HEARTSMAP-U: Adapting a Psychosocial Self-Screening and Resource Navigation Support Tool for Use by Post-secondary Students

Virk, Punit; Arora, Ravia; Burt, Heather; Gadermann, Anne; Barbic, Skye; Nelson, Marna; Davidson, Jana; Cornish, Peter; Doan, Quynh

doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2022.812965

Cited by 7 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 73 publications

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“…The Services component consists of a 10-question survey tool that provides participants with recommendations for resources based on their current needs and preferences ( Figure 2 B). The survey tool and recommendations were adapted from a previously developed tool for university students [ 20 ] and can be completed multiple times to receive new recommendations. Recommendations are provided for 6 areas related to student well-being: mental health and relationships, substance use, abuse, sexual wellness, housing, and education and activities.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effectiveness of the Minder Mobile Mental Health and Substance Use Intervention for University Students: Randomized Controlled Trial

Vereschagin,

Wang,

Richardson

et al. 2024

J Med Internet Res

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Background University attendance represents a transition period for students that often coincides with the emergence of mental health and substance use challenges. Digital interventions have been identified as a promising means of supporting students due to their scalability, adaptability, and acceptability. Minder is a mental health and substance use mobile app that was codeveloped with university students. Objective This study aims to examine the effectiveness of the Minder mobile app in improving mental health and substance use outcomes in a general population of university students. Methods A 2-arm, parallel-assignment, single-blinded, 30-day randomized controlled trial was used to evaluate Minder using intention-to-treat analysis. In total, 1489 participants were recruited and randomly assigned to the intervention (n=743, 49.9%) or waitlist control (n=746, 50.1%) condition. The Minder app delivers evidence-based content through an automated chatbot and connects participants with services and university social groups. Participants are also assigned a trained peer coach to support them. The primary outcomes were measured through in-app self-assessments and included changes in general anxiety symptomology, depressive symptomology, and alcohol consumption risk measured using the 7-item General Anxiety Disorder scale, 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire, and US Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test–Consumption Scale, respectively, from baseline to 30-day follow-up. Secondary outcomes included measures related to changes in the frequency of substance use (cannabis, alcohol, opioids, and nonmedical stimulants) and mental well-being. Generalized linear mixed-effects models were used to examine each outcome. Results In total, 79.3% (589/743) of participants in the intervention group and 83% (619/746) of participants in the control group completed the follow-up survey. The intervention group had significantly greater average reductions in anxiety symptoms measured using the 7-item General Anxiety Disorder scale (adjusted group mean difference=−0.85, 95% CI −1.27 to −0.42; P<.001; Cohen d=−0.17) and depressive symptoms measured using the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (adjusted group mean difference=−0.63, 95% CI −1.08 to −0.17; P=.007; Cohen d=−0.11). A reduction in the US Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test–Consumption Scale score among intervention participants was also observed, but it was not significant (P=.23). Statistically significant differences in favor of the intervention group were found for mental well-being and reductions in the frequency of cannabis use and typical number of drinks consumed. A total of 77.1% (573/743) of participants in the intervention group accessed at least 1 app component during the study period. Conclusions In a general population sample of university students, the Minder app was effective in reducing symptoms of anxiety and depression, with provisional support for increasing mental well-being and reducing the frequency of cannabis and alcohol use. These findings highlight the potential ability of e-tools focused on prevention and early intervention to be integrated into existing university systems to support students’ needs. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05606601; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05606601 International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID) RR2-10.2196/49364

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effectiveness of the Minder Mobile Mental Health and Substance Use Intervention for University Students: Randomized Controlled Trial

Vereschagin,

Wang,

Richardson

et al. 2024

J Med Internet Res

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show abstract

“…Users have access to this entire range of content in the app and can choose to engage with any activities, regardless of their current mental health or substance use status. The Services component of Minder includes a validated psychosocial screening tool that provides users with tailored recommendations and resources based on their current needs and preferences [ 25 ]. It consists of a short survey with several categories (mental health, safety, substance use, abuse, housing, education, and sexual wellness) and an individually tailored list of relevant services that can be filtered by factors such as cost, availability, and delivery method.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluating the Effectiveness of a Codeveloped e-Mental Health Intervention for University Students: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial

Wang¹,

Vereschagin²,

Richardson³

et al. 2023

JMIR Res Protoc

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Background University life typically occurs during a period of life transition, where the incidence of mental health and substance use problems and disorders peaks. However, relatively few students obtain effective treatment and support. e-Interventions have proven effective in improving the psychological outcomes of university students and have the potential to provide scalable services that can easily integrate into existing models of care. Minder is a mobile app codeveloped with university students that offers users a collection of evidence-based interventions tailored to help university students maintain their mental health and well-being and manage their substance use. Objective This paper describes the protocol for a randomized controlled trial (RCT) that aims to assess the effectiveness of the Minder app in improving the mental health and substance use outcomes of university students. Methods This study is a 2-arm, parallel assignment, single-blinded, 30-day RCT with 1 intervention group and 1 waitlist control group. Overall, 1496 (748 per trial arm) university students from the University of British Columbia Vancouver Campus (N=54,000) who are aged ≥17 years, have a smartphone with Wi-Fi or cellular data, and speak English will be recruited via a variety of web-based and offline strategies. Participants will be randomized into the intervention or control group after completing a baseline survey. Those randomized into the intervention group will gain immediate access to the Minder app and will be assessed at 2 weeks and 30 days. Those randomized into the control group will be given access to the app content after their follow-up assessment at 30 days. The primary outcomes are measured from baseline to follow-up at 30 days and include changes in general anxiety symptomology, depressive symptomology, and alcohol consumption risk measured by the General Anxiety Disorder 7-Item scale, Patient Health Questionnaire 9-Item scale, and US Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-Consumption Scale, respectively. Secondary outcomes include measures related to changes in the frequency of substance use, mental well-being, self-efficacy in managing mental health and substance use, readiness to change, and self-reported use of mental health services and supports (including referral) from baseline to follow-up at 30 days. Results Trial recruitment and data collection began in September 2022, and the completion of data collection for the trial is anticipated by June 2023. As of May 10, 2023, a total of 1425 participants have been enrolled. Conclusions The RCT described in this protocol paper will assess whether the Minder app is effective in improving the mental health and substance use outcomes of a general population of Canadian university students. Additional secondary outcome research aims to explore additional outcomes of interest for further research and better understand how to support students’ general mental well-being. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05606601; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05606601 International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID) DERR1-10.2196/49364

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“…HEARTSMAP-U is a self-assessment tool designed for postsecondary students to evaluate their psychosocial situation across 10 sections, including Housing & Material Security ; Education & Activities ; Relationships ; Thoughts & Anxiety ; Substances & Behavioural Dependencies ; Safety ; Sexual Wellness ; Mood ; Abuse ; and Professionals & Resources [ 23 ]. HEARTSMAP-U was adapted for postsecondary students based on previously validated clinician- and patient-administered pediatric versions, HEARTSMAP and MyHEARTSMAP, respectively.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…To address the need for a student-centered, multidomain psychosocial screening tool, we adapted existing pediatric, clinician-administered (HEARTSMAP) and patient-administered (MyHEARTSMAP) instruments into HEARTSMAP-U, a version suitable for postsecondary students. We adopted a student-centered approach, which addressed the aforementioned challenges with existing tools and helped us ensure that HEARTSMAP-U’s content was relevant, applicable, and acceptable to students [ 23 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Evaluating the Psychometric Properties and Clinical Utility of a Digital Psychosocial Self-Screening Tool (HEARTSMAP-U) for Postsecondary Students: Prospective Cohort Study

Virk¹,

Arora²,

Burt³

et al. 2023

JMIR Ment Health

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Background Existing screening tools for mental health issues among postsecondary students have several challenges, including a lack of standardization and codevelopment by students. HEARTSMAP-U was adapted to address these issues. Objective This study aimed to evaluate the suitability of HEARTSMAP-U as a self-screening tool for psychosocial issues among postsecondary students by evaluating its validity evidence and clinical utility. Methods A prospective cohort study was conducted with University of British Columbia Vancouver students to evaluate HEARTSMAP-U’s predictive validity and convergent validity. Participating students completed baseline and 3-month follow-up assessments via HEARTSMAP-U and a clinician-administered interview. Results In a diverse student sample (n=100), HEARTSMAP-U demonstrated high sensitivity (95%-100%) in identifying any psychiatric concerns that were flagged by a research clinician, with lower specificity (21%-25%). Strong convergent validity (r=0.54-0.68) was demonstrated when relevant domains and sections of HEARTSMAP-U were compared with those of other conceptually similar instruments. Conclusions This preliminary evaluation suggests that HEARTSMAP-U may be suitable for screening in the postsecondary educational setting. However, a larger-scale evaluation is necessary to confirm and expand on these findings.

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HEARTSMAP-U: Adapting a Psychosocial Self-Screening and Resource Navigation Support Tool for Use by Post-secondary Students

Cited by 7 publications

References 73 publications

Effectiveness of the Minder Mobile Mental Health and Substance Use Intervention for University Students: Randomized Controlled Trial

Effectiveness of the Minder Mobile Mental Health and Substance Use Intervention for University Students: Randomized Controlled Trial

Evaluating the Effectiveness of a Codeveloped e-Mental Health Intervention for University Students: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial

Evaluating the Psychometric Properties and Clinical Utility of a Digital Psychosocial Self-Screening Tool (HEARTSMAP-U) for Postsecondary Students: Prospective Cohort Study

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