field

Abstract Background: The use of new technologies and methodologies in young people’s mental health research is needed to allow more frequent and reliable sampling. Mobile applications and e-platforms create exciting potential for the collection of large-scale cohort data, however there are various feasibility and ethical issues to consider. Consultation with young people is needed to inform the research agenda, and ensure these technologies are engaging, useful and safe. This article describes the process of Public and Patient Involvement (PPI) with a sample of young people in London, with the aim of i) informing the development of a mood-monitoring e-platform, and ii) providing feedback and advice for researchers developing web-based technologies in the mental health field. Methods: A total of 26 young people were consulted across four advisory group co-design sessions. All young people were students enrolled at one of the participating London based sixth form colleges, and voluntarily attended a workshop session. Audio recordings of the sessions were analysed using a thematic analysis framework. Results: Young people were generally receptive to e-health technologies and valued the opportunity to collaborate throughout the development process. The advisory groups identified key considerations for future web-development work to encourage engagement and prolonged use, including, the promotion of trust and transparency, consideration of accessibility, provision of support, production of engaging and functional design, and acknowledgment of specific contextual influences surrounding young people’s wellbeing. Conclusions: Involving young people in the development process of e-health technologies contributes to optimising the successful adoption and prolonged usage of new methodologies. The thematic map and informant examples can be used to guide researchers interested in developing web-based technologies in the mental health field and will be directly applicable to the development of a mood-monitoring e-platform.

scholarly journals Young People Seeking Help Online for Mental Health: Cross-Sectional Survey Study (Preprint)

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claudette Pretorius ◽  
Derek Chambers ◽  
Benjamin Cowan ◽  
David Coyle
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Young People ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Survey Study ◽  
Internet Search ◽  
Online Help ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Important Indicator ◽  
Mental Health Difficulties

BACKGROUND Young people are particularly vulnerable to experiencing mental health difficulties, but very few seek treatment or help during this time. Online help-seeking may offer an additional domain where young people can seek aid for mental health difficulties, yet our current understanding of how young people seek help online is limited. OBJECTIVE This was an exploratory study which aimed to investigate the online help-seeking behaviors and preferences of young people. METHODS This study made use of an anonymous online survey. Young people aged 18-25, living in Ireland, were recruited through social media ads on Twitter and Facebook and participated in the survey. RESULTS A total of 1308 respondents completed the survey. Many of the respondents (80.66%; 1055/1308) indicated that they would use their mobile phone to look online for help for a personal or emotional concern. When looking for help online, 82.57% (1080/1308) of participants made use of an Internet search, while 57.03% (746/1308) made use of a health website. When asked about their satisfaction with these resources, 36.94% (399/1080) indicated that they were satisfied or very satisfied with an Internet search while 49.33% (368/746) indicated that they were satisfied or very satisfied with a health website. When asked about credibility, health websites were found to be the most trustworthy, with 39.45% (516/1308) indicating that they found them to be trustworthy or very trustworthy. Most of the respondents (82.95%; 1085/1308) indicated that a health service logo was an important indicator of credibility, as was an endorsement by schools and colleges (54.97%; 719/1308). Important facilitators of online help-seeking included the anonymity and confidentiality offered by the Internet, with 80% (1046/1308) of the sample indicating that it influenced their decision a lot or quite a lot. A noted barrier was being uncertain whether information on an online resource was reliable, with 55.96% (732/1308) of the respondents indicating that this influenced their decision a lot or quite a lot. CONCLUSIONS Findings from this survey suggest that young people are engaging with web-based mental health resources to assist them with their mental health concerns. However, levels of satisfaction with the available resources vary. Young people are engaging in strategies to assign credibility to web-based resources, however, uncertainty around their reliability is a significant barrier to online help-seeking.

scholarly journals Enhancing Early Engagement (E3) in Mental Health Services Training for Children's Advocacy Center's Victim Advocates: Protocol for a Randomized Clinical Trial

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erin K Taylor ◽  
Alex R Dopp ◽  
Kaitlin Lounsbury ◽  
Yutian Thompson ◽  
Michelle Miller ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Scale Up ◽  
The United States ◽  
Differential Impact ◽  
Evidence Based Practices ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Victim Advocates ◽  
National Initiative ◽  
Level Of Training

Abstract Background: Child maltreatment is a major public issue in the United States, yet most children affected by abuse or neglect never engage in evidence-based practices (EBP) for child mental health. Children’s Advocacy Centers (CACs’) are uniquely situated to serve as Family Navigators who connect children impacted by maltreatment to appropriate EBPs. In fact, the CAC position of Victim Advocate mirrors the Mental Health Family Navigator national initiative.Methods: We will develop, implement, and evaluate web-based and consultative training for Victim Advocates to enhance early engagement in services (E3 training). The interactive web-based training will embed key targets of knowledge and skills related to family engagement, trauma, and EBP services. Participating CACs will be randomized to E3 webinar-based training, E3 webinar plus consultation, or delayed training. The project will test the E3 training’s impact on key mechanisms of change (e.g., knowledge, skills) to improve rates of screening, referral, and access to EBP services. The feasibility of implementing the training program, and differential impact and costs by level of training will be examined.Discussion: The overarching goal of this project is to test a training that is readily implemented through CACs and examine the mechanisms for improving early engagement and, ultimately, child and adolescent mental health outcomes. Results and cost findings will be used to plan a large-scale comprehensive, mixed-methods Hybrid Type II effectiveness-implementation and cost-effectiveness trial of Family Navigator E3 training. If outcomes are positive, considerable infrastructure exists to support the scale-up and sustainability of E3 training nationwide, by embedding the training in national CAC training protocols.Trial registration: NCT04221633

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