JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

The high and increasing rates of poor mental health in young people are a global concern. Experiencing poor mental health during this formative stage of life can adversely impact interpersonal relationships, academic and professional performance, and future health and well-being if not addressed early. Yet only a minority of those in need seek help. Research indicates that young people perceive digital mental health support as having many benefits compared to traditional face-to-face services. However, the effectiveness of self-guided digital mental health services is not well documented, and research on their cost-effectiveness is missing. Mindhelper is Denmark's largest open-access, digital, self-guided mental health service for young people. While it does not provide direct psychological or therapeutic care, it offers practical strategies and tools to promote well-being and address a broad spectrum of mental health challenges, from everyday stress to more complex issues. Despite its widespread use, the effectiveness of Mindhelper has not been evaluated.

Objective:

This trial aims to evaluate the effectiveness of building on the results of our feasibility study. We will assess Mindhelper's impact on mental health and well-being, psychological functioning, intentions of help-seeking, and body appreciation among 15-25-year-olds, and provide insights into the service’s cost-effectiveness.

Methods:

4,910 15-25-year-olds will be recruited via social media and randomized and allocated to an intervention group (receiving information about Mindhelper.dk) or a control group (no information about Mindhelper.dk). Outcomes are self-assessed and collected at baseline and 2-, 6-, and 12-weeks post-randomization though online surveys, and analyzed using the intention-to-treat approach. Qualitative interviews with intervention group participants will provide complementary insights, and a cost-effectiveness analysis will also be conducted.

Results:

Data are not collected.

Conclusions:

This study will deliver crucial evidence on the effectiveness of self-guided digital mental health promotion targeting young people. If effective, this highly scalable service may contribute to combating the trend of rising mental health issues among young people and address key challenges in primary care by delivering timely, coordinated, and effective services to young individuals, potentially at a low cost. Clinical Trial: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT06385457; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT06385457