Evaluating the Utility of a Psychoeducational Serious Game (SPARX) in Protecting Inuit Youth From Depression: A Pilot Study
Trial Snapshot
- Phase
- Not Applicable
- Status
- Completed
- Sponsor
- York University
- Enrollment
- 48
- Locations
- 1
- Primary Endpoint
- "Child and Youth Resilience Measure - Short"
Study Overview
Brief Summary
The goal of this pilot trial was to test SPARX with Inuit youth in Northern Canada. SPARX is an educational video game designed to teach cognitive behavioural therapy strategies and techniques. This "serious game" has previously shown promise in addressing symptoms of depression with Māori youth in New Zealand. Researchers in this study tested SPARX's suitability with Inuit youth in the territory of Nunavut using surveys that youth completed before and after gameplay.
Hypothesis 1: Youth who completed SPARX were expected to experience a decrease in depressive symptoms and risk factors related to depression. Hypothesis 2: Youth who completed the SPARX program were expected to experience an increase in factors related to resilience.
A team of Nunavut-based community mental health staff facilitated youth's participation in this remote pilot trial with 24 youth aged 13-18 across 11 communities in Nunavut. These youth had been identified by community facilitators as showing low mood, depression, and/or significant levels of stress.
Study Design
- Study Type
- Interventional
- Allocation
- Randomized
- Intervention Model
- Parallel
- Primary Purpose
- Treatment
- Masking
- None
Eligibility Criteria
- Ages
- 13 Years to 18 Years (Child, Adult)
- Sex
- All
- Accepts Healthy Volunteers
- No
Inclusion Criteria
- •one or more of the following:
- •negative affect
- •depressive presentations
- •significant levels of stress and:
- •sufficient English language comprehension to use and understand SPARX
Exclusion Criteria
- Not provided
Arms & Interventions
"Play now" intervention group
The sequence of SPARX play differed for the youth depending on whether they were in Group A ("play now" intervention group) or Group B ("play later" waitlist group). Both groups completed the pre-intervention surveys at Time 1, the beginning of the study. Group A youth then began to play SPARX for seven weeks while Group B waited. During their wait time of seven weeks, Group B youth were not required to participate in any SPARX activities or meet with the community facilitator during their wait period, and they were provided with no additional SPARX-related information. After seven weeks (Time 2), Group A youth completed post-intervention surveys, while Group B youth began their engagement with SPARX by first completing an additional set of pre-intervention surveys, immediately followed by seven weeks of SPARX play. Once Group B youth completed their SPARX gameplay (Time 3), they completed post-intervention surveys.
Intervention: SPARX (Smart, Positive, Active, Realistic, X-Factor thoughts) (Other)
"Play later" waitlist group
The sequence of SPARX play differed for the youth depending on whether they were in Group A ("play now" intervention group) or Group B ("play later" waitlist group). Both groups completed the pre-intervention surveys at Time 1, the beginning of the study. Group A youth then began to play SPARX for seven weeks while Group B waited. During their wait time of seven weeks, Group B youth were not required to participate in any SPARX activities or meet with the community facilitator during their wait period, and they were provided with no additional SPARX-related information. After seven weeks (Time 2), Group A youth completed post-intervention surveys, while Group B youth began their engagement with SPARX by first completing an additional set of pre-intervention surveys, immediately followed by seven weeks of SPARX play. Once Group B youth completed their SPARX gameplay (Time 3), they completed post-intervention surveys.
Intervention: SPARX (Smart, Positive, Active, Realistic, X-Factor thoughts) (Other)
Outcomes
Primary Outcomes
"Child and Youth Resilience Measure - Short"
Time Frame: Post-gameplay (T=7 weeks)
12-item self-report measure that includes three dimensions (Individual, Relational, and Contextual) that reflect the major categories of resilience; total scores range from 12-36 (no; sometimes; yes for 12 items at 1, 2, 3, points respectively); higher scores indicate higher resilience
"Centre for Epidemiologic Depression Scale - Revised"
Time Frame: Post-gameplay (T=7 weeks)
20-item, self-report scale that aims to measure current depressive symptomatology; total scores range 0-60 with higher score representing worse depression
"Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire - Short"
Time Frame: Post-gameplay (T=7 weeks)
18-item measure used with adolescents composed of nine coping styles, which are each coded as separate subscales of emotion regulation; items are scored on a Likert scale (1-5) with higher values corresponding to greater use of that cognitive strategy. Some strategies are positive, others negative
"Hopelessness Scale for Children"
Time Frame: Post-gameplay (T=7 weeks)
17 true-false items, which describe negative future expectations and negative present attitudes; scores range from 0-17 with higher score representing greater hopelessness for the future
Secondary Outcomes
No secondary outcomes reported
Investigators
Yvonne Bohr
Associate Professor
York University