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Tag: young adults
04/10/2023

Combined Laboratory and Field Test of a Smartphone Breath Alcohol Device and Blood Alcohol Concentration Estimator to Facilitate Moderate Drinking Among Young Adults

Leeman RF, Berey BL, Frohe T, Rowland BHP, Martens MP, Fucito LM, Stellefson M, Nixon SJ, & O’Malley SS. (2022). A combined laboratory and field test of a smartphone breath alcohol device and blood alcohol concentration estimator to facilitate moderate drinking among young adults. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 36(6), 710–723. https://doi.org/10.1037/adb0000780

This paper evaluated feasibility, usability, acceptability, and efficacy of blood alcohol content (BAC) related moderate drinking technology during a laboratory alcohol self-administration session and follow-up field test in real-world situations. Participants were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 technologies to use during a laboratory alcohol drinking session: (1) breathalyzer alcohol device connected to an app, (2) BAC estimator app where participants make entries about drinking behavior, and (3) a self-texting control condition where participants send a text after each alcoholic drink consumed. All participants completed a laboratory alcohol-drinking session while using the assigned technology procedure. After this session, participants were instructed to use all three forms of technologies for two weeks. At the end of the field-testing period, acceptability, usability, and perspectives on all three technologies were The breathalyzer and BAC estimator app both had favorable acceptability and usability ratings. Participants used at least one form of technology on 67% of drinking days. Based on self-reported data, as also significantly lower during the field-test period than at baseline. Overall, combining lab and field methods to test drinking technologies was feasible among young adults. Results support the potential of mobile interventions to help young adults in motivating behavior change given their willingness to use apps.

Posted in: Cutting Edge Literature // Tagged: ; ; ; ; ;
02/14/2023

Gaming My Way to Recovery: A Systematic Scoping Review of Digital Game Interventions for Young People’s Mental Health Treatment and Promotion

Ferrari M, Sabetti J, McIlwaine SV, Fazeli S, Sadati SMH, Shah JL, Archie S, Boydell KM, Lal S, Henderson J, Alvarez-Jimenez M, Andersson N, Nielsen RKL, Reynolds JA and Iyer SN (2022) Gaming My Way to Recovery: A Systematic Scoping Review of Digital Game Interventions for Young People’s Mental Health Treatment and Promotion. Front. Digit. Health 4:814248. doi: 10.3389/fdgth.2022.814248

This review summarized literature on video game interventions for young people (ages 12-29) and mapped the evidence for game use to support mental health and substance use treatment for youth people, how stakeholders were involved in program development, and potential harms or ethical issues. Forty-nine studies testing 32 digital games were identified. An adapted stepped care model based on illness manifestation and severity was used as a conceptual framework for organizing target populations, mental health outcome, video games, and study results. Ten studies (20%) targeted mental health prevention or education for undiagnosed youth (Step 0), 6 studies (12%) targeted at-risk groups or suspected mental health problems (Step 1), 24 studies (49%) targeted mild to moderate conditions (Steps 2-3), and 9 studies (18%) targeted severe and complex conditions (Step 4). The majority (66%) of studies targeted youth (19 years or younger) , as opposed to young adults. 11 of the games made clear efforts to promote equity and inclusiveness in focusing on minority youth and low-resource settings. Eleven studies were mixed method or qualitative studies. Two-thirds of quantitative studies (N=38) reported significant improvement on at least one key mental health outcome. The review also found evidence of high user satisfaction and program adherence. There were a range of identified issues such as limited game elements, storylines, lack of personalization or cultural fit, and lack of therapist support. Most studies included stakeholder feedback in developing and evaluating videogames. Results indicated the need for greater attention to participation of young end-users in game development to improve engagement, and to eliciting participation by service providers and family to promote the integration of games as standard tools for mental health treatment for youth.

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01/10/2023

Challenges in Recruiting University Students for Web-Based Indicated Prevention of Depression and Anxiety: Results From a Randomized Controlled Trial (ICare Prevent)

Bolinski F, Kleiboer A, Neijenhuijs K, Karyotaki E, Wiers R, de Koning L, Jacobi C, Zarski A, Weisel K, Cuijpers P, Riper H. Challenges in Recruiting University Students for Web-Based Indicated Prevention of Depression and Anxiety: Results From a Randomized Controlled Trial (ICare Prevent). J Med Internet Res 2022;24(12):e40892. DOI: 10.2196/40892

This study described recruitment challenges for a transdiagnostic, web-based prevention program and presented initial analysis on the intervention’s effectiveness on depression and anxiety symptoms. The study was a 3-arm randomized controlled trial with students (at least 16 years old) with subclinical symptoms of depression and anxiety to compare individually guided and automatically guided versions of ICare Prevent versus care as usual. ICare Prevent is a web-based and mobile-supported intervention for prevention of depression and anxiety. ICare Prevent is a 7-session web-based program (45-60 minutes each) and participants were instructed to complete 1-2 sessions weekly. ICare Prevent also provides elective modules and diaries that target factors common to mood and anxiety problems (i.e., sleep, alcohol use, positive activities). The individually guided version provided structured and personalized feedback on exercises and the automatically guided version provided standard and computerized feedback after each session. The study’s original recruitment goal was 252 student participants. Various strategies of recruitment were used, including social media campaigns on Facebook and Instagram, printed advertising at universities, paid participant platform, and other collaborations. Direct recruitment using students’ email addresses via the student administration was the most effective strategy. Despite these strategies, data was available for only 35 participants (individually guided: n=14, automatically guided: n=8, care as usual: n=13). Participants provided self-reported depression and anxiety symptoms at baseline, 6-month, and 12-month follow-up. Log data from the intervention platform showed low usage, with an average of 3 out of 7 sessions completed. Results did not show sufficient evidence of intervention effects on depression and anxiety over time in any intervention arm. Overall, recruitment for this population was challenging and more research is needed to identify factors to better engage college students in research studies.

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12/12/2022

Researchers to Develop Smartwatch Device to Address Youth Mental Health Crisis

Article Excerpt: With the goal of addressing a growing mental health crisis among teenagers, Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) partnered with Analog Devices, Inc (ADI) to develop a wearable smartwatch device to serve as an early detector of suicidality or depression. According to federal data, suicide is the second-leading cause of death among youth aged 10 to 17. The data also shows that youth suicide rates in the US increased from 6.8 per 100,000 in 2007 to 10.7 per 100,000 in 2018, according to the press release. On top of this, thoughts related to suicide are common, with 18.8 percent of high school students in the US having reported suicide consideration. This high demand for mental healthcare among the youth often exceeds the number of mental health beds available, forcing patients to wait in the emergency department for days.

Full Article: https://tinyurl.com/ac6jjft5

Article Source: mHealth Intelligence

Posted in: Emerging Technologies // Tagged: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;
11/14/2022

Exposure to Television Alcohol Brand Appearances as Predictor of Adolescent Brand Affiliation and Drinking Behaviors

Gabrielli J, Corcoran E, Genis S, McClure AC, Tanski SE. Exposure to Television Alcohol Brand Appearances as Predictor of Adolescent Brand Affiliation and Drinking Behaviors. J Youth Adolescence 51, 100–113 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-021-01397-0

This study described alcohol brand depictions in television and evaluated the impact of exposure to these depictions on adolescent drinking outcomes. Ten popular scripted television series, broadcast, cable, or online, were content coded for alcohol depictions. Appearances of alcohol brands were coded based on logo/name and salience (how notable the brand appearance was in the series). Adolescents and young adults aged 15-23 years old (N=2,012) were recruited to complete online surveys and interviews at baseline and follow-up one year later. During the interviews and surveys, alcohol consumption, brand affiliation (usual brand to drink), and television exposure to alcohol brands (based on how often they watched the ten content coded series) was assessed. On average, alcohol brands appeared more than twice per episode and Budweiser brand appeared the most often across all television series. The majority (77%) of adolescents reported having seen at least one of the ten television series. Adjusting for covariates (i.e., peer/parent drinking, sensation seeking, alcohol brand exposure in movies), higher exposure to brand appearances in television was associated with alcohol outcomes. Higher number of television alcohol brand appearances was associated with adolescent brand affiliation; television brand exposure was associated with drinking initiation and harmful drinking behaviors. Overall, these results suggest the influence that marketing, through streaming media, has on youth viewers’ alcohol use behavior. Future studies should assess mechanisms such as subjective norms and beliefs to better inform interventions that might mitigate the risks associated with media depictions of alcohol. Additionally, alcohol marketing should be further evaluated to consider strategies to limit the negative impact of media exposure.

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09/27/2022

Youth Mental Health: Can Digital Tools Contain the Crisis?

Article Excerpt: Two and a half years since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, we are still dealing with the fallout – not least the effect on youth mental health. For many children and young people, the repeated lockdowns, social isolation, and climate of uncertainty, proved to be deeply distressing. Searches for apps for mental health problems are rising considerably. “Young people are at the very point in their lives when socialising with their peers is a way to discover their independence and learn how to interact in the world as young adults,” says Dr Lloyd Humphreys, clinical psychologist and managing director of ORCHA (the Organisation for the Review of Care and Health Apps). “We now know that areas with a higher concentration of younger people (aged 16-24) tended to have higher rates of loneliness during the pandemic.”

Full Article: https://tinyurl.com/4wv3utj9

Article Source: Medical Device Network

Posted in: Emerging Technologies // Tagged: ; ; ; ; ; ;
07/01/2022

How Telehealth Can Help Bridge Pediatric Mental Healthcare Gaps

Article Excerpt: The burgeoning mental health epidemic in America is widespread across age groups, but the youth have faced a particularly challenging time amid the COVID-19 pandemic. As the youth mental health crisis reaches new heights, providers are increasingly turning to telehealth to help expand access to behavioral healthcare. In December, Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, MD, issued an advisory calling for a coordinated response to combat the crisis. “Mental health challenges in children, adolescents, and young adults are real and widespread. Even before the pandemic, an alarming number of young people struggled with feelings of helplessness, depression, and thoughts of suicide — and rates have increased over the past decade,” said Murthy in a press release. “The COVID-19 pandemic further altered their experiences at home, school, and in the community, and the effect on their mental health has been devastating.”

Full Article: http://tinyurl.com/45k9yfex

Article Source: mHealth Intelligence

Posted in: Emerging Technologies // Tagged: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;
05/06/2022

Pandemic Exposed Mental Health Divide Among College Students, Study Says

Article Excerpt: The coronavirus pandemic has revealed a deep divide among college students: Young people with the most amount of concern about the virus tended to struggle more than others with anxiety, depression and low self-esteem, according to researchers at Dartmouth College. “The pandemic has put students on a literal mental health roller coaster, mostly heading downward,” Andrew Campbell, a researcher and computer science professor, said in a news release. Using smartphone data, he and other researchers have been able to track the highs and lows many students experienced over the past two years — from rushing off campus at the start of the pandemic, to feelings of isolation while taking classes online, to returning to campus and having new social interactions.

Full Article: https://tinyurl.com/2p8hkavz

Article Source: The Washington Post

Posted in: Emerging Technologies // Tagged: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;
05/01/2022

Group Lifestyle Intervention With Mobile Health for Young Adults With Serious Mental Illness: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Aschbrenner KA, Naslund JA, Gorin AA, Mueser KT, Browne J, Wolfe RS, Xie H, & Bartels SJ. (2022). Group Lifestyle Intervention With Mobile Health for Young Adults With Serious Mental Illness: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Psychiatric Services (Washington, D.C.), 73(2), 141–148. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ps.202100047

A study tested the effectiveness of PeerFIT, a group lifestyle intervention enhanced with mobile health for young adults with serious mental illness who were overweight or obese. PeerFIT is a 12-month, manualized group lifestyle intervention that includes weight loss and physical activity goals and a curriculum delivered by lifestyle coaches. One hundred fifty participants receiving services in partner community mental health centers were randomly assigned to the PeerFIT intervention or an active control condition (one-on-one basic education coaching and activity tracking). Eligible participants were 18-35 years of age, with serious mental illness and a body mass index at least 25kg/m2. PeerFIT had a 6-month phase of twice-weekly group meetings, followed by a 6-month maintenance phase of weekly exercise sessions. The intervention also used a private Facebook group where participants can access information, post content that support healthy lifestyles, and receive text message reminders and encouragement from the coach. Data was collected on cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk reduction, cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), and weight loss at 6- and 12-month follow-up. The results showed no significant differences between the PeerFIT and control groups in reduced CVD risk, CRF, or weight loss. Participants in both arms achieved clinically significant CVD risk reduction, weight loss, and CRF between baseline and follow-ups. Although PeerFIT was not superior to one-on-one coaching in achieving reduced CVD risk, mobile Health coaching may be a more scalable innovation than in-person group interventions for young adults in routine mental health care settings.

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