JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Despite the growing prevalence of depression and anxiety among adolescents, fewer than half access appropriate mental health care. Single-session interventions for depression and anxiety offered in primary care are a promising approach to bridging the treatment gap.

Objective:

We aimed to implement a clinical workflow for primary care and behavioral health providers to refer 13–17-year-old patients with mild to moderate depression and anxiety symptoms to Project YES, an open-access single-session intervention platform, in a large group medical practice.

Methods:

Pediatric primary care and behavioral health providers will be educated on the benefits of Project YES for adolescent anxiety and depression and trained in a workflow integrated within the Electronic Health Record System, Epic, to refer patients during well child visits and pediatric behavioral health visits. Patients with mild-moderate internalizing symptoms based on the 17-item Pediatric Symptom Checklist or youth Pediatric Symptom Checklist will be invited to try an SSI through Project YES. We will examine provider uptake and perceptions of acceptability, feasibility, and appropriateness over time. We will also assess patient uptake, and satisfaction, as well as pre-post outcomes including the Mood and Feelings Questionnaire-Short, State Hope, Beck Hopelessness, Self-Hate, Perceived Control, and Perceived Change in Hopelessness and Problem Solving scales.

Results:

Rollout will take place between November 2022 and May 2023 when outcomes will be evaluated. Data analysis and manuscript writing are anticipated to be completed during the summer of 2023.

Conclusions:

SSIs such as those available through Project YES have the potential to provide low-cost, evidence based mental health treatment to adolescents with mild-moderate depression and anxiety. If deemed feasible and acceptable, providing SSIs in primary care settings could significantly improve access to mental health care without taxing pediatric primary care and behavioral health providers.