Can We Foster a Culture of Peer Support and Promote Mental Health in Adolescence Using a Web-Based App? A Control Group Study

Background Adolescence with its many transitions is a vulnerable period for the development of mental illnesses. Establishing effective mental health promotion programs for this age group is a challenge crucial to societal health. Programs must account for the specific developmental tasks that adolescents face. Considering peer influence and fostering adolescent autonomy strivings is essential. Participation in a program should be compelling to young people, and their affinity to new technologies offers unprecedented opportunities in this respect. Objective The Companion App was developed as a Web-based app giving adolescents access to a peer mentoring system and interactive, health-relevant content to foster a positive peer culture among adolescents and thereby strengthen social support and reduce stress. Methods In a control group study design, a group of employed (n=546) and unemployed (n=73) adolescents had access to the Companion App during a 10-month period. The intervention was evaluated using a combination of quantitative and qualitative approaches. Linear mixed effects models were used to analyze changes in chronic stress levels and perception of social support. Monthly feedback on the app and qualitative interviews at the end of the study allowed for an in-depth exploration of the adolescents’ perception of the intervention. Results Adolescents in the intervention group did not use the Companion App consistently. The intervention had no significant effect on chronic stress levels or the perception of social support. Adolescents reported endorsing the concept of the app and the implementation of a peer mentoring system in particular. However, technical difficulties and insufficiently obvious benefits of using the app impeded more frequent usage. Conclusions The Companion Project implemented a theory-driven and innovative approach to mental health promotion in adolescence, taking into account the specifics of this developmental phase. Particularities of the implementation context, technical aspects of the app, and insufficient incentives may have played considerable roles concerning the difficulties of the Companion Project to establish commitment. However, adopting peer mentoring as a strategy and using an app still seems to us a promising approach in mental health promotion in adolescents. Future projects should be careful to invest enough resources into the technical development of an app and consider a large use of incentives to establish commitment. When targeting risk groups, such as unemployed adolescents, it may be expedient to use more structured approaches including face-to-face support.

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Suicide prevention and mental health promotion in adolescents: Lessons learned from the SEYLE “Saving and Empowering Young Lives in Europe” program

European Psychiatry ◽

10.1016/j.eurpsy.2014.09.262 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 29 (S3) ◽

pp. 573-573

Author(s):

J.-P. Kahn

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

At Risk ◽

Health Promotion ◽

Prevention Programs ◽

Mental Health Promotion ◽

Control Group ◽

Poor Sleep ◽

Suicidal Behaviors ◽

Awareness Program ◽

Young Lives

IntroductionThe “Saving and Empowering Young Lives in Europe” (SEYLE) has gathered 12,395 high school students in 10 countries (including 1007 students in the Lorraine Region). It has been funded by the FP7 European program and coordinated by the Karolinska Institute. Its main goals were to encourage teenagers to adopt healthier behaviors by reducing risk behaviors and suicidal behaviors, to assess the benefits from various prevention programs and recommend evidence based and culturally adapted mental health promotion programs for teenagers.Inclusion and methodSEYLE is a randomized control trial evaluating 3 mental health prevention programs:– a program training school staff to identify and refer students at suicidal risk (QPR);– a mental health sensibilization program, aimed at the students (the Awareness program);– a mental health professional screening program, through self-report questionnaires and clinical interview.These prevention programs were compared to a minimal intervention control group. The students (aged 14–16 years old) filled a 127 items questionnaire at Baseline, M3 and M12.ResultsThe most salient results of this research have shown:– the efficacy on suicidal behaviors of prevention programs in schools, in particular the Awareness program (the mental health sensibilization universal program);– the existence of an invisible group of students at risk (highly sedentary students with poor sleep and media overexposure);– a high prevalence of depressive (10.5%) and (5.8%) anxious symptoms as well as non-suicidal injuries (7.8%) in European adolescents.Discussion and perspectivesThis study has provided evidence of the efficiency of mental health awareness programs in schools to decrease the number of suicides and suicidal behaviors in teenagers and to better identify “at risk” students.

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Long-term outcome of a mental health promotion program in Germany

Health Promotion International ◽

10.1093/heapro/day008 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 34 (3) ◽

pp. 532-540 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Lisa Lyssenko ◽

Gerhard Müller ◽

Nikolaus Kleindienst ◽

Christian Schmahl ◽

Mathias Berger ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Health Promotion ◽

Mental Distress ◽

Satisfaction With Life ◽

Mental Health Promotion ◽

Study Entry ◽

Control Group ◽

Life Balance ◽

Long Term Outcome

Summary Mental health promotion programs (MHP) seek to reduce sub-syndromal symptoms of mental distress and enhance positive mental health. This study evaluates the long-term effects of a mindfulness-based MHP program (‘Life Balance’) provided by health coaches in a multi-site field setting on mental distress, satisfaction with life and resilience. Using a controlled design, propensity score matching was used to select a control group for participants of the MHP. The total study sample (N = 3624) comprised 83% women, with a mean age of 50 years. Data was collected via mailings 1 year after study entry. Results suggest participants experience reduced emotional distress at 12-month follow-up, with a medium between-group effect size (d = 0.40) for those participants who showed clinically relevant symptoms of mental distress at study entry. The effects of the program were more pronounced in participants with higher initial distress scores. New cases of psychopathological symptoms were prevented in 1 of 16 participants. Satisfaction with life and resilience were enhanced significantly. Our data suggest ‘Life Balance’ shows long-term effectiveness and indicate it is possible to design MHP programs that serve as both primary and indicated prevention, and that these programs can be applied on a population basis.

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The effectiveness of an online multimodal intervention for mental health promotion: A randomised controlled trial

10.21203/rs.2.12991/v1 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Geraldine Przybylko ◽

Darren Morton ◽

Lillian Kent ◽

Jason Morton ◽

Jason Hinze ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Health Promotion ◽

Intervention Group ◽

Mental Health Promotion ◽

Satisfaction With Life Scale ◽

Control Group ◽

Post Intervention ◽

Multimodal Intervention ◽

Sf 36 ◽

Emotional Wellness

Abstract Introduction There is an urgent need for efficacious interventions to combat the global mental health crisis, and mental health promotion and primary preventive approaches are paramount. Objective This study examined whether an online multimodal intervention that incorporates evidence-based strategies from the disciplines of Lifestyle Medicine and Positive Psychology improved measures of mental health and emotional wellness. Methods 425 adults (68.8% females, aged 46.5 ± 15.6) from Australia and New Zealand were randomised to an intervention or control group. The intervention group participated in a ten-week online multimodal intervention. Measures of mental health and emotional wellness were taken at baseline (Week 1), post-intervention (Week 12), and 12 weeks post-intervention (Week 24). The control group completed the same assessments. Results The intervention group experienced significant improvements from Week 1 to 12 in: mental health (10%, p<0.001, d=0.50) and vitality (22%, p<0.001, d=0.54) subscales of the Short Form Survey (SF-36); depression (-42%, p<0.001, d=0.48), anxiety (-38%, p<0.001, d=0.39) and stress (-31%, p<0.001, d=0.52) subscales of the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21); and life satisfaction (8%, p<0.001, d=0.48) as measured by the Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS).The control group experienced significant improvements only in the mental health (3%, p=0.028, d=0.16) subscale of the SF-36, and the stress subscale (-9%, p=0.038, d=0.15) of the DASS-21. The changes in the intervention group were significantly greater (p<0.001) than the control group for all measures. Improvements in the outcome measures were generally sustained for the intervention group at 12 weeks post-intervention. Conclusion The online multimodal intervention improved measures of mental health and emotional wellness suggesting that such interventions may be useful for mental health promotion and prevention.

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Effect of a training program for promoting the mental health of nursing students in Zagazig University

Journal of Nursing Education and Practice ◽

10.5430/jnep.v7n6p10 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 7 (6) ◽

pp. 10

Author(s):

Hanem A.A. Ahmed ◽

Safaa M. Metwally ◽

Mona M. Abd El-Maksoud

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Health Promotion ◽

Nursing Students ◽

Training Program ◽

Mental Health Promotion ◽

Nursing Program ◽

Health Promotion Program ◽

Control Group ◽

Convenience Sample ◽

And Control

Mental health is a vital and necessary component of health. Mental health promotion creates positive environments for the good mental health and wellbeing of populations. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the training program on promoting mental health of nursing students. Aquasi-experimental design was used. A convenience sample included 130 nursing students from the nursing program at Zagazig University were randomly assigned to intervention and control groups. Participants completed the Thai Defense Style Questionnaire 40 (DSQ-40) and Sense of Coherence Questionnaire (SOC-29). Prior to the implementation of training program, mean scores on both measures did not differ significantly between the intervention and control group. However there were significant differences between both groups before and after the intervention. The current findings supported the efficiency of mental health promotion program. Therefore, it is essential to conduct further structured and executive programs concerning promote mental health among the nursing students, which it is important to prepare nursing students to accomplish their experiences more effectively.

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Examining social media and hashtags as digital tools: A descriptive content analysis of #blackboyjoy and #theblackmancan on Instagram (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.34044 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Kofoworola DA Williams ◽

Sharyn A Dougherty ◽

Emily G Lattie ◽

Jeanine PD Guidry ◽

Kellie E Carlyle

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Social Support ◽

Social Media ◽

Health Promotion ◽

Content Analysis ◽

Black Men ◽

Cognitive Theory ◽

Mental Health Promotion ◽

Positive Interactions ◽

Design Elements

BACKGROUND From a public health perspective, social media may be a viable avenue to promote mental health among Black men. As a digital tool, social media is widely accessible and increasingly used to challenge societal standards and misrepresentations of marginalized populations in the media. Social media users utilize hashtags and visual, text-based imagery to challenge misrepresentations, garner social support, and discuss a variety of health issues. OBJECTIVE This study presents a content analysis of hashtags about Black men and examines how visual and text-based social media messages can be used to present lived experiences of a marginalized population, as well as how the public engages with these posts. METHODS Posts containing #theblackmancan and #blackboyjoy hashtags were extracted from Instagram during Spring 2019. All posts were analyzed by two independent coders using a codebook. Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) and formative literature were used to guide analyses of how these posts related to attitudes, beliefs, and values associated with race, gender, and social support. RESULTS Of the 500 posts extracted, most were image-based (73.6%). 54.4% were posted by an individual and 27% by a community organization. 53.8% were posted by individuals from Black populations. 35.4% of posts contained images of only males. Posts depicted images of Black men as fathers (20%) and Black men being celebrated (20.2%) and expressing joy (43.4%). Posts (25.4%) also depicted Black men in relation to gender atypical behavior, such as caring for children. Variables related to education and restrictive affection showed up much less. Similarly, variables associated with SCT, such as self-efficacy (7.8%), collective efficacy (10%) and emotional support (10.2%) were rarely present in posts. Engagement via likes (Mdn = 1671, P<.001), comments (P<.001) and views (P<.001) for posts containing #theblackmancan were significantly higher compared to #blackboyjoy (Mdn = 140). Posts containing elements of celebrating Black men (P<.001) and gender atypical behavior (P<.001) had significantly higher engagement, as well. There were also significantly higher levels of engagement (P=.003) for posts containing informational support. CONCLUSIONS Hashtags #blackboyjoy and #theblackmancan promote positive user-generated visual and text-based content on Instagram and promote positive interactions among Black and diverse communities. Future research should examine the relevance of utilizing these, and other, hashtags in mental health promotion. Interventional efforts should investigate the potential for such imagery to serve as culturally relevant design elements for prevention efforts geared towards mental health promotion and prevention among minority men.

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A three-arm randomised controlled trial to evaluate the efficacy of a positive psychology and social networking intervention in promoting mental health among HIV-infected men who have sex with men in China

Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences ◽

10.1017/s2045796021000081 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 30 ◽

Author(s):

J. Li ◽

P. K. H. Mo ◽

C. W. Kahler ◽

J. T. F. Lau

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Health Promotion ◽

Negative Affect ◽

Social Networking ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Mental Health Promotion ◽

Control Group ◽

Secondary Outcomes ◽

Sex With Men ◽

Randomised Controlled

Abstract Aims There is a lack of mental health promotion and treatment services targeting HIV-positive men who have sex with men (HIVMSM) in China. The aim of this study was to evaluate the mental health promotion efficacy of an online intervention that combined Three Good Things (TGT) with electronic social networking (TGT-SN) and an intervention that used TGT only (TGT-only), compared with a control group. Methods We conducted a randomised controlled trial among HIVMSM in Chengdu, China. The participants were randomly assigned to the TGT-SN, TGT-only, and control groups. The participants in the TGT-SN group were divided into five social network groups and asked to post brief messages to the group about three good things that they had experienced and for which they felt grateful. The participants in the TGT-only group were only required to write down their three good things daily without sharing them with others. The control group received information about mental health promotion once a week for a month. The primary outcome was probable depression. Secondary outcomes were anxiety, positive and negative affect, gratitude, happiness and social support. These outcomes were assessed at baseline, 1, 3, 6 and 12 months after the intervention. Repeated-measures analyses were conducted using generalised estimation equations. The study was registered with the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR-TRC-13003252). Results Between June 2013 and May 2015, 404 participants were enrolled and randomly assigned to either the TGT-SN (n = 129), TGT-only (n = 139) or control group (n = 136). The main effects of TGT-SN (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 0.75, 95% CI 0.52–1.09; p = 0.131) and TGT-only (aOR = 0.83, 95% CI 0.57–1.21; p = 0.332) in reducing depression were statistically non-significant. The participants of the TGT-SN group showed significantly lower anxiety symptoms (aOR = 0.62, 95% CI 0.43–0.89; p = 0.009) and negative affect (β = −1.62, 95% CI 2.98 to −0.26; p = 0.019) over time compared with those of the control group. No significant main effect was found for any secondary outcomes for the TGT-only group. Conclusions The novel intervention combining the TGT exercise with electronic social networking was found effective in reducing anxiety and negative affect among HIVMSM.

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Saving and empowering young lives in Europe (SEYLE). Preliminary results

European Psychiatry ◽

10.1016/s0924-9338(11)72227-1 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 26 (S2) ◽

pp. 520-520 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

V. Carli ◽

M. Sarchiapone ◽

D. Wasserman ◽

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Health Promotion ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Well Being ◽

Mental Health Promotion ◽

Control Group ◽

The European Union ◽

Baseline Evaluation ◽

Epidemiological Database ◽

Multidisciplinary Perspective

There have been only a few reports illustrating the effectiveness of mental health promotion and interventions to reduce risk behaviours, including suicidal behavior. The aim of the SEYLE project, which is funded by the European Union under the Seventh Framework Health Program, is to address these issues by collecting baseline and follow-up data on health and well-being among European adolescents and compiling an epidemiological database; testing, in a randomized controlled trial, three different suicide-preventive interventions; evaluating the outcome of each intervention in comparison with a control group from a multidisciplinary perspective; as well as recommending culturally adjusted models for promoting mental health and preventing suicidal behaviors. The study comprises 11,000 adolescents recruited from randomized schools in 11 European countries: Austria, Estonia, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Romania, Slovenia and Spain, with Sweden serving as the scientific coordinating center. Each country performs three active interventions and one minimal intervention as a control group. The active interventions include gatekeeper training (QPR), awareness training on mental health promotion for adolescents, and screening for at-risk adolescents by health professionals. Structured questionnaires are utilized at baseline, 3- and 12-month follow-ups in order to assess changes. During this presentation the data from the baseline evaluation of SEYLE will be described.Trial registrationThe German Clinical Trials Register, DRKS00000214.

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The effectiveness of an online multimodal intervention for mental health promotion: A randomised controlled trial

10.21203/rs.3.rs-22666/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Geraldine Przybylko ◽

Darren Morton ◽

Lillian Kent ◽

Jason Morton ◽

Jason Hinze ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Health Promotion ◽

New Zealand ◽

Intervention Group ◽

Mental Health Promotion ◽

Control Group ◽

Post Intervention ◽

Multimodal Intervention ◽

Sf 36 ◽

Emotional Wellness

Abstract Introduction: There is an urgent need for efficacious interventions to combat the global mental health crisis, and mental health promotion and primary preventive approaches are paramount. Objective: This study examined whether an online multimodal intervention that incorporates evidence-based strategies from the disciplines of Lifestyle Medicine and Positive Psychology improved measures of mental health and emotional wellness. Methods: 425 adults (68.8% females, aged 46.5 ± 15.6) from Australia and New Zealand were randomised to an intervention or control group. The intervention group participated in a ten-week online multimodal intervention. Measures of mental health and emotional wellness were taken at baseline (Week 1), post-intervention (Week 12), and 12 weeks post-intervention (Week 24). The control group completed the same assessments. Results: The intervention group experienced significant improvements from Week 1 to 12 in: mental health (10%, p < 0.001, d = 0.50) and vitality (22%, p < 0.001, d = 0.54) subscales of the Short Form Survey (SF-36); depression (-42%, p < 0.001, d = 0.48), anxiety (-38%, p < 0.001, d = 0.39) and stress (-31%, p < 0.001, d = 0.52) subscales of the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21); and life satisfaction (8%, p < 0.001, d = 0.48) as measured by the Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS).The control group experienced significant improvements only in the mental health (3%, p = 0.028, d = 0.16) subscale of the SF-36, and the stress subscale (-9%, p = 0.038, d = 0.15) of the DASS-21. The changes in the intervention group were significantly greater (p < 0.001) than the control group for all measures. Improvements in the outcome measures were generally sustained for the intervention group at 12 weeks post-intervention. Conclusion: The online multimodal intervention improved measures of mental health and emotional wellness suggesting that such interventions may be useful for mental health promotion and prevention. Trial registration: The Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12619000993190. Registered on 12 July 2019 (Retrospectively registered). The ANZCTRN is part of the WHO Primary Registries.

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