Development of a Peer Support Mobile App and Web-Based Lesson for Adolescent Mental Health (Mind Your Mate): User-Centered Design Approach

Birrell, Louise; Furneaux-Bate, Ainsley; Debenham, Jennifer; Spallek, Sophia; Newton, Nicola C.; Chapman, Cath

doi:10.2196/36068

Cited by 11 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 33 publications

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“…It was designed in collaboration with young people and experts in mental health and substance use prevention. Key content and module selection was based on a scoping review of the literature, a survey and focus groups with young people, and evidence-based mental health and substance use prevention strategies (full details of the development process have been previously published [ 19 ]). The intervention included 1 introductory web-based classroom lesson, led by a teacher, and a self-directed mobile app.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The app is a self-guided program that builds upon the concepts introduced in the classroom lesson by providing normative information about mental health and substance use, skill-building modules for peer support (including active listening and checking in), self-care modules, as well as referral and support options to encourage further help seeking. Full details regarding the app development process, app features, and functionality have been previously published [ 18 , 19 ]. The next step was to evaluate the effectiveness of the program in improving youth mental health.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Evaluating a Peer-Support Mobile App for Mental Health and Substance Use Among Adolescents Over 12 Months During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Randomized Controlled Trial

Birrell¹,

Debenham²,

Furneaux-Bate³

et al. 2023

J Med Internet Res

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Background Although it is well known that adolescents frequently turn to their friends for support around mental health and substance use problems, there are currently no evidence-based digital programs to support them to do this. Objective The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of the Mind your Mate program, a digital peer-support program, in improving mental health symptoms, reducing the uptake of substance use, and increasing help seeking. The Mind your Mate program consists of a 40-minute web-based classroom lesson and a companion smartphone mobile app. The active control group received school-based health education as usual. Methods A cluster randomized controlled trial was conducted with 12 secondary schools and 166 students (mean age 15.3, SD 0.41 years; 72/166, 43.4% female; and 133/166, 80.1% born in Australia). Participants completed self-reported questionnaires assessing symptoms of mental health (depression, anxiety, and psychological distress), substance use (alcohol and other drug use), and help-seeking measures at baseline and at 6-month and 12-month follow-ups. Results Students who received the Mind your Mate program had greater reductions in depressive symptoms over a 12-month period than controls (b=−1.86, 95% CI −3.73 to 0.02; Cohen d=−0.31). Anxiety symptoms decreased among students in the intervention group; however, these reductions did not meet statistical significance thresholds. No differences were observed in relation to psychological distress or help-seeking. Conclusions Small to moderate reductions in depression symptoms were observed among students allocated to receive the Mind your Mate intervention. Although the current results are encouraging, there is a need to continue to refine, develop, and evaluate innovative applied approaches for the prevention of mental disorders in real-world settings. Trial Registration Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ANZCTR) ACTRN12620000753954; https://anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?ACTRN=12620000753954 International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID) RR2-10.2196/26796

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluating a Peer-Support Mobile App for Mental Health and Substance Use Among Adolescents Over 12 Months During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Randomized Controlled Trial

Birrell¹,

Debenham²,

Furneaux-Bate³

et al. 2023

J Med Internet Res

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Most research available on peer support apps focuses on serious mental and physical health challenges, such as bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, or major depressive disorder [39][40][41][42][43], those with cancer [38], and those who self-harm [44,45]. In some cases, a mental health app is used along with peer support rather than a peer support app per se [39,40] or involves the process of creating a peer support app [46].…”

Section: Mental Health Appsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Views on the Functionality and Use of the PeerConnect App Among Public Safety Personnel: Qualitative Analysis

Foley,

Ricciardelli

2023

JMIR Form Res

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Background Research supports that public safety personnel (PSP) are regularly exposed to potentially psychologically traumatic events and occupational stress, which can compromise their well-being. To help address PSP well-being and mental health, peer support is increasingly being adopted (and developed) in PSP organizations. Peer support apps have been developed to connect the peer and peer supporter anonymously and confidentially, but little is known about their effectiveness, utility, and uptake. Objective We designed this study to evaluate the functionality and use of the PeerConnect app, which is a vehicle for receiving and administering peer support. The app connects peers but also provides information (eg, mental health screening tools, newsfeed) to users; thus, we wanted to understand why PSP adopted or did not adopt the app and the app’s perceived utility. Our intention was to determine if the app served the purpose of connectivity for PSP organizations implementing peer support. Methods A sample of PSP (N=23) participated in an interview about why they used or did not use the app. We first surveyed participants across PSP organizations in Ontario, Canada, and at the end of the survey invited participants to participate in a follow-up interview. Of the 23 PSP interviewed, 16 were PeerConnect users and 7 were nonusers. After transcribing all audio recordings of the interviews, we used an emergent theme approach to analyze themes within and across responses. Results PSP largely viewed PeerConnect positively, with the Connect feature being most popular (this feature facilitated peer support), followed by the Newsfeed and Resources. App users appreciated the convenience of the app and felt the app helped reduce the stigma around peer support use and pressure on peer supporters while raising awareness of wellness. PSP who did not use the app attributed their nonuse to disinterest or uncertainty about the need for a peer support app and the web-based nature of the app. To increase app adoption, participants recommended increased communication and promotion of the app by the services and continued efforts to combat mental health stigma. Conclusions We provide contextual information about a peer support app’s functionality and use. Our findings demonstrate that PSP are open to the use of mental health and peer support apps, but more education is required to reduce mental health stigma. Future research should continue to evaluate peer support apps for PSP to inform their design and ensure they are fulfilling their purpose.

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“…Evidence has demonstrated that user-centered design increases the likelihood that interventions will be used by the end user [64,71,72] and has been used in the development of other digital interventions. A user-centered design has been used in the development of other digital interventions for substance use prevention among adults [73,74] and adolescents [75].…”

Section: Framework That Informed Approach To Game Developmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…On the basis of the information gleaned from our development focus groups and interviews, our research team collaborated with our game development partners, Schell Games, to launch and finalize the video game intervention, PlaySmart. Game content was directly informed by focus groups and interviews, similar to other digital interventions targeting adolescents [29,30,53,54,75,[81][82][83][84].…”

Section: Development: Playsmart Video Game Interventionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Video Game Intervention to Prevent Opioid Misuse Among Older Adolescents: Development and Preimplementation Study

Aneni,

Fernandes,

Hoerner

et al. 2023

JMIR Serious Games

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Background Opioid misuse and mental disorders are highly comorbid conditions. The ongoing substance misuse and mental health crises among adolescents in the United States underscores the importance of widely scalable substance misuse preventive interventions that also address mental health risks. Serious video games offer an engaging, widely scalable method for delivering and implementing preventive interventions. However, there are no video game interventions that focus on preventing opioid misuse among older adolescents, and there are limited existing video game interventions that address mental health. Objective This study aims to develop and conduct a formative evaluation of a video game intervention to prevent opioid misuse and promote mental health among adolescents aged 16-19 years (PlaySmart). We conducted formative work in preparation for a subsequent randomized controlled trial. Methods We conducted development and formative evaluation of PlaySmart in 3 phases (development, playtesting, and preimplementation) through individual interviews and focus groups with multiple stakeholders (adolescents: n=103; school-based health care providers: n=51; and addiction treatment providers: n=6). PlaySmart content development was informed by the health belief model, the theory of planned behavior, and social cognitive theory. User-centered design principles informed the approach to development and play testing. The Exploration, Preparation, Implementation, and Sustainability framework informed preimplementation activities. Thematic analysis was used to identify themes from interviews and focus groups that informed PlaySmart game content and approaches to future implementation of PlaySmart. Results We developed a novel video game PlaySmart for older adolescents that addresses the risk and protective factors for opioid misuse and mental health. Nine themes emerged from the focus groups that provided information regarding game content. Playtesting revealed areas of the game that required improvement, which were modified for the final game. Preimplementation focus groups identified potential barriers and facilitators for implementing PlaySmart in school settings. Conclusions PlaySmart offers a promising digital intervention to address the current opioid and mental health crises among adolescents in a scalable manner.

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Development of a Peer Support Mobile App and Web-Based Lesson for Adolescent Mental Health (Mind Your Mate): User-Centered Design Approach

Cited by 11 publications

References 33 publications

Evaluating a Peer-Support Mobile App for Mental Health and Substance Use Among Adolescents Over 12 Months During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Randomized Controlled Trial

Evaluating a Peer-Support Mobile App for Mental Health and Substance Use Among Adolescents Over 12 Months During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Randomized Controlled Trial

Views on the Functionality and Use of the PeerConnect App Among Public Safety Personnel: Qualitative Analysis

A Video Game Intervention to Prevent Opioid Misuse Among Older Adolescents: Development and Preimplementation Study

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