JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

In the context of a sharp rise in help-seeking in youth mental health, digital mental health interventions offer enormous potential to improve outcomes, facilitate access, and meet the increasing demand on mental health services. For young adults attending third level education, for example, digital mental health interventions may support help-seeking students while either waiting to attend student counselling, or to sustain gains or once a brief course of face-to-face counselling sessions have completed.

Objective:

This trial investigated the feasibility of using a Moderated Online Social Therapy (MOST) intervention comprising of tailored mental health content and therapist, peer, and online community support in third-level students who recently attended a student counselling service.

Methods:

We conducted a pilot randomised controlled study of third-level students who had recently completed ~4 sessions of counselling. Students were randomly assigned to the intervention or control arm at a rate of 2:1. In the intervention arm, students had access to MOST for 26 weeks and both groups were assessed at baseline, 12 weeks, and 26 weeks with effect sizes calculated between groups.

Results:

A total of N = 74 were recruited, meeting the recruitment target of ~3.1 participants per semester month. Retention in the trial was 70.3% at 12 weeks, reducing to 66.2% at 26 weeks. For the intervention group, when engagement was measured in terms of participation in at least one component of the intervention, 80.9% of the intervention group engaged for 5 or more weeks of the trial (~20% of the maximum 26 weeks). Based on the effect sizes observed, the intervention arm was associated with modest gains in social function and cognitive function, and reduced clinical symptom severity at 12 weeks.

Conclusions:

Based on the recruitment, retention, and engagement rates observed, a full randomised controlled trial of MOST with young adults is feasible. Moreover, the effect sizes favouring the intervention arm are consistent with previous studies, and support a full trial of MOST as a potentially beneficial support for youth mental health in further education settings.