scholarly journals Acceptability and Effects of a Mobile Digital Intervention to Support Mental Health for Young Adults Transitioning to College: Pilot Randomized Trial During the COVID-19 Pandemic (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian Suffoletto ◽  
Tina Goldstein ◽  
Dawn Gotkiewicz ◽  
Emily Gotkiewicz ◽  
Branie George ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
Usual Care ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Emotional Health ◽  
Text Message ◽  
Health Clinic ◽  
Depression Symptoms ◽  
Web Based ◽  
System Usability Scale

BACKGROUND The transition from high school to college can exacerbate mental health problems in young adults yet barriers prevent seamless mental health care. Existing digital support tools show promise, but are not yet designed to optimize engagement or implementation. OBJECTIVE Test acceptability and effects of an automated digital Mobile Support Tool for Mental Health (MoST-MH) for young adults transitioning to college METHODS Youth aged 18 years with a current mental health diagnosis preparing to transition to college (n=52; 85% female, 91% White race) were recruited from one primary care (n=31) and one mental health clinic (n=21). Participants were randomized 2:1 to either receive MoST-MH (n=34) or enhanced Usual Care (eUC; n=18). MoST-MH included periodic text-message and web-based check-ins of emotional health, stressors, negative impacts, and self-efficacy, which informed tailored self-care support messages. Both eUC and MoST-MH participants received links to a library of psycho-educational videos and were asked to complete web-based versions of the Mental Health Self-Efficacy Scale (MHSES), College Counseling Center Assessment of Psychological Symptoms (CCAPS), and Client Service Receipt Inventory for Mental Health (C-SRI) monthly for 3 months and Post-Study System Usability Scale (PSSUQ) at 3-months. RESULTS MoST-MH participants were sent a median of 5 (range 3 to 10) text-message check-in prompts over the 3-month study period and 100% were completed and participants were sent a median of 2 (range 1 to 8) web-based check-in prompts among which 78% were completed. PSSUQ scores indicate high usability (mean score 2.0). Results from the completer analysis demonstrated reductions in mental health symptoms over time and significant between-group effects of MoST-MH compared to eUC on depressive symptom severity (d = 0.36; 95% CI: 0.08-0.64). No significant differences in mental health self-efficacy or MH healthcare utilization were observed. CONCLUSIONS In this pilot trial we found preliminary evidence that MoST-MH was engaged with at high rates, was found to be highly usable, and reduced depression symptoms relative to enhanced usual care among youth with mental health disorders transitioning to college. Findings were measured during the COVID-19 pandemic and study was not powered to detect differences in outcomes between groups, therefore further testing is needed.

scholarly journals Effectiveness of a Peer-Led Web-Based Intervention to Improve General Self-Efficacy in Using Dating Apps Among Young Adults: Randomized Clustered Trial (Preprint)

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
William CW Wong ◽  
Wai Han Sun ◽  
Shu Ming Cheryl Chia ◽  
Joseph D Tucker ◽  
William PH Mak ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Young Adults ◽  
Hong Kong ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Online Dating ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Dating Apps ◽  
Hong Kong Students ◽  
General Self Efficacy

BACKGROUND Online dating apps are popular platforms for seeking romance and sexual relationships among young adults. As mobile apps can easily gain access to a pool of strangers (“new friends”) at any time and place, it leads to heightened sexual health risks and privacy concerns. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a peer-led web-based intervention for online dating apps to prepare Chinese college students so that they have better self-efficacy when using dating apps. METHODS An open clustered randomized controlled trial was conducted among students from three colleges (The University of Hong Kong, Hang Seng University of Hong Kong, and Yijin Programme of Vocational Training College) in Hong Kong. Students aged 17 to 27 years who attended common core curriculum or general education were randomized into intervention and control groups. The intervention material, developed with high peer engagement, included four short videos, an interactive scenario game, and a risk assessment tool. An existing website promoting physical activities and healthy living was used as a control. Using the information, motivation, and behavioral skills (IMB) approach to design the evaluation, questionnaires covering participants’ sociodemographics and dating app characteristics, as well as the general self-efficacy scale (GSE) as the primary outcome and the risk propensity scale (RPS) as the secondary outcome were administered before, immediately after, and at 1 month after the intervention. Intention-to-treat analysis was adopted, and between-group differences were assessed using the Mann-Whitney <i>U</i> test. A post-hoc multiple linear regression model was used to examine the correlates of the GSE and RPS. RESULTS A total of 578 eligible participants (290 in the intervention group and 288 in the control group) participated in the study with 36 lost to follow-up. There were more female participants (318/542, 58.7%) than male participants in the sample, reflecting the distribution of college students. Over half of the participants (286/542, 52.8%) reported the following reasons for using dating apps: being curious (170/498, 34.1%), trying to make new friends (158/498, 31.7%), and finding friends with similar interests (121/498, 24.3%). Overall, the participants in the intervention group reported favorable experiences when compared with the finding in the control group. There was significant improvement in the GSE score and reduction in the RPS score (<i>P</i>&lt;.001) in the intervention group. University of Hong Kong students were more susceptible to risk reduction after the intervention when compared with students from the other two institutions. CONCLUSIONS The online intervention was effective in improving general self-efficacy and reducing risk tendency among young students. Future work is needed to determine if this approach is cost-effective and such behavioral change is sustainable. CLINICALTRIAL ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03685643; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03685643. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT RR2-10.1186/s13063-018-3167-5

scholarly journals The Impact of Shift Work on Occupational Health Indicators among Professionally Active Adults: A Comparative Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (21) ◽  
pp. 11290
Author(s):  
Henrique Pereira ◽  
Gergely Fehér ◽  
Antal Tibold ◽  
Samuel Monteiro ◽  
Vítor Costa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Occupational Health ◽  
Shift Work ◽  
Work Engagement ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Health Indicators ◽  
Depression Symptoms ◽  
Depression And Anxiety ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Active Adults

The analysis of the impact of shift work on occupational health still needs further contributions. Therefore, we developed this research with the purpose of assessing the impact of shift work on occupational health indicators, namely burnout, work-engagement, occupational self-efficacy, and mental health functioning (symptoms of depression and anxiety), by comparing workers who did shift work (44.2% of participants) with workers who did not (55.8% of participants). A total of 695 Portuguese professionally active adults between 18 and 73 years of age (Mage = 37.71; SD = 12.64) participated in this study and completed a survey containing a sociodemographic questionnaire and four occupational health measures: The Burnout Assessment Tool, The Work-Engagement questionnaire (UWES), The Occupational Self-Efficacy Questionnaire, and the BSI-18 for mental health symptoms. Results showed statistically significant differences (p < 0.05) for all indicators, demonstrating that participants who worked shifts presented lower scores of work-engagement and occupational self-efficacy, and higher scores of burnout, depression, and anxiety when compared to participants who did not work shifts. Linear regressions showed that shift work explained significant but low percentages of anxiety symptoms, low work-engagement, depression symptoms, low occupational self-efficacy, and burnout. We concluded that non-standard working hours (by shifts) are detrimental to employee occupational health, by increasing the risk of anxiety and depression levels, and burnout, and by reducing work-engagement (as a well-being indicator) and occupational self-efficacy perceptions.

Life, lifestyle and location: examining the complexities of psychological distress in young adult Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
pp. 541-549 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Davison ◽  
T. Nagel ◽  
G. R. Singh
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Suicidal Ideation ◽  
Emotional Health ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Indigenous Australians ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Self Harm

Mental health is fundamental to an individual’s health and well-being. Mental health disorders affect a substantial portion of the Australian population, with the most vulnerable time in adolescence and young adulthood. Indigenous Australians fare worse than other Australians on almost every measure of physical and mental health. Cross-sectional data from young adults (21–27 years) participating in the Life Course Program, Northern Territory, Australia, is presented. Rates of psychological distress were high in remote and urban residing Indigenous and urban non-Indigenous young adults. This rate was more pronounced in young women, particularly in Indigenous remote and urban residing women. Young adults with high psychological distress also had lower levels of positive well-being, higher perceived stress levels, experienced a higher number of major life events and were at an increased risk of suicidal ideation and/or self-harm. This study supports the need for a continued focus on early screening and treatment at this vulnerable age. The significant association seen between psychological distress and other markers of emotional well-being, particularly risk of suicidal ideation and/or self-harm, highlights the need for a holistic approach to mental health assessment and treatment. A concerted focus on improving the environs of young adults by lowering levels of stress, improving access to adequate housing, educational and employment opportunity, will assist in improving the emotional health of young adults.

A Peer-Clinician Approach to the Delivery of Dialectical Behaviour Therapy Targeted to Young Adults in a Community Mental Health Setting

2020 ◽  
Vol 39 (2) ◽  
pp. 65-69
Author(s):  
Claudie Coulombe ◽  
Stephanie Rattelade ◽  
Miriam McLaughlin ◽  
John Choi
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
Community Mental Health ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Coping Skills ◽  
Mental Health Setting ◽  
Behaviour Therapy ◽  
Dialectical Behaviour Therapy ◽  
Mental Health Difficulties

Stella’s Place created an adapted DBT program, delivered through an integrated peer-clinician approach, to treat young adults with mental health difficulties in a community mental health setting. Evaluation findings revealed significant improvements in participants’ use of coping skills, resiliency, and self-efficacy following their participation in the program.

scholarly journals The need for accessible mental health interventions for young adults in the COVID-19 pandemic: A student psychologists’ perspective and rapid systematic review

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dilan Hulaj ◽  
Sophie Antesberger ◽  
Tabea Blum ◽  
Raffaela Böswald ◽  
Hannah M. Brandl ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Systematic Review ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
General Population ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Severe Disease ◽  
Health Interventions ◽  
Medium Effect ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Mental Health Interventions

Importance: Although young adults are on average less affected by the physical consequences of COVID-19 infections, showing less severe disease progression and lower mortality risk, they suffer strongly from the mental health impact of the pandemic.Objective: We, a group of psychology students experiencing these impacts, aim to provide an overview of the existing literature on prevention and intervention efforts to effectively reduce the development of, or suffering from, mental health problems in young adults (18-35) during the COVID-19 pandemic.Evidence Review: A rapid systematic review was conducted to identify studies focusing on the implementation of mental health interventions for young adults of the general population during the COVID-19 pandemic. Literature was searched with Pubmed and Web of Science on June 17, 2021. The quality of each study was assessed by two reviewers with the Standard Quality Assessment Criteria for Evaluating Primary Research Papers.Findings: Of N = 76 records initially screened, eight studies met the inclusion criteria. Six applied web-based interventions, of which four were randomized controlled trials. Interventions were based on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy approaches (n = 5), mindfulness practices, logo-autobiography, and synergistic thinking methods. The interventions varied in length from single sessions to multiple sessions over a period of up to 10 weeks. All interventions were effective in reducing depression and anxiety symptoms, as well as stress with small to medium effect sizes and a symptom reduction up to 78.9%. With only three studies being of high quality, the overall quality was low.Conclusions and Relevance: Research on mental health interventions for young adults in the general population during the pandemic is sparse. However, all interventions resulted in symptoms reductions and thus have been shown to be effective ways of counteracting the potential development of mental disorders during times of uncertainty, with high levels of stress, such as during a pandemic. Therefore, we propose a concept for an innovative and cost-effective web-based platform to structure and raise awareness for existing measures.

scholarly journals A Text Message Intervention with Adaptive Goal Support to Reduce Alcohol Consumption Among Non-Treatment-Seeking Young Adults: Non-Randomized Clinical Trial with Voluntary Length of Enrollment (Preprint)

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian Suffoletto ◽  
Tammy Chung ◽  
Frederick Muench ◽  
Peter Monti ◽  
Duncan B Clark
Keyword(s):  
Young Adults ◽  
Alcohol Consumption ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Self Regulation ◽  
Text Message ◽  
Confidence Score ◽  
Preliminary Evidence ◽  
Goal Commitment ◽  
Reduce Alcohol Consumption ◽  
Text Message Intervention

BACKGROUND Stand-alone text message–based interventions can reduce binge drinking episodes (≥4 drinks for women and ≥5 drinks for men) among nontreatment-seeking young adults, but may not be optimized. Adaptive text message support could enhance effectiveness by assisting context-specific goal setting and striving, but it remains unknown how to best integrate it into text message interventions. OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to evaluate young adults’ engagement with a text message intervention, Texting to Reduce Alcohol Consumption 2 (TRAC2), which focuses on reducing weekend alcohol consumption. TRAC2 incorporated preweekend drinking-limit goal-commitment ecological momentary assessments (EMA) tailored to past 2-week alcohol consumption, intraweekend goal reminders, self-efficacy EMA with support tailored to goal confidence, and maximum weekend alcohol consumption EMA with drinking limit goal feedback. METHODS We enrolled 38 nontreatment-seeking young adults (aged 18 to 25 years) who screened positive for hazardous drinking in an urban emergency department. Following a 2-week text message assessment-only run-in, subjects were given the opportunity to enroll in 4-week intervention blocks. We examined patterns of EMA responses and voluntary re-enrollment. We then examined how goal commitment and goal self-efficacy related to event-level alcohol consumption. Finally, we examined the association of length of TRAC2 exposure with alcohol-related outcomes from baseline to 3-month follow-up. RESULTS Among a diverse sample of young adults (56% [28/50] female, 54% [27/50] black, 32% [12/50] college enrolled), response rates to EMA queries were, on average, 82% for the first 4-week intervention block, 75% for the second 4-week block, and 73% for the third 4-week block. In the first 4 weeks of the intervention, drinking limit goal commitment was made 68/71 times it was prompted (96%). The percentage of subjects being prompted to commit to a drinking limit goal above the binge threshold was 52% (15/29) in week 1 and decreased to 0% (0/15) by week 4. Subjects met their goal 130/146 of the times a goal was committed to (89.0%). There were lower rates of goal success when subjects reported lower confidence (score <4) in meeting the goal (76% [32/42 weekends]) compared with that when subjects reported high confidence (98% [56/57 weekends]; P=.001). There were reductions in alcohol consumption from baseline to 3 months, but reductions were not different by length of intervention exposure. CONCLUSIONS Preliminary evidence suggests that nontreatment-seeking young adults will engage with a text message intervention incorporating self-regulation support features, resulting in high rates of weekend drinking limit goal commitment and goal success.

scholarly journals Effectiveness of a Peer-Led Web-Based Intervention to Improve General Self-Efficacy in Using Dating Apps Among Young Adults: Randomized Clustered Trial

10.2196/16378 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (10) ◽  
pp. e16378
Author(s):  
William CW Wong ◽  
Wai Han Sun ◽  
Shu Ming Cheryl Chia ◽  
Joseph D Tucker ◽  
William PH Mak ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Young Adults ◽  
Hong Kong ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Online Dating ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Dating Apps ◽  
Hong Kong Students ◽  
General Self Efficacy

Background Online dating apps are popular platforms for seeking romance and sexual relationships among young adults. As mobile apps can easily gain access to a pool of strangers (“new friends”) at any time and place, it leads to heightened sexual health risks and privacy concerns. Objective This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a peer-led web-based intervention for online dating apps to prepare Chinese college students so that they have better self-efficacy when using dating apps. Methods An open clustered randomized controlled trial was conducted among students from three colleges (The University of Hong Kong, Hang Seng University of Hong Kong, and Yijin Programme of Vocational Training College) in Hong Kong. Students aged 17 to 27 years who attended common core curriculum or general education were randomized into intervention and control groups. The intervention material, developed with high peer engagement, included four short videos, an interactive scenario game, and a risk assessment tool. An existing website promoting physical activities and healthy living was used as a control. Using the information, motivation, and behavioral skills (IMB) approach to design the evaluation, questionnaires covering participants’ sociodemographics and dating app characteristics, as well as the general self-efficacy scale (GSE) as the primary outcome and the risk propensity scale (RPS) as the secondary outcome were administered before, immediately after, and at 1 month after the intervention. Intention-to-treat analysis was adopted, and between-group differences were assessed using the Mann-Whitney U test. A post-hoc multiple linear regression model was used to examine the correlates of the GSE and RPS. Results A total of 578 eligible participants (290 in the intervention group and 288 in the control group) participated in the study with 36 lost to follow-up. There were more female participants (318/542, 58.7%) than male participants in the sample, reflecting the distribution of college students. Over half of the participants (286/542, 52.8%) reported the following reasons for using dating apps: being curious (170/498, 34.1%), trying to make new friends (158/498, 31.7%), and finding friends with similar interests (121/498, 24.3%). Overall, the participants in the intervention group reported favorable experiences when compared with the finding in the control group. There was significant improvement in the GSE score and reduction in the RPS score (P<.001) in the intervention group. University of Hong Kong students were more susceptible to risk reduction after the intervention when compared with students from the other two institutions. Conclusions The online intervention was effective in improving general self-efficacy and reducing risk tendency among young students. Future work is needed to determine if this approach is cost-effective and such behavioral change is sustainable. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03685643; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03685643. International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID) RR2-10.1186/s13063-018-3167-5

scholarly journals Emotional health, support, and self-efficacy in young adults with a history of language impairment

2016 ◽  
Vol 34 (4) ◽  
pp. 538-554 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicola Botting ◽  
Kevin Durkin ◽  
Umar Toseeb ◽  
Andrew Pickles ◽  
Gina Conti-Ramsden
Keyword(s):  
Young Adults ◽  
Language Impairment ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Emotional Health ◽  
History Of ◽  
Health Support

scholarly journals The Influence of Illness Perception, Anxiety and Depression Disorders on Students Mental Health during COVID-19 Outbreak in Pakistan: A Web-Based Cross-Sectional Survey

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Aqeel ◽  
Kanwar Hamza Shuja ◽  
Jaffar Abbas ◽  
Tasnim Rehna ◽  
Arash Ziapour
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Illness Perception ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Anxiety And Depression ◽  
Depression Symptoms ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Depression Disorders

Abstract Background: Since the emergence of a coronavirus disease (2019-nCoV) in December 2019, the whole world is in a state of chaos. Isolation strategy with quarantine is a useful model in controlling transmission and rapid spread. As a result, people remained at homes and disrupted their outside daily activities. It led to the closure of educational institutes, which is a source of many students to cope with numerous personal and familial issues. This study focuses on exploring the relationships and potential mediational pathways between mental health problems, illness perception, anxiety, and depression disorders.Method: The study incorporated snowball sampling techniques through a cross-sectional, web-based survey and recruited 500 students from different public and private universities from twin cities, Rawalpindi, and Islamabad from March 23 to April 15, 2020, during the coronavirus outbreak lockdown. The study used four instruments, Beck Depression Scale, Beck Anxiety Inventory, Revised Illness Perception Questionnaire, and The Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale for assessing depression, anxiety, illness perception, and mental health disorders.Results: The findings indicated normal (43.2%) mild (20.5%), moderate (13.6%), and severe (22.7%) level of anxiety prevalence in students. Results specified a normal (65.9%), mild (9.10%), moderate (9.12%), and severe (15.90%) depression prevalence, and findings stipulated that anxiety disorder prevalence was higher than the depression disorder. The correlational results specified a negative and significant relationship between mental health, illness perception, anxiety, and depression symptoms. The multiple regression analysis stated that anxiety and depression disorders mediated the relationship between mental health and present illness perception. The perception of illness exhibited a relation to depression and anxiety disorders.Conclusion: The study proposed a model to address mental health problems during the lockdown. The (2019-nCoV) illness perception developed mental disorders, including anxiety and depression, which has declined individuals' mental health. There is an urgent need for ongoing clinical examination and management to address psychological disorders, and findings suggest assessing mental health to combatting the pandemic worldwide. Findings recommend developing strategies to promote mental healthcare facilities during COVID-19 wide-ranging disasters. These results highlight the impending importance of devising strategies to treat mental health problems.

Emotional Health of Indonesian Adoptees Living in Australian Families

1996 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 534-539 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert D. Goldney ◽  
Maxine Donald ◽  
Michael G. Sawyer ◽  
Robert J. Kosky ◽  
Susan Priest
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Emotional Health ◽  
Child Behaviour ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Striking Similarity ◽  
Health Clinic ◽  
Youth Self Report ◽  
Mental Health Clinics ◽  
Child Behaviour Checklist ◽  
Health Clinics

Objective: To compare the prevalence of emotional and behavioural problems in adolescent adoptees from Indonesia living in South Australian families with that of adolescents living in the community and those referred to mental health clinics in South Australia. Method: Thirty-four Indonesian adoptees completed the Youth Self-Report and their adoptive mothers completed the Child Behaviour Checklist. The results on these instruments were compared with the scores of a community sample and a mental health clinic population. Results: There was a striking similarity between scores on the Youth Self-Report and the Child Behaviour Checklist instruments for the adoption and community groups. Both these groups had significantly fewer problems than adolescents referred to mental health clinics. Conclusions: These results indicate that the outcome in terms of emotional and behavioural health for intercountry adoptions between Indonesia and Australia is favourable.

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