Augmented Reality Technology As A Delivery Mechanism For Psychological Intervention In Adolescents With Asthma: A Randomised Controlled Feasibility Trial Protocol
Abstract Background: Australia has one of the highest rates of asthma prevalence worldwide, with almost one in 10 children affected. The mental health and wellbeing of asthmatic children is reported to be significantly more impacted than non-asthmatic peers; affecting both asthma management and their overall quality of life. The relationship between asthma and psychological distress is likely bi-directional, therefore requiring an intervention that addresses both psychological and physiological factors. Technology-based psychological interventions provide a potential solution that may increase engagement with treatment amongst adolescents. In particular, augmented reality (AR) is a novel technology that can be tailored to individual populations and has been proven effective in the management of other conditions. No evidence exists currently on the feasibility of AR in the management of psychological wellbeing within the asthmatic community.Methods: An 80-page workbook has been developed based on best-practice asthma guidelines and through consultation with field experts in Psychology and Paediatric Respiratory Medicine, AR tools have been developed following a needs assessment, and a bespoke smartphone app has been developed by Portal Australia. Forty (n=40) young people aged 13-17 years with persistent asthma will be recruited from the Respiratory Department at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital. Participants will be required to download a smartphone application (YOLO de-stress) and will be encouraged to use the app for a month. Participants will be required to complete the Youth Asthma-related Anxiety Scale, Paediatric Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire and the Asthma Control Questionnaire at baseline and one-month post-intervention. Data analysis will be descriptive, with counts and percentages for categorical data, and means and standard deviations for continuous data compared between baseline and follow-up. For continuous outcome variables mixed effects linear models will be used. For other outcome measures mixed effects generalized linear models will be used. Discussion: This study will explore the feasibility of AR tools to aid delivery of psychological intervention to manage symptoms of elevated psychological distress among young people with asthma, and inform development of a fully powered RCT. Trial registration: This project was prospectively registered with the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ANZCTR): ACTRN12620001109998