JoyPop Mobile Mental Health App With Transitional-Aged Youth
- Conditions
- StressAnxietyEmotion RegulationDepression
- Interventions
- Behavioral: Usual Practice + JoyPop
- Registration Number
- NCT06239545
- Lead Sponsor
- Lakehead University
- Brief Summary
New challenges, stressors, and a loss of support often accompany the transition from adolescence to adulthood. Not surprisingly, transitional-aged youth (TAY) between the ages of 18-25 experience some of the highest rates of mental distress. However, access to mental health services diminish for TAY due to gaps in care when transitioning from pediatric to adult services. These challenges are exacerbated in rural communities, such as in Northwestern Ontario, where youth already access mental health services less frequently and face longer wait times than those in more urban areas. Limited access and extended waits can exacerbate symptoms, prolong distress, and increase the risk for adverse outcomes. Novel, innovative approaches are urgently needed to support TAY in Northwestern Ontario. In partnership with St. Joseph Care Group and Thunder Bay Counselling Centre, the investigators are evaluating the impact of a mental health app (JoyPop) as a tool for TAY waiting for mental health services. The JoyPop app was developed to support improved emotion regulation - a fundamental difficulty for youth presenting with mental health challenges. A two-arm randomized controlled trial (RCT) will be used to evaluate the effectiveness of the app compared to usual practice while TAY are waiting for mental health services.
- Detailed Description
Mental health services are less available and accessible in rural and northern communities than in urban areas. These issues are concerning as extended time on wait lists can exacerbate symptoms, prolong symptoms, prolong distress, and increase the risk for suicide, self-harm, and the need for hospitalization. Moreover, delayed access to mental health services negatively impacts treatment engagement, with non-attendance, decreased motivation, and reduced satisfaction with services frequently reported following prolonged wait times. A particularly vulnerable group in this context is Transitional-Aged Youth (TAY), individuals aged 18-25 who typically experience higher levels of mental distress in comparison to the general population. Given the imminent need for and reduced access to accessible mental health services for TAY in Northwestern Ontario, innovative solutions are needed.
In partnership with St. Joseph Care Group and Thunder Bay Counselling Centre, the investigators are evaluating the impact of a mental health app (JoyPop) as a tool for TAY who are waiting for mental health services. The JoyPop app was developed to support improved emotion regulation - a key difficulty for youth presenting with mental health challenges. Mobile mental health applications have the potential to increase accessible mental health support for TAY in Northwestern Ontario. Despite this promise of mobile mental health apps, significant gaps exist between the growing number of apps available in the public domain and empirical evidence of the beneficial impacts of apps for users. In particular, most apps that focus on emotion regulation have not been evaluated, are narrow in scope, or have only been evaluated among adult populations. The JoyPop app includes a broader focus, and this research is unique given its focus on rigorously evaluating the JoyPop app as a tool for treatment-seeking TAY in Northwestern Ontario.
Using a randomized controlled trial (RCT) design, the primary objective is to determine the effectiveness of the JoyPop app in improving emotion regulation among TAY (18- 25) who are waiting for mental health services as compared to usual practice (UP; monitoring those on the wait-list). The secondary objectives are to: (1) Assess change in mental health difficulties and treatment readiness between TAY in each condition to better understand the app's broader impact as a wait-list tool; (2) Conduct an economic analysis to determine whether receiving the app while waiting for mental health services reduces other health service use and associated costs; (3) Define the Minimal Clinically Important Difference (MCID) for the primary outcome measure; and (4) Assess TAY perspectives on the quality of the JoyPop app.
Recruitment & Eligibility
- Status
- RECRUITING
- Sex
- All
- Target Recruitment
- 110
- Youth must be on the wait-list for mental health services at St. Joseph's Care Group or Thunder Bay Counselling Centre and be between 18-25 years old.
- Eligible youth will also need to be available to attend a virtual or in-person orientation session.
- In order to download the JoyPop app, participants will need access to an iOS device (e.g., iPhone, iPad). Refurbished iPhones containing just the JoyPop app will be provided to participants to use for the duration of the trial if they do not have access to their own.
Not provided
Study & Design
- Study Type
- INTERVENTIONAL
- Study Design
- PARALLEL
- Arm && Interventions
Group Intervention Description Usual Practice + JoyPop Usual Practice + JoyPop Participants will be monitored through the existing wait-list practices, and will receive access to the JoyPop app for 4 weeks.
- Primary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method Change in emotion regulation (overall) Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale - Short Form will be administered at baseline (pre), after 2 weeks (mid), and after 4 weeks (post) Emotion regulation will be assessed with the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale - Short Form. Total scores range from 18 to 90 with higher scores indicating greater difficulties in emotion regulation.
Change in emotion regulation (strategies) Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale - Short Form will be administered at baseline (pre), after 2 weeks (mid), and after 4 weeks (post) Emotion regulation (strategies) will be assessed with the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale - Short Form strategies subscale. Total scores range from 3 to 15 with higher scores indicating greater difficulties.
Change in emotion regulation (non-acceptance) Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale - Short Form will be administered at baseline (pre), after 2 weeks (mid), and after 4 weeks (post) Emotion regulation (non-acceptance) will be assessed with the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale - Short Form non-acceptance subscale. Total scores range from 3 to 15 with higher scores indicating greater difficulties.
Change in emotion regulation (clarity) Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale - Short Form will be administered at baseline (pre), after 2 weeks (mid), and after 4 weeks (post) Emotion regulation (clarity) will be assessed with the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale - Short Form clarity subscale. Total scores range from 3 to 15 with higher scores indicating greater difficulties.
Change in emotion regulation (awareness) Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale - Short Form will be administered at baseline (pre), after 2 weeks (mid), and after 4 weeks (post) Emotion regulation (awareness) will be assessed with the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale - Short Form awareness subscale. Total scores range from 3 to 15 with higher scores indicating greater difficulties.
Change in emotion regulation (impulse) Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale - Short Form will be administered at baseline (pre), after 2 weeks (mid), and after 4 weeks (post) Emotion regulation (impulse) will be assessed with the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale - Short Form impulse subscale. Total scores range from 3 to 15 with higher scores indicating greater difficulties.
Change in emotion regulation (goals) Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale - Short Form will be administered at baseline (pre), after 2 weeks (mid), and after 4 weeks (post) Emotion regulation (goals) will be assessed with the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale - Short Form goals subscale. Total scores range from 3 to 15 with higher scores indicating greater difficulties.
- Secondary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method Change in depressive symptoms Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale 21 will be administered at baseline (pre), after 2 weeks (mid), and after 4 weeks (post) Depressive symptoms will be assessed with the Depression subscale of the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale 21. Total scores range from 0 to 21 with higher scores indicating greater depressive symptoms.
Change in stress Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale 21 will be administered at baseline (pre), after 2 weeks (mid), and after 4 weeks (post) Stress will be assessed with the Stress subscale of the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale 21. Total scores range from 0 to 21 with higher scores indicating greater stress.
Change in hyperactivity Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire will be administered at baseline (pre), after 2 weeks (mid), and after 4 weeks (post) Hyperactivity will be assessed with the Hyperactivity subscale from the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Total scores range from 0 to 10 with higher scores indicating worse hyperactivity.
Change in prosocial behaviour Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire will be administered at baseline (pre), after 2 weeks (mid), and after 4 weeks (post) Prosocial behaviour will be assessed with the Prosocial subscale from the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Total scores range from 0 to 10 with lower scores indicating worse prosocial behaviour.
Change in psychological distress Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale 21 will be administered at baseline (pre), after 2 weeks (mid), and after 4 weeks (post) Psychological distress will be assessed with the total score for all items on the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale 21. Total scores range from 0 to 63 with higher scores indicating greater psychological distress.
Change in anxious symptoms Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale 21 will be administered at baseline (pre), after 2 weeks (mid), and after 4 weeks (post) Anxious symptoms will be assessed with the Anxiety subscale of the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale 21. Total scores range from 0 to 21 with higher scores indicating greater anxious symptoms.
Change in emotional problems Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire will be administered at baseline (pre), after 2 weeks (mid), and after 4 weeks (post) Emotional problems will be assessed with the Emotional Problems subscale from the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Total scores range from 0 to 10 with higher scores indicating worse emotional problems.
Change in overall difficulties Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire will be administered at baseline (pre), after 2 weeks (mid), and after 4 weeks (post) Overall difficulties will be assessed with the total score from the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (all subscales except prosocial). Total scores range from 0 to 40 with higher scores indicating worse difficulties.
Change in conduct problems Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire will be administered at baseline (pre), after 2 weeks (mid), and after 4 weeks (post) Conduct problems will be assessed with the Conduct Problems subscale from the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Total scores range from 0 to 10 with higher scores indicating worse conduct problems.
Change in peer problems Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire will be administered at baseline (pre), after 2 weeks (mid), and after 4 weeks (post) Peer problems will be assessed with the Peer Problems subscale from the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Total scores range from 0 to 10 with higher scores indicating worse peer problems.
Change in treatment readiness Treatment Readiness subscale of the Motivation for Youth's Treatment Scale will be administered at baseline (pre), after 2 weeks (mid), and after 4 weeks (post) Treatment readiness will be assessed with the Treatment Readiness subscale of the Motivation for Youth's Treatment Scale. Total scores range from 4 to 20 with higher scores indicating greater readiness.
Trial Locations
- Locations (1)
Lakehead University
🇨🇦Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada