A Prospective Study Protocol for a Digital Peer Support Platform: A Randomized Controlled Trial to Translate Online Peer Support for Emerging Adult Mental Well-being (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
GeckHong Yeo ◽  
Weining Chang ◽  
Li Neng Lee ◽  
Matt Oon ◽  
Dean Ho
Keyword(s):  
Emerging Adults ◽  
Peer Support ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Clinical Effectiveness ◽  
Emerging Adult ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Psychological Well Being ◽  
Support Intervention ◽  
Mental Well Being ◽  
Peer Support Intervention

BACKGROUND Background: The burgeoning mental health issues among emerging adults (ages 19 to 25) worldwide has fueled concerns about their widespread experiences of anxiety and depression. With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, emerging studies are being directed towards the development and deployment of digital peer emotional disclosure and support for the psychological well-being of emerging adults. However, much remains to be explored regarding implementation and clinical effectiveness, how best to conduct digital peer support intervention for emerging adults’ psychological well-being, and the associated mechanism of change. OBJECTIVE Objective: This protocol delineates a randomized controlled trial for evaluating the implementation and clinical effectiveness of Acceset, a digital peer support intervention for emerging adult mental well-being with two components. First, the digital peer support training equips befrienders (i.e., peers who provide support) in harnessing four active ingredients—Mattering, selfhood, compassion, and mindfulness—to provide effective peer support for seekers (peers who seek support). Second, the Acceset platform incorporates digital markers of psychological well-being, hinges on peer emotional disclosure process and entails community engagement. METHODS Methods: 100 participants (aged 19 to 25) from the National University of Singapore (NUS) will be recruited and randomly allocated into two arms. Arm 1 (n = 50) seekers will engage with the Acceset platform for a period of 3 weeks, together with befrienders (n = 30) and moderators (n = 30). Arm 2 (n = 50) a control group will be placed on a waitlist for Acceset intervention. Both seekers and befrienders will be monitored using a questionnaire battery at 4 time points: baseline (before the intervention), 3 weeks (the end of the intervention), 6 weeks and 9 weeks (to measure carry over effects). The implementation outcomes on the two components of the intervention will be adoption and fidelity evaluation of the digital peer support training curriculum and the feasibility and acceptability of the Acceset platform. The clinical outcomes will include Mattering, self-hood, compassion, mindfulness, perceived social support and psychological well-being scores. RESULTS Results: This protocol has received approval by the Institutional Ethics Review Board of NUS in October 2021. Recruitment will commence in January 2022. We expect data collection and analyses to be completed in June 2022. The aim is to publish the preliminary results in December 2022. The size effect will be estimated using the Cohen d index with a significance level of .05 (95% reliability) and a conventional 80% power statistic. CONCLUSIONS Conclusions: This protocol considers a novel digital peer support intervention—Acceset—that incorporates active ingredients and digital markers of emerging adult mental well-being. Through the validation of Acceset intervention, this study defines the parameters and conditions for digital peer support intervention for emerging adults. CLINICALTRIAL Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05083676

scholarly journals Implementing a successful proactive telephone breastfeeding peer support intervention: volunteer recruitment, training, and intervention delivery in the RUBY randomised controlled trial

2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Heather A. Grimes ◽  
Helen L. McLachlan ◽  
Della A. Forster ◽  
Fiona McLardie-Hore ◽  
Kate Mortensen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Randomised Controlled Trial ◽  
Peer Support ◽  
Emotional Support ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Training Session ◽  
Trial Registration ◽  
Breastfeeding Initiation ◽  
Support Intervention ◽  
Randomised Controlled ◽  
Peer Support Intervention

Abstract Background The RUBY randomised controlled trial demonstrated the benefit of proactive telephone peer support in promoting breastfeeding continuation in a setting with high breastfeeding initiation, where typically this is difficult to achieve. This paper describes the implementation and delivery of the peer support intervention with a focus on recruitment, training, and support of peer volunteers, and includes a description of the key components of the calls. Methods Data collection occurred between December 2012 and June 2016 in Melbourne, Australia. Volunteers completed enrolment forms at the training session and recorded data related to each call in a Call Log maintained for each mother supported. Data were summarised using descriptive statistics and responses to open-ended questions analysed using content analysis. Results A total of 693 women expressed interest in the peer support role, with 246 completing training, that is, 95% of whom supported at least one mother. Each supported a mean of two mothers (range 1 to 11). Training session topics included respecting individual values, using positive language, confidence building, active listening, empathetic support, and normal baby behaviour. There were 518 periods of support where at least one call was made between a volunteer and a mother to whom she was allocated. Of the 518 periods of support, 359 Call Logs (69%) were returned. The 359 call logs recorded a total of 2398 calls between peers and mothers. Call length median duration was 12 min (range 1 to 111 min). Volunteers perceived the most valued aspects of the calls were the provsion of ‘general emotional support’ (51%) and ‘general information/discussion about breastfeeding’ (44%). During the first call, mothers raised questions about ‘nipple pain/ damage’ (24%) and 'general breastfeeding information’ (23%). At ≥12 weeks postpartum, issues raised related to ‘normal infant behaviour’ (22%), ‘feed frequency’ (16%), and ‘general breastfeeding information’ (15%). Volunteers referred women to other resources during 28% of calls, most commonly to the Australian Breastfeeding Association. Conclusions Our findings demonstrate that the RUBY trial was feasible and sustainable in terms of recruiting volunteers who were willing to participate in training and who proceeded to provide peer support. Call content was responsive to the evolving breastfeeding information needs of mothers and the provision of emotional support was perceived by volunteers to be important. Trial registration Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry, ACTRN 12612001024831.

scholarly journals Improving engagement with healthcare in hepatitis C: a randomised controlled trial of a peer support intervention

BMC Medicine ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Helen R. Stagg ◽  
Julian Surey ◽  
Marie Francis ◽  
Jennifer MacLellan ◽  
Graham R. Foster ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hepatitis C ◽  
Randomised Controlled Trial ◽  
Peer Support ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Support Intervention ◽  
Randomised Controlled ◽  
Peer Support Intervention

scholarly journals T224. TESTING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF A BRIEF, PEER SUPPORT INTERVENTION TO FACILITATE TRANSITION FROM PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITALIZATION FOR A SCHIZOPHRENIA SPECTRUM POPULATION

2020 ◽  
Vol 46 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S318-S318
Author(s):  
Sean Kidd ◽  
Larry Davidson ◽  
Dawn Velligan ◽  
Aristotle Voineskos
Keyword(s):  
Peer Support ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Relative Effectiveness ◽  
Post Discharge ◽  
Post Intervention ◽  
Treatment As Usual ◽  
Community Functioning ◽  
Support Intervention ◽  
Schizophrenia Spectrum ◽  
Peer Support Intervention

Abstract Background The period immediately following discharge is highly stressful for many individuals with schizophrenia spectrum illnesses as they transition from protracted inpatient stays to community settings with minimal support. In this period the risk of hospital re-admission is at its highest, many do not engage with community supports and clinical resources, and the risk of suicide is greatest. The evidence base for brief, effective interventions to support such transitions is to date underdeveloped. Methods This randomized controlled trial examined the effectiveness of a Peer Support intervention that combines components of Cognitive Adaptation Training (CAT) and the Welcome Basket Program. CAT is an evidence-based intervention that provides environmental supports to help people with schizophrenia compensate for the cognitive impacts of the illness. The Welcome Basket Program is a peer intervention approach that helps bridge discharge through the provision of a small individualized ‘basket’ of staple supplies and comfort items along with the facilitation of engagement with community resources. The intervention involves peer supports engaging patients in the days preceding discharge to assess goals and needs followed by weekly visits post-discharge for 1 month providing Welcome Basket and CAT supports. The study also collected pilot data examining the outcomes of an abbreviated, two contact version of the intervention. Inpatients with a schizophrenia spectrum diagnosis were randomized with a 2:2:1 ratio to treatment as usual, the full intervention, and the abbreviated intervention. Along with feasibility assessments, outcome metrics included re-hospitalization, symptomatology, quality of life, and community functioning. Assessments at baseline, 1-month post-discharge, and 6 months post-discharge facilitated the examination of relative effectiveness and sustainment of gains. Results The trial was successfully implemented with data collected from 106 participants at baseline, 82 at post-intervention, and 74 at 6-month follow up. Overall, the interventions and the study design appeared feasibility with attrition primarily due to the high acuity nature of a population recruited largely through an early psychosis inpatient unit (mean age 34.6 years). Preliminary analysis suggests limited effects on community functioning though completed analyses of other metrics are pending and may provide insight into the possible mechanisms of action of this intervention should it prove to be effective. Discussion This study was designed to assess the development and dissemination of a cost-effective method for mitigating relapse risk and promoting community involvement and engagement in care. The effort to better support successful care transitions through approaches such as this is a priority area for service systems globally and contributes to the literature on peer support. While widely implemented, models of peer support have seldom been examined for effectiveness in clinical trials.

scholarly journals Evaluation of a Technology-Based Peer-Support Intervention Program for Preventing Postnatal Depression (Part 1): Randomized Controlled Trial (Preprint)

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shefaly Shorey ◽  
Cornelia Yin Ing Chee ◽  
Esperanza Debby Ng ◽  
Ying Lau ◽  
Cindy-Lee Dennis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Peer Support ◽  
Postnatal Depression ◽  
Intervention Program ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Control Group ◽  
New Mothers ◽  
Support Intervention

BACKGROUND The frenzy of postbirth events often takes a toll on mothers’ mental well-being, leaving them susceptible to postpartum psychological disorders such as postnatal depression (PND). Social support has been found to be effective in restoring the emotional well-being of new mothers. Therefore, mothers need to be supported during the crucial postpartum period to buffer the negative after effects of childbirth and to promote healthier maternal well-being. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a technology-based peer-support intervention program (PIP) on maternal outcomes during the early postpartum period. METHODS A randomized, parallel-armed controlled trial was conducted. The study recruited 138 mothers (69 in intervention group, 69 in control group) at risk of PND from a tertiary hospital in Singapore. To support these mothers, 20 peer volunteers were recruited by word of mouth and trained by a psychiatrist in social support skills before the intervention commenced. The 4-week–long intervention included a weekly follow-up with a peer volunteer through phone calls or text messages. The intervention group received peer support in addition to the standard care offered by the hospital. The control group only received postnatal standard care. Maternal outcomes (PND, postnatal anxiety [PNA], loneliness, and perceived social support) were measured with reliable and valid instruments. Data were collected immediately postpartum, at 1 month postpartum and at 3 months postpartum. The general linear model was used to compare the groups for postpartum percentage changes in the outcome variables at first and third months, and the linear mixed model was used to compare the trend over the study period. RESULTS There was a statistically significant difference in Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale scores (d=–2.11; 95% CI −4.0 to −0.3; P=.03) between the intervention and control groups at 3 months postpartum after adjusting for covariates. The intervention group had a significant change over time compared with the control group. CONCLUSIONS The technology-based PIP was found to be effective in reducing the risk of PND among new mothers and showed a generally positive trend in reducing PNA and loneliness and increasing perceived social support. This study highlights the importance of training paraprofessionals to provide needed support for new mothers postpartum. A further long-term evaluation of the PIP on maternal and family outcomes and its cost-effectiveness is needed to inform clinical practices. CLINICALTRIAL ISRCTN Registry ISRCTN14864807; https://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN14864807 INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID) RR2-10.2196/resprot.9416

scholarly journals Testing a peer support intervention for people with type 2 diabetes: a pilot for a randomised controlled trial

2013 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
David Simmons ◽  
Simon Cohn ◽  
Christopher Bunn ◽  
Kym Birch ◽  
Sarah Donald ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Type 2 Diabetes ◽  
Randomised Controlled Trial ◽  
Peer Support ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Support Intervention ◽  
Randomised Controlled ◽  
Peer Support Intervention
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