scholarly journals Examining an App-Based Mental Health Self-Care Program, IntelliCare for College Students: Single-Arm Pilot Study (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily Lattie ◽  
Katherine A Cohen ◽  
Nathan Winquist ◽  
David C Mohr
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
College Students ◽  
Mobile Apps ◽  
Care Program ◽  
User Feedback ◽  
Mental Illnesses ◽  
High Rate ◽  
Feedback Information ◽  
Symptoms Of Depression ◽  
Mental Health Programs

BACKGROUND In recent years, there has been an increase in symptoms of depression, anxiety, and other mental illnesses in college student populations alongside a steady rise in the demand for counseling services. Digital mental health programs, such as those delivered through mobile apps, can add to the array of available services but must be tested for usability and acceptability before implementation. OBJECTIVE This study aims to examine how students used IntelliCare for College Students over an 8-week period to examine the preliminary associations between app use and psychosocial targets and to gather user feedback about usability issues that need to be remedied before a larger implementation study. METHODS IntelliCare for College Students is an app-based platform that provides symptom assessments with personalized feedback, information about campus resources, lessons on mental health and wellness topics, and access to the suite of interactive skill–focused IntelliCare apps. A total of 20 students were recruited to participate in an 8-week study. To test for a broad range of potential users, we recruited a mixed sample of students with elevated symptoms of depression or anxiety and students without elevated symptoms. Participants completed psychosocial questionnaires at baseline, week 4, and week 8. Participants also completed user feedback interviews at weeks 4 and 8 in which they provided feedback on their experience using the app and suggestions for changes they would like to be made to the app. RESULTS Of the 20 students who downloaded the app, 19 completed the study, indicating a high rate of retention. Over the study period, participants completed an average of 5.85 (SD 2.1; range 1-8) symptom assessments. Significant improvements were observed in the Anxiety Literacy Questionnaire scores (Z=−2.006; <i>P</i>=.045) and in the frequency with which participants used both cognitive (Z=−2.091; <i>P</i>=.04) and behavioral (Z=−2.249; <i>P</i>=.03) coping skills. In the feedback interviews, we identified a high degree of usability with minor bugs in the app software, which were quickly fixed. Furthermore, in feedback interviews, we identified that users found the app to be convenient and appreciated the ability to use the program in short bursts of time. CONCLUSIONS The findings indicate that the IntelliCare for College Students program was perceived as largely usable and engaging. Although the program demonstrated usability and preliminary benefits to students, further testing is needed to determine its clinical utility among college students. CLINICALTRIAL ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04035577; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04035577

scholarly journals Examining an App-Based Mental Health Self-Care Program, IntelliCare for College Students: Single-Arm Pilot Study

10.2196/21075 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (10) ◽  
pp. e21075
Author(s):  
Emily Lattie ◽  
Katherine A Cohen ◽  
Nathan Winquist ◽  
David C Mohr
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
College Students ◽  
Mobile Apps ◽  
Care Program ◽  
User Feedback ◽  
Mental Illnesses ◽  
High Rate ◽  
Feedback Information ◽  
Symptoms Of Depression ◽  
Mental Health Programs

Background In recent years, there has been an increase in symptoms of depression, anxiety, and other mental illnesses in college student populations alongside a steady rise in the demand for counseling services. Digital mental health programs, such as those delivered through mobile apps, can add to the array of available services but must be tested for usability and acceptability before implementation. Objective This study aims to examine how students used IntelliCare for College Students over an 8-week period to examine the preliminary associations between app use and psychosocial targets and to gather user feedback about usability issues that need to be remedied before a larger implementation study. Methods IntelliCare for College Students is an app-based platform that provides symptom assessments with personalized feedback, information about campus resources, lessons on mental health and wellness topics, and access to the suite of interactive skill–focused IntelliCare apps. A total of 20 students were recruited to participate in an 8-week study. To test for a broad range of potential users, we recruited a mixed sample of students with elevated symptoms of depression or anxiety and students without elevated symptoms. Participants completed psychosocial questionnaires at baseline, week 4, and week 8. Participants also completed user feedback interviews at weeks 4 and 8 in which they provided feedback on their experience using the app and suggestions for changes they would like to be made to the app. Results Of the 20 students who downloaded the app, 19 completed the study, indicating a high rate of retention. Over the study period, participants completed an average of 5.85 (SD 2.1; range 1-8) symptom assessments. Significant improvements were observed in the Anxiety Literacy Questionnaire scores (Z=−2.006; P=.045) and in the frequency with which participants used both cognitive (Z=−2.091; P=.04) and behavioral (Z=−2.249; P=.03) coping skills. In the feedback interviews, we identified a high degree of usability with minor bugs in the app software, which were quickly fixed. Furthermore, in feedback interviews, we identified that users found the app to be convenient and appreciated the ability to use the program in short bursts of time. Conclusions The findings indicate that the IntelliCare for College Students program was perceived as largely usable and engaging. Although the program demonstrated usability and preliminary benefits to students, further testing is needed to determine its clinical utility among college students. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04035577; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04035577

scholarly journals Digital phenotyping for mental health of college students: a clinical review

2020 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
pp. 161-166
Author(s):  
Jennifer Melcher ◽  
Ryan Hays ◽  
John Torous
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
College Students ◽  
Social Interactions ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Average Duration ◽  
Mental Illnesses ◽  
Digital Phenotyping ◽  
Health Centres ◽  
Practical Tool ◽  
Larger Sample

Experiencing continued growth in demand for mental health services among students, colleges are seeking digital solutions to increase access to care as classes shift to remote virtual learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using smartphones to capture real-time symptoms and behaviours related to mental illnesses, digital phenotyping offers a practical tool to help colleges remotely monitor and assess mental health and provide more customised and responsive care. This narrative review of 25 digital phenotyping studies with college students explored how this method has been deployed, studied and has impacted mental health outcomes. We found the average duration of studies to be 42 days and the average enrolled to be 81 participants. The most common sensor-based streams collected included location, accelerometer and social information and these were used to inform behaviours such as sleep, exercise and social interactions. 52% of the studies included also collected smartphone survey in some form and these were used to assess mood, anxiety and stress among many other outcomes. The collective focus on data that construct features related to sleep, activity and social interactions indicate that this field is already appropriately attentive to the primary drivers of mental health problems among college students. While the heterogeneity of the methods of these studies presents no reliable target for mobile devices to offer automated help—the feasibility across studies suggests the potential to use these data today towards personalising care. As more unified digital phenotyping research evolves and scales to larger sample sizes, student mental health centres may consider integrating these data into their clinical practice for college students.

scholarly journals Fractured minds to flourishing minds

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Rebecca Wallace
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Mental Healthcare ◽  
Psychiatric Hospitals ◽  
Mental Illnesses ◽  
High Rate ◽  
Youth Suicide ◽  
Health And Wellbeing ◽  
Self Harm

<p>Youth suicide and self-harm are major public health concerns worldwide. The high rate of youth suicide and intentional self-harm in New Zealand, illustrates that there is a large amount of youth experiencing severe mental illness, as mental illness corresponds to suicidal/harmful behavior. Although more youth are seeking and receiving help, a large portion who are suffering are unwilling to engage in services, due to stigma surrounding mental health. Characteristics of the built environment can effect wellbeing and therefore architecture holds significant implications for the mental health of individuals.  Inpatient environments are an effective intervention for the treatment of a range of severe mental illnesses, however there is a definitive lack of acute inpatient facilities for youth in New Zealand. A shift in the way mental healthcare services are provided has meant that large psychiatric hospitals have been closed or downsized and compulsory inpatient treatment has given way to voluntary engagement with community mental health services. This has not eliminated the need for inpatient care and there still remains a need for these highly specialized environments. These current specialized environments are generally not designed to benefit the mental health and wellbeing of patients, but are just regarded as settings in which recovery takes place.  This thesis aims to explore how architecture can act therapeutically to support the wellbeing of individuals suffering mental illness. It looks at how architecture can retain the dignity of these patients, and challenge conventional norms of prior mental healthcare environments. This thesis aims to integrate Maori and Pacific models of health and wellbeing in order to allow improved care and treatment for Maori and Pacific groups. It responds to the lack and unsuccessful architectural responses for youth in New Zealand and in particular, the central region and aims to design a new mental health inpatient and outpatient facility specifically for youth suffering mental illness.</p>

scholarly journals Effectiveness of Shining Mind- A Smartphone App to Increase Mental Health Literacy Among College Students

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vu Hong Van ◽  
Kieu Thi Anh Dao ◽  
Dang Hoang Minh
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
College Students ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Health Literacy ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Mental Health Literacy ◽  
Mobile Apps ◽  
Literacy Intervention ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Global Public Health

Background: Mental illness is a global public health challenge, particularly in low- and middle-income countries such as Vietnam. Improving mental health literacy was found to be associated with early detection and treatment of mental illness and increased help-seeking behaviors. With the development of information technology, IT applications such as websites and mobile applications have become essential tools for mental health literacy intervention. Though there has been a number of mobile apps delivering psychotherpies, little focus on mental health litracy intervention.   Aims: The study aims to a) evaluate the feasibility of a mobile-based mental health literacy intervention called Shining Mind and b) assess the effectiveness of the Shining Mind app in improving mental health literacy among college students. Methods: The study used randomized control trial design with two groups: experimental group (N=68) and control group (N=84). Results: The average number of times of accessing Shining Mind was 22.97 per student (SD=25.13) with one student (1.47%) never logging into the app. In terms of quality, the app was rated moderately good by participants (M=3.3, SD=0.6). Regarding mental health literacy, the results showed that there were group effects over time regarding depression and biopolar recognition, social anxiety labelling, stigma and parent help-seeking intention.

scholarly journals Adoption of Mobile Apps for Depression and Anxiety: Cross-Sectional Survey Study on Patient Interest and Barriers to Engagement

10.2196/11334 ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. e11334 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica Lipschitz ◽  
Christopher J Miller ◽  
Timothy P Hogan ◽  
Katherine E Burdick ◽  
Rachel Lippin-Foster ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Mobile Apps ◽  
Mental Illnesses ◽  
Survey Study ◽  
Mental Health Provider ◽  
Depression And Anxiety ◽  
Health Administration ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional

Background Emerging research suggests that mobile apps can be used to effectively treat common mental illnesses like depression and anxiety. Despite promising efficacy results and ease of access to these interventions, adoption of mobile health (mHealth; mobile device–delivered) interventions for mental illness has been limited. More insight into patients’ perspectives on mHealth interventions is required to create effective implementation strategies and to adapt existing interventions to facilitate higher rates of adoption. Objective The aim of this study was to examine, from the patient perspective, current use and factors that may impact the use of mHealth interventions for mental illness. Methods This was a cross-sectional survey study of veterans who had attended an appointment at a single Veterans Health Administration facility in early 2016 that was associated with one of the following mental health concerns: unipolar depression, any anxiety disorder, or posttraumatic stress disorder. We used the Veteran Affairs Corporate Data Warehouse to create subsets of eligible participants demographically stratified by gender (male or female) and minority status (white or nonwhite). From each subset, 100 participants were selected at random and mailed a paper survey with items addressing the demographics, overall health, mental health, technology ownership or use, interest in mobile app interventions for mental illness, reasons for use or nonuse, and interest in specific features of mobile apps for mental illness. Results Of the 400 potential participants, 149 (37.3%, 149/400) completed and returned a survey. Most participants (79.9%, 119/149) reported that they owned a smart device and that they use apps in general (71.1%, 106/149). Most participants (73.1%, 87/149) reported interest in using an app for mental illness, but only 10.7% (16/149) had done so. Paired samples t tests indicated that ratings of interest in using an app recommended by a clinician were significantly greater than general interest ratings and even greater when the recommending clinician was a specialty mental health provider. The most frequent concerns related to using an app for mental illness were lacking proof of efficacy (71.8%, 107/149), concerns about data privacy (59.1%, 88/149), and not knowing where to find such an app (51.0%, 76/149). Participants expressed interest in a number of app features with particularly high-interest ratings for context-sensitive apps (85.2%, 127/149), and apps focused on the following areas: increasing exercise (75.8%, 113/149), improving sleep (73.2%, 109/149), changing negative thinking (70.5%, 105/149), and increasing involvement in activities (67.1%, 100/149). Conclusions Most respondents had access to devices to use mobile apps for mental illness, already used apps for other purposes, and were interested in mobile apps for mental illness. Key factors that may improve adoption include provider endorsement, greater publicity of efficacious apps, and clear messaging about efficacy and privacy of information. Finally, multifaceted apps that address a range of concerns, from sleep to negative thought patterns, may be best received.

scholarly journals Effectiveness of an Internet- and App-Based Intervention for College Students With Elevated Stress: Randomized Controlled Trial (Preprint)

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mathias Harrer ◽  
Sophia Helen Adam ◽  
Rebecca Jessica Fleischmann ◽  
Harald Baumeister ◽  
Randy Auerbach ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
College Students ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Waitlist Control ◽  
Symptoms Of Depression ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Waitlist Control Group

BACKGROUND Mental health problems are highly prevalent among college students. Most students with poor mental health, however, do not receive professional help. Internet-based self-help formats may increase the utilization of treatment. OBJECTIVE The aim of this randomized controlled trial was to evaluate the efficacy of an internet-based, app-supported stress management intervention for college students. METHODS College students (n=150) with elevated levels of stress (Perceived Stress Scale 4-item version, PSS-4 ≥8) were randomly assigned to either an internet- and mobile-based stress intervention group with feedback on demand or a waitlist control group. Self-report data were assessed at baseline, posttreatment (7 weeks), and 3-month follow-up. The primary outcome was perceived stress posttreatment (PSS-4). Secondary outcomes included mental health outcomes, modifiable risk and protective factors, and college-related outcomes. Subgroup analyses were conducted in students with clinically relevant symptoms of depression (Center for Epidemiological Studies’ Depression Scale >17). RESULTS A total of 106 participants (76.8%) indicated that they were first-time help-seekers, and 77.3% (intervention group: 58/75; waitlist control group: 58/75) showed clinically relevant depressive symptoms at baseline. Findings indicated significant effects of the intervention compared with the waitlist control group for stress (d=0.69; 95% CI 0.36-1.02), anxiety (d=0.76; 95% CI 0.43-1.09), depression (d=0.63; 95% CI 0.30-0.96), college-related productivity (d=0.33; 95% CI 0.01-0.65), academic work impairment (d=0.34; 95% CI 0.01-0.66), and other outcomes after 7 weeks (posttreatment). Response rates for stress symptoms were significantly higher for the intervention group (69%, 52/75) compared with the waitlist control group (35%, 26/75, P<.001; number needed to treat=2.89, 95% CI 2.01-5.08) at posttest (7 weeks). Effects were sustained at 3-month follow-up, and similar findings emerged in students with symptoms of depression. CONCLUSIONS Internet- and mobile-based interventions could be an effective and cost-effective approach to reduce consequences of college-related stress and might potentially attract students with clinically relevant depression who would not otherwise seek help. CLINICALTRIAL German Clinical Trial Register DRKS00010212; http://www.drks.de/drks_web/navigate.do? navigationId=trial.HTML&TRIAL_ID=DRKS00010212 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6w55Ewhjd)

scholarly journals Association of Sedentary Behavior With Anxiety, Depression, and Suicide Ideation in College Students

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liyuan Jiang ◽  
Yong Cao ◽  
Shuangfei Ni ◽  
Xiang Chen ◽  
Minxue Shen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Physical Activity ◽  
College Students ◽  
Sleep Quality ◽  
Sedentary Behavior ◽  
Dose Response ◽  
Suicide Ideation ◽  
Mental Illnesses ◽  
Mediation Effect ◽  
Anxiety Depression

Objectives: To investigate the association of sedentary behavior with anxiety, depression, and suicide ideation in multi-centered college students in China.Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of the first-year college student population. The students underwent a questionnaire survey inquiring about sedentary behavior (hours per day) and physical activity (minutes per week) during the past year. Anxiety, depression, and sleep quality were measured by the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-2), the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-2), and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), respectively. Mixed models were used to estimate the associations, and adjusted odds ratios (AORs) were presented as the effect size. Mediation effect analysis was conducted to test the mediation effect of PSQI.Results: A total of 28,298 participants (response rate: 82%) completed the survey and were included in the final analyses. Crude and adjusted estimates consistently showed that both sedentary behavior and physical activity were significantly associated with mental illnesses. Sedentary behavior was positively associated with anxiety, depression, and suicidal behavior in a dose-response manner (AOR: 0.54–0.24; ≥7 h/day as reference), independent from the effect of physical activity (AOR: 0.78–0.41; no physical activity as reference). The association of sedentary behavior with mental health was partly mediated by sleep quality (25–71%).Conclusions: There is an independent dose-response association of sedentary behavior with mental well-being among college students in China, and this association may be partially attributable to impaired sleep quality. Attention should be drawn and actions should be taken by college educators and mental health providers.

scholarly journals A Multimodal Intervention for Improving the Mental Health and Emotional Well-being of College Students

2017 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 216-224 ◽  
Author(s):  
Darren P. Morton ◽  
Jason Hinze ◽  
Bevan Craig ◽  
Wendi Herman ◽  
Lillian Kent ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
College Students ◽  
Positive Psychology ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Lifestyle Medicine ◽  
Multimodal Intervention ◽  
Symptoms Of Depression ◽  
Psychology Literature ◽  
The Individual

This study examined the effectiveness of a 10-week multimodal intervention for improving the mental health and emotional well-being of college students when included as a mandatory component of the students’ course of study. A total of 67 students (20.9 ± 5.4 years, 30 male/37 female) participated in the intervention that introduced a variety of evidence-based strategies for improving mental health and emotional well-being from the Lifestyle Medicine and Positive Psychology literature. Significant reductions were recorded in symptoms of depression (−28%, P < .05), anxiety (−31%, P < .05), and stress (−28%, P < .01), whereas significant improvements were observed in mental health (18%, P < .01), vitality (14%, P < .01) and overall life satisfaction (8%, P < .05). Effect sizes were larger than those reported by studies that have examined the individual effectiveness of the strategies incorporated into the intervention, suggesting a compounding effect. Stratified analyses indicated that participants with the lowest measures of mental health and emotional well-being at baseline experienced the greatest benefits. The findings of the study suggest that meaningful improvements in the mental health and emotional well-being of college students can be achieved, and potentially magnified, by utilizing a multidisciplinary approach involving evidence-based strategies from Lifestyle Medicine and Positive Psychology.

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