scholarly journals Automated Mobile Phone–Based Mental Health Resource for Homeless Youth: Pilot Study Assessing Feasibility and Acceptability

10.2196/15144 ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (10) ◽  
pp. e15144 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angela C Glover ◽  
Stephen M Schueller ◽  
Dominika A Winiarski ◽  
Dale L Smith ◽  
Niranjan S Karnik ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Pilot Study ◽  
Emotional Support ◽  
Homeless Youth ◽  
Health Resources ◽  
Support Tool ◽  
Time Points ◽  
Self Help ◽  
Telephone Hotline ◽  
Help System

Background Youth experiencing housing instability have higher rates of mental health problems than their housed peers. Few studies have evaluated technological resources for homeless youth to determine how to effectively engage and reach them. Objective The primary aims of this pilot study were to establish the feasibility (as measured by phone retention rates) and acceptability (ie, participant ratings of resources) of delivering automated mental health resources via smartphone technology. Methods Youth aged 16 to 25 years (N=100) were recruited through homeless shelter agencies in the Chicago metropolitan area. Eligible participants completed a baseline assessment and received a smartphone with a 3-month data plan. The phone was preloaded with several apps designed to promote mental health wellness and provide real-time resources. One app specifically designed for this study, Pocket Helper 2.0, sent participants daily surveys and tips via push notification. The tips focused on coping and motivation, and the surveys assessed mood. This app also included an automated self-help system with brief cognitive behavioral interventions (5-10 min) and access to several interactive mobile tools, including a crisis text line, a telephone hotline, a crowd-based emotional support tool, and an app providing up-to-date information on social service and mental health resources for homeless youth in Chicago. Participants completed assessments at 3 and 6 months. Results Some individuals (23%, 23/100) experienced problems with the phones (eg, theft, loss, and technological issues) throughout the study. Participant retention at the midpoint was moderate, with 48% (48/100) of youth responding to the 3-month surveys. At 6 months, only 19% (19/100) of the total sample responded to the end point survey. Overall, 63% (30/48) to 68% (13/19) of respondents at both time points reported benefiting from the intervention; however, participant usage and satisfaction varied with the different features. At both time points, participants reported receiving the most benefit from the daily tips and daily surveys. Daily tips that were most preferred by participants involved motivational tips related to overcoming struggles and making progress in life. Aside from the tips and surveys, the most used features were the app providing up-to-date resources and the automated self-help system. Interactive features, including the telephone hotline and crowd-based emotional support tool, were the least used features and were rated as the least beneficial. Conclusions Automated mental health interventions seem to be an acceptable way to engage homeless youth in mental health support. The participants preferred fully automated features and brief interventions over features requiring interaction with others or more engagement. Future research should explore ways to retain homeless youth in interventions and evaluate the clinical impact of automated technology-based interventions for improving mental health. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03776422; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03776422

scholarly journals Automated Mobile Phone–Based Mental Health Resource for Homeless Youth: Pilot Study Assessing Feasibility and Acceptability (Preprint)

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angela C Glover ◽  
Stephen M. Schueller ◽  
Dominika A Winiarski ◽  
Dale L Smith ◽  
Niranjan S Karnik ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Pilot Study ◽  
Emotional Support ◽  
Homeless Youth ◽  
Health Resources ◽  
Support Tool ◽  
Time Points ◽  
Self Help ◽  
Telephone Hotline ◽  
Help System

BACKGROUND Youth experiencing housing instability have higher rates of mental health problems than their housed peers. Few studies have evaluated technological resources for homeless youth to determine how to effectively engage and reach them. OBJECTIVE The primary aims of this pilot study were to establish the feasibility (as measured by phone retention rates) and acceptability (ie, participant ratings of resources) of delivering automated mental health resources via smartphone technology. METHODS Youth aged 16 to 25 years (N=100) were recruited through homeless shelter agencies in the Chicago metropolitan area. Eligible participants completed a baseline assessment and received a smartphone with a 3-month data plan. The phone was preloaded with several apps designed to promote mental health wellness and provide real-time resources. One app specifically designed for this study, Pocket Helper 2.0, sent participants daily surveys and tips via push notification. The tips focused on coping and motivation, and the surveys assessed mood. This app also included an automated self-help system with brief cognitive behavioral interventions (5-10 min) and access to several interactive mobile tools, including a crisis text line, a telephone hotline, a crowd-based emotional support tool, and an app providing up-to-date information on social service and mental health resources for homeless youth in Chicago. Participants completed assessments at 3 and 6 months. RESULTS Some individuals (23%, 23/100) experienced problems with the phones (eg, theft, loss, and technological issues) throughout the study. Participant retention at the midpoint was moderate, with 48% (48/100) of youth responding to the 3-month surveys. At 6 months, only 19% (19/100) of the total sample responded to the end point survey. Overall, 63% (30/48) to 68% (13/19) of respondents at both time points reported benefiting from the intervention; however, participant usage and satisfaction varied with the different features. At both time points, participants reported receiving the most benefit from the daily tips and daily surveys. Daily tips that were most preferred by participants involved motivational tips related to overcoming struggles and making progress in life. Aside from the tips and surveys, the most used features were the app providing up-to-date resources and the automated self-help system. Interactive features, including the telephone hotline and crowd-based emotional support tool, were the least used features and were rated as the least beneficial. CONCLUSIONS Automated mental health interventions seem to be an acceptable way to engage homeless youth in mental health support. The participants preferred fully automated features and brief interventions over features requiring interaction with others or more engagement. Future research should explore ways to retain homeless youth in interventions and evaluate the clinical impact of automated technology-based interventions for improving mental health. CLINICALTRIAL ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03776422; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03776422

scholarly journals Automated Mobile Phone-Based Mental Health Resource for Homeless Youth: A Pilot Study Assessing Feasibility and Acceptability (Preprint)

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angela C. Glover ◽  
Dominika A. Winiarski ◽  
Stephen M. Schueller ◽  
Alyson K. Zalta ◽  
Niranjan S. Karnik
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Pilot Study ◽  
Mental Health Treatment ◽  
Homeless Youth ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Mobile Technologies ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Support Tool ◽  
Telephone Hotline ◽  
Marginally Housed

BACKGROUND Youth experiencing housing instability (e.g., homeless or marginally housed) have higher rates of mental health problems than their housed peers. Mobile technologies have often been touted for their potential to reduce health disparities and reach people who might not otherwise receive services. Few studies have developed and evaluated technological resources for these populations to determine how to effectively engage and reach them. OBJECTIVE The primary aims of this pilot study are to establish the feasibility and acceptability of delivering automated mental health resources via smartphone technology. METHODS Youth aged 16-25 (N=100) were recruited through homeless shelter agencies in the Chicagoland area. Eligible participants completed a baseline assessment and received an Android smartphone with a 3-month data plan. The phone was pre-loaded with several smartphone applications designed to promote mental health wellness, and an app designed to provide real-time resources for homeless individuals in Chicago. One app specifically designed for this study, Pocket Helper, sent participants a daily surveys and tips via push notification. Tips focused on coping and motivation, and surveys assessed mood. Pocket Helper also included an automated self-help system with brief cognitive-behavioral interventions (5-10 mins) and access to several interactive mobile tools including a crisis text line, a telephone hotline, and a crowd-based emotional support tool. Participants completed assessments at 3 and 6 months to assess changes in self-reported mental health symptoms, substance use, risk behaviors, psychological resources and strengths, and life satisfaction, as well as to provide feedback on and benefit from the intervention. RESULTS Participant satisfaction varied with the different apps. The majority of youth preferred daily tips (40.5% at midpoint, 41.2% at endpoint) and surveys (48.6% at midpoint, 41.2% at endpoint). At midpoint, participants least preferred the Illinois Warm Line and daily surveys (29.7% and 21.6%, respectively), though Koko was close behind (18.9%). At endpoint youth least preferred the Illinois Warm Line and Koko (35.3% and 23.5%, respectively). Overall, over 70% of respondents both time points reported benefiting from the intervention. Participants reported a preference for daily push features like the daily survey and tips, but reported lower engagement with other tools, such as those requiring them to open certain apps themselves interact with other users. CONCLUSIONS This set of automated mental health interventions seem to be an acceptable way to engage homeless youth in mental health treatment. Participants preferred fully automated features and brief interventions over features requiring interaction with others or more involved engagement. We plan to conduct focus groups with youth who participated to better understand their attitudes toward various components of the intervention. Future research should explore ways to retain homeless youth in these types of interventions, or evaluate whether briefer interventions are more feasible in this population. CLINICALTRIAL ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03776422

scholarly journals Computer-aided self-help for phobia/panic via internet at home: A pilot study

2004 ◽  
Vol 184 (5) ◽  
pp. 448-449 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark Kenwright ◽  
Isaac M. Marks ◽  
Lina Gega ◽  
David Mataix-Cols
Keyword(s):  
Pilot Study ◽  
Panic Disorder ◽  
Open Study ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Self Help ◽  
Computer Aided ◽  
Therapist Support ◽  
At Home ◽  
Help System

SummaryIn an open study, ten people with phobia or panic disorder who could not travel repeatedly to a therapist accessed a computer-aided exposure self-help system (Fear Fighter) at home on the internet with brief therapist support by telephone. They improved significantly, and their outcome and satisfaction resembled those in patients with similar disorders who used Fear Fighter in clinics with brief face-to-face therapist support.

scholarly journals Computerised cognitive–behavioural therapy for depression in adolescents: 12-month outcomes of a UK randomised controlled trial pilot study

BJPsych Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Barry Wright ◽  
Lucy Tindall ◽  
Rebecca Hargate ◽  
Victoria Allgar ◽  
Dominic Trépel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Cost Effectiveness ◽  
Pilot Study ◽  
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy ◽  
Care Pathway ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Behavioural Therapy ◽  
Self Help ◽  
Cognitive Behavioural ◽  
Randomised Controlled

Background Computerised cognitive–behavioural therapy (CCBT) in the care pathway has the potential to improve access to psychological therapies and reduce waiting lists within Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, however, more randomised controlled trials (RCTs) are needed to assess this. Aims This single-centre RCT pilot study compared a CCBT program (Stressbusters) with an attention control (self-help websites) for adolescent depression at referral to evaluate the clinical and cost-effectiveness of CCBT (trial registration: ISRCTN31219579). Method The trial ran within community and clinical settings. Adolescents (aged 12–18) presenting to their primary mental health worker service for low mood/depression support were assessed for eligibility at their initial appointment, 139 met inclusion criteria (a 33-item Mood and Feelings Questionnaire score of ≥20) and were randomised to Stressbusters (n = 70) or self-help websites (n = 69) using remote computerised single allocation. Participants completed mood, quality of life (QoL) and resource-use measures at intervention completion, and 4 and 12 months post-intervention. Changes in self-reported measures and completion rates were assessed by group. Results There was no significant difference between CCBT and the website group at 12 months. Both showed improvements on all measures. QoL measures in the intervention group showed earlier improvement compared with the website group. Costs were lower in the intervention group but the difference was not statistically significant. The cost-effectiveness analysis found just over a 65% chance of Stressbusters being cost-effective compared with websites. The 4-month follow-up results from the initial feasibility study are reported separately. Conclusions CCBT and self-help websites may both have a place in the care pathway for adolescents with depression.

scholarly journals Adjusting an Available Online Peer Support Platform in a Program to Supplement the Treatment of Perinatal Depression and Anxiety

2016 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. e11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amit Baumel ◽  
Stephen M Schueller
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Mood Disorders ◽  
Emotional Support ◽  
Perinatal Depression ◽  
Health Resources ◽  
Depression And Anxiety ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Health Products ◽  
The Impact

Background Perinatal depression and anxiety are common and debilitating conditions. Novel, cost effective services could improve the uptake and the impact of mental health resources among women who suffer from these conditions. E-mental health products are one example of such services. Many publically available e-mental health products exist, but these products lack validation and are not designed to be integrated into existing health care settings. Objective The objective of the study was to present a program to use 7 Cups of Tea (7Cups), an available technological platform that provides online peer (ie, listener) based emotional support, to supplement treatment for women experiencing perinatal depression or anxiety and to summarize patient’s feedback on the resultant program. Methods This study consisted of two stages. First, five clinicians specializing in the treatment of perinatal mood disorders received an overview of 7Cups. They provided feedback on the 7Cups platform and ways it could complement the existing treatment efforts to inform further adjustments. In the second stage, nine women with perinatal depression or anxiety used the platform for a single session and provided feedback. Results In response to clinicians’ feedback, guidelines for referring patients to use 7Cups as a supplement for treatment were created, and a training program for listeners was developed. Patients found the platform usable and useful and their attitudes toward the trained listeners were positive. Overall, patients noted a need for support outside the scheduled therapy time and believed that freely available online emotional support could help meet this need. Most patients were interested in receiving support from first time mothers and those who suffered in the past from perinatal mood disorders. Conclusions The study results highlight the use of 7Cups as a tool to introduce accessible and available support into existing treatment for women who suffer from perinatal mood disorders. Further research should focus on the benefits accrued from such a service. However, this article highlights how a publicly available eHealth product can be leveraged to create new services in a health care setting.

scholarly journals Website Analytics of a Google Ads Campaign for a Men’s Mental Health Website: Comparative Analysis

10.2196/12428 ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. e12428 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea Lynn Murphy ◽  
Sophie Peltekian ◽  
David M Gardner
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Health Resources ◽  
Community Support ◽  
Self Help ◽  
Session Duration ◽  
Health Service Providers ◽  
Health Promotion Initiative ◽  
And Behavior ◽  
Common Device

Background Men with mental health and addictions problems seek information and help from health service providers and community support less often than women with such problems. Online health resources offer men rapid access to self-care recommendations and resources and anonymity; however, only a few websites are specifically developed for men. Headstrong - Taking Things Head-On was a community pharmacy and online health promotion initiative for men living with mental health and addictions problems. The Headstrong website was developed to offer a curated collection of print and online recommended resources (primarily self-help oriented) for depression, anxiety, insomnia, tobacco and alcohol use problems, and suicide. To increase awareness of the initiative and use of the website’s content and resource recommendations, a Google Ads campaign was developed. Objective This study aimed to compare user acquisition and behavior on the Headstrong website during and after a Google Ads campaign. Methods The Google Ads campaign was launched on December 21, 2017, and run until February 28, 2018. Website analytics (acquisition of new users, behavior in terms of at-website actions and duration, devices used, and conversions [link-outs to recommended resources]) in a 30-day period during the campaign (January 26, 2018 to February 24, 2018) were compared to a similar 30-day period after the campaign (March 23, 2018 to April 21, 2018). A cost analysis of the ad campaign was also performed. Results The ad campaign generated 3011 clicks and 4.5 million impressions in total. In addition, the campaign received 1311 website users during the 30-day period of the ad campaign as compared to 241 users during the 30-day period after the ad campaign (P<.001). Return visitor (17.7% vs 27.8%) and nonbounce (19.5% vs 39.8%) user rates as well as session duration (42 vs 102 seconds) and page views per session (1.4 vs 2.1) were lower during the ad campaign than after the campaign (P<.01 for all). The 30-day period of the ad campaign included 9 sessions with conversions initiated by an ad click. Paid and display ads accounted for 63% of the site traffic during the ad campaign, most of which came from mobile phone users. Desktops were the most-common device used after the ad campaign acquired the website via direct and organic searches primarily (92%). The estimated cost per session with one or more conversions was Can $54.69 and cost per conversion was Can $32.81. Conclusions A Google Ads campaign designed to direct men to the Headstrong website increased the number of user visits by more than five-fold. However, engagement by users responding to the ad campaign was substantially lower than that by users who visited the website via other acquisition methods, possibly reflecting the nonspecific online targeting of men by the ad campaign. General targeting of men online to promote men’s mental health appears to have limited value.

Mental health effects of an online self-help intervention for university students during COVID-19: a non-randomized controlled pilot study (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elodie Charbonnier ◽  
Bastien Trémolière ◽  
Louise Baussard ◽  
Aurelie Goncalves ◽  
Florence Lespiau ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Pilot Study ◽  
University Students ◽  
Stress Management ◽  
Learned Helplessness ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Psychological State ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Self Help

BACKGROUND The COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting abrupt changes in daily life and ways of learning has had a significant impact on university students, especially on their mental health. However, little is known on how to prevent and/or reduce its impact to date. Prior to COVID, some studies have shown that online stress management programs were successful enough to improve students' mental health and stress adjustment strategies, suggesting that these interventions should be further developed during the pandemic. OBJECTIVE Our study explored the effects of an online self-help program which targeted stress management and learning. METHODS A non-randomized controlled study was initially conducted with 204 university students. Our final sample is composed of 67 participants distributed in two groups, the intervention group (participants who took part to the full program) and the control group (participants who did not take part in the program). The variables measured were: anxiety and depressive symptoms (HADS), academic burnout (MBI-SS), learned helplessness (LHQ), and coping strategies (Brief-COPE). Measurements were performed at the baseline (T0) and at 8 weeks (T1) after the baseline. RESULTS Means comparisons between T0 and T1 show in the intervention group a reduction in anxiety symptoms (d = .67), use of substance to cope with stress (d = .93) and learned helplessness (d = .53), which is not observed in the control group. CONCLUSIONS Our pilot study reports promising effects of our online self-help program combining stress and learning on students' psychological state. In the future, further research effort will be needed to confirm the beneficial effect of this type of program on university students.

scholarly journals Resource Intensity for Children and Youth: The Development of an Algorithm to Identify High Service Users in Children’s Mental Health

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
pp. 117863291982793 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shannon L Stewart ◽  
Jeff W Poss ◽  
Elizabeth Thornley ◽  
John P Hirdes
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Mental Health Care ◽  
Health Resources ◽  
Decision Support Tool ◽  
Children’S Mental Health ◽  
Children And Youth ◽  
Children's Mental Health ◽  
Support Tool ◽  
Resource Intensity

Children’s mental health care plays a vital role in many social, health care, and education systems, but there is evidence that appropriate targeting strategies are needed to allocate limited mental health care resources effectively. The aim of this study was to develop and validate a methodology for identifying children who require access to more intense facility-based or community resources. Ontario data based on the interRAI Child and Youth Mental Health instruments were analysed to identify predictors of service complexity in children’s mental health. The Resource Intensity for Children and Youth (RIChY) algorithm was a good predictor of service complexity in the derivation sample. The algorithm was validated with additional data from 61 agencies. The RIChY algorithm provides a psychometrically sound decision-support tool that may be used to inform the choices related to allocation of children’s mental health resources and prioritisation of clients needing community- and facility-based resources.

scholarly journals Pre-post, mixed-methods feasibility study of the WorkingWell mobile support tool for individuals with serious mental illness in the USA: a pilot study protocol

BMJ Open ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. e019936 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joanne Nicholson ◽  
Spenser M Wright ◽  
Alyssa M Carlisle
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Pilot Study ◽  
Supported Employment ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Support Tool ◽  
Work Related ◽  
Randomised Controlled

IntroductionSuccessful competitive employment has been found to be related to enhanced self-esteem, higher quality of life and reduced mental health service use for individuals living with serious mental illnesses (SMIs) including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and major depression. The effectiveness of the individual placement and support model has been demonstrated in multiple randomised controlled trials in many countries. The management of stress, depression and anxiety in the workplace may be effectively enhanced through digital mental health interventions. The WorkingWell mobile support tool (‘app’) is specifically designed to meet the need for illness management support for individuals with SMI in the workplace, as an adjunct to professional treatment.Methods and analysisThe WorkingWell app, grounded in evidence-based supported employment, is informed by user experience design. It will be tested in a pre-post design, mixed-methods pilot study to explore issues of feasibility, acceptability and usefulness, and to provide preliminary data on the impact of use. Putative mediators of improved job tenure and psychological well-being, including postintervention changes in social support, self-efficacy and work-related motivation, will be investigated. Forty individuals at least 18 years of age, meeting the eligibility requirements for supported employment services (ie, diagnosed with a mental illness meeting the criteria for severity, duration and treatment), working a minimum of 10 hours per week at study enrolment, and speaking, reading and writing in English will be recruited for the pilot study. Research staff will recruit individuals at community-based mental health agencies; provide orientation to the study, the study smartphones and the WorkingWell app; conduct research interviews including standardised measures as well as semistructured items; and provide technical assistance in telephone calls and inperson meetings. A sample of 10 agency staff will be recruited to obtain further information on the feasibility, acceptability and usefulness of WorkingWell.Ethics and disseminationThe study design and procedures are approved by the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center Committee for the Protection of Human Subjects, the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health Central Office Research Review Committee and the Vermont Agency of Human Services Institutional Review Board. Study findings will be disseminated to agency partners, state agencies and funders, and to the research and technology development communities. Findings from the study will inform the design, data collection procedures and protocol for future full-scale randomised controlled trial testing of the effectiveness of the WorkingWell app, as well as investigations of work-related variables as mediators of psychological well-being and quality of life for individuals with SMI.

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