Department of Psychology, Lakehead University, Thunder Bay, Canada.
Children's Centre Thunder Bay, Thunder Bay, Canada.
Trials. 2024 Sep 2;25(1):576. doi: 10.1186/s13063-024-08424-y.
Technology use may be one strategy to promote mental health and wellbeing among young adults in post-secondary education settings experiencing increasing distress and mental health difficulties. The JoyPop™ app is mobile mental health tool with a growing evidence base. The objectives of this research are to (1) evaluate the effectiveness of the JoyPop™ app in improving emotion regulation skills (primary outcome), as well as mental health, wellbeing, and resilience (secondary outcomes); (2) evaluate sustained app use once users are no longer reminded and determine whether sustained use is associated with maintained improvements in primary and secondary outcomes; (3) determine whether those in the intervention condition have lower mental health service usage and associated costs compared to those in the control condition; and (4) assess users' perspectives on the quality of the JoyPop™ app.
A pragmatic, parallel arm randomized controlled trial will be used. Participants will be randomly allocated using stratified block randomization in a 1:1 ratio to the intervention (JoyPop™) or control (no intervention) condition. Participants allocated to the intervention condition will be asked to use the JoyPop™ app at least twice daily for 4 weeks. Participants will complete outcome measures at four assessment time-points (first [baseline], second [after 2 weeks], third [after 4 weeks], fourth [after 8 weeks; follow-up]). Participants in the control condition will be offered access to the app after the fourth assessment time-point.
Results will determine the effectiveness of the JoyPop™ app for promoting mental health and wellbeing among post-secondary students. If effective, this may encourage more widespread adoption of the JoyPop™ app by post-secondary institutions as part of their response to student mental health needs.
ClinicalTrials.gov NCT06154369 . Registered on November 23, 2023.
在经历压力增加和心理健康问题的高等教育后阶段，技术的使用可能是促进年轻人心理健康和幸福感的策略之一。JoyPop ™ 应用程序是一种移动心理健康工具，具有越来越多的证据基础。本研究的目的是：(1)评估 JoyPop ™ 应用程序在改善情绪调节技能方面的有效性（主要结果），以及心理健康、幸福感和适应力（次要结果）；(2)评估一旦用户不再收到提醒，应用程序的持续使用情况，并确定持续使用是否与主要和次要结果的维持改善相关；(3)确定干预组的心理健康服务使用量和相关费用是否低于对照组；(4)评估用户对 JoyPop ™ 应用程序质量的看法。
将采用实用的、平行臂随机对照试验。参与者将按照分层块随机化以 1:1 的比例随机分配到干预（JoyPop ™）或对照组（无干预）。分配到干预组的参与者将被要求在 4 周内每天至少使用 JoyPop ™ 应用程序两次。参与者将在四个评估时间点（第一次[基线]、第二次[第 2 周后]、第三次[第 4 周后]、第四次[第 8 周后；随访]）完成结果测量。对照组的参与者将在第四个评估时间点后获得应用程序的访问权限。
结果将确定 JoyPop ™ 应用程序在促进高等教育后阶段学生心理健康和幸福感方面的有效性。如果有效，这可能会鼓励更多的高等教育机构更广泛地采用 JoyPop ™ 应用程序，作为其应对学生心理健康需求的一部分。
ClinicalTrials.gov NCT06154369 。于 2023 年 11 月 23 日注册。
