Accepted for/Published in: JMIR Mental Health
Date Submitted: May 20, 2020
Date Accepted: Jun 14, 2020
Acceptability and Utility of an Open-Access, Online Single-Session Intervention Platform for Adolescent Mental Health
ABSTRACT
Background:
Many youths with mental health needs are unable to access care. Single-session interventions (SSIs) have helped reduce youth psychopathology across multiple trials, suggesting promise to broaden access to effective, low-intensity supports. Online, self-guided SSIs may be especially scalable, particularly if freely available for as-needed use. However, online SSIs’ acceptability and effects have remained unexamined outside of controlled trials, leaving their practical utility poorly understood.
Objective:
We evaluated the perceived acceptability and proximal effects of Project YES (Youth Empowerment & Support; www.schleiderlab.org/yes), an open-access platform offering three online SSIs for youth internalizing distress.
Methods:
After selecting an SSI to complete, youth participants (ages 11-17) reported pre- and post-SSI levels of clinically-relevant outcomes that SSIs may target (e.g. hopelessness; self-hate) and perceived SSI acceptability. User-pattern variables, demographics, and depressive symptoms were collected to characterize youths engaging with YES.
Results:
From 9/2019-3/2020, 694 youths accessed YES, of whom 539 began and 187 completed a 30-minute, self-guided SSI. SSI completers reported clinically-elevated depressive symptoms, on average, and were diverse on several dimensions (53.75% non-white; 78.10% female; 43.23% sexual minorities). Regardless of SSI selection, completers reported pre- to post-program reductions in hopelessness (dav = .53; dz = .71), self-hate (dav = .32; dz = .61), perceived control (dav = .60; dz = .72) and agency (dav = .39; dz = .50). Youths rated all SSIs as acceptable (e.g., enjoyable; likely to help peers).
Conclusions:
Results support the perceived acceptability and utility of open-access, free-of-charge SSIs for youth experiencing internalizing distress. Clinical Trial: Open Science Framework: osf.io/e52p3
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