JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Digital social activity, defined as interactions on social media and electronic communication platforms, has become increasingly important. Social factors impact mental health and can contribute to depression and anxiety. Therefore, incorporating digital social activity into routine mental health care has the potential to improve outcomes.

Objective:

To compare treatment augmented with an electronic dashboard of patient's digital social activity versus treatment-as-usual on patient-rated outcomes symptoms of depression in a randomized trial of patients with mood and anxiety disorders.

Methods:

We developed a personalized electronic dashboard summarizing a participant’s digital social activity. This dashboard, collaboratively discussed during mental health visits, was used to augment clinical care and tested in a randomized trial against treatment-as-usual. Clinicians and patients were recruited from outpatient psychiatry clinics. Patients were eligible if 12 years or older and receiving treatment for a mood or anxiety disorder. Psychiatric symptoms measures for depression (primary outcome measure) and anxiety (secondary outcome measure) were obtained at each clinic visit as part of measurement-based standard of care. Baseline and 3-month follow up assessments included a measure of mental health status and therapeutic alliance measure. Also collected at each visit was a collateral information and clinical action scale.

Results:

A total of 103 patients were consented, 97 of whom were randomized to the dashboard intervention arm (n= 49) or treatment as usual (n= 48). There were no differences in psychiatry symptom rating scores or mental health status between the two arms. However, there was a significant increase in discussion of digital social activity with the intervention and it did not appear to change patient therapeutic alliance.

Conclusions:

Incorporation of a personalized electronic dashboard into clinical care was feasible and led to increased discussion of digital social activity, but there was no impact on mental health outcomes. Clinical Trial: The study is registered on ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03925038).