Background
Supporting Our Valued Adolescents (SOVA) is a moderated and anonymous social media website intervention. SOVA ambassadors are adolescents and young adults (AYA) asked to write monthly blog posts and comments on others’ posts on topics surrounding mental health.
Objective
This study aims to understand the feasibility and acceptability of peer blogging for a moderated mental health intervention website and explore whether bloggers—AYA who self-report symptoms of depression and anxiety—experience potential benefits.
Methods
AYA aged 14 to 26 years with a self-reported history of depression or anxiety were recruited to the SOVA Peer Ambassador Program. Participants were asked to write one blog post a month and comment at least four times a month on other blog posts, for which they were compensated for up to US $15 monthly. Outcome variables measured at baseline and 3 months after intervention included website usability and feasibility, depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, mental health treatment history, cybercoping, personal blogging style, self-esteem, loneliness, mental health stigma, social support, and positive youth development characteristics. Open-ended questions were asked about their blogging acceptability and usability.
Results
Of 66 AYA showing interest and completing onboarding, 71% (47/66) wrote at least one blog post, with an average of 3 posts per person. A sample of 51% (34/66) of participants completed a 3-month survey for the full analysis. Almost all 34 participants were satisfied with the experience of blogging (32/34, 94%) and rated the website usability as good (80.1, SD 14.9). At 3 months, self-esteem scores increased by 2.1, with a small-medium effect size (P=.01; Cohen d=0.45), and youth competence and confidence increased by 0.7 (P=.002) and 1.3 (P=.002), with medium effect sizes (Cohen d=0.62 and 0.60), respectively.
Conclusions
A blogging intervention for AYA with a history of depression or anxiety was feasible with regular and active engagement and shows evidence in a one-sample design for positive changes in strength-based assets—self-esteem, competence, and confidence—which map onto resilience.
Objective:
Pediatric primary care providers (PCPs) work in challenging environments and are increasingly called to implement complex interventions, such as behavioral health (BH) service integration. We explore how perceived stressful practice climates (1) change over time in and (2) influence provider perceptions of collaborative care versus usual care, 2 models of integrated BH care.
Methods:
Secondary exploratory analysis using hierarchical linear modeling was performed on an 18-month cluster-randomized trial of 8 pediatric primary care practices to Doctor-Office Collaborative Care (DOCC), where an on-site care manager delivered BH services in coordination with PCPs, or Enhanced Usual Care (EUC), where a care manager facilitated referrals to local BH providers. Various indicators of PCP perceptions of BH services, including satisfaction with practice, burdens and beliefs regarding psychosocial problems, and effectiveness in treating behavioral problems, were assessed as outcomes. Moderators were 2 domains of stressful climates, role conflict and role overload.
Results:
Role conflict and role overload stayed stable in both conditions. Role conflict strengthened the positive effect of DOCC on PCP perceived effectiveness in treating behavioral problems (β [SE], 0.04 [0.02]; p = 0.04) and improvement in managing oppositional/aggressive behavior (0.02 [0.01]; p = 0.02). Role overload strengthened the positive effect of DOCC on PCP-perceived improvement in managing attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (0.03 [0.01]; p = 0.01). Stressful climates did not influence perceptions for EUC providers.
Conclusions:
Providers experiencing more stressful practice climates developed more positive perceptions of collaborative care. This may encourage stressed providers to make effective practice changes and promote practice integration of BH services.
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