Feasibility and Acceptability of “Cuida tu Ánimo” (Take Care of Your Mood): An Internet-Based Program for Prevention and Early Intervention of Adolescent Depression in Chile and Colombia

Abstract

The rapid internet penetration in Latin American countries has made it possible to implement digital mental health interventions. “Cuida tu Ánimo” (Take Care of Your Mood) is an internet-based program for the prevention and early intervention of depression in adolescents. A pilot study was conducted in Chile and Colombia to study the feasibility and acceptability of the program and estimate its effects. There were 199 participants (53.3% women; mean age = 14.8 years, SD = 1.0) recruited from two schools in Chile and two schools in Colombia. Qualitative and quantitative methods were applied for data collection and analyses. Although the levels of acceptance were moderate to high across all variables, adherence was lower than expected. The participants deemed important for an intervention of this type offered a higher level of interaction with team members through internet-based and face-to-face activities. Post-intervention outcomes show a reduction in depressive and anxious symptoms in adolescents in Chile, while there were no significant changes in the level of symptomatology in adolescents in Colombia. The women used the program more than the men. Results show the need to improve the intervention by increasing its levels of customization and developing strategies to achieve better adherence. The contradictory results of the program in Chile and Colombia suggest the importance of other variables beyond the content of the intervention, such as the setting or context of the intervention.

Effectiveness and Implementation Outcome Measures of Mental Health Curriculum Intervention Using Social Media to Improve the Mental Health Literacy of Adolescents

“… 79 However, in the present study there was no significant sex difference in implementation outcome measure ratings, which is inconsistent with previous reports. 37 , 79 , 80 Detailed qualitative explanations are needed to interpret such quantitative findings.…”

“…Social media is commonly used for health information exchange, 35 , 36 and has become an integral part of adolescent life. 37 Compared to any other age group, a higher proportion of adolescents and young adults are social media users. 38 Social media allows individuals to exchange information and ideas, including those related to health.…”

State of Mental Health Research of Adolescents and Youth in Chile: An Ontological Analysis

“…For example, our findings indicate that it is important to advance research beyond identifying and assessing mental health conditions. In this regard, technology-based interventions may be a cost-effective alternative that has been little explored for prevention and early treatment in mental health in adolescents and youth in Chile [ 42 , 43 ]. Another example is that more research is needed on how to address stigma in mental health, given its influence as a barrier to help-seeking [ 44 ].…”

Satisfaction and Acceptability Ratings of a Web-Based Self-help Intervention for Depression: Retrospective Cross-sectional Study From a Resource-Limited Country

“…As in many studies [ 27 , 28 ], an ad hoc questionnaire was developed to evaluate this construct. It consisted of 17 questions, of which only 15 quantitative questions were analyzed (the other two were open-ended questions that received few responses; thus, they were not included: Is there something additional that helped you that is not listed here?…”