App-based Intervention to Promote Mental Health Help-seeking Among University Students

University of Chile

Status: Completed

Conditions: Suicidal Ideation; Suicidal Behavior

Treatments: Device: App Take Care of Your Mood; Behavioral: Reminder messages and counseling

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT05770388

FONDECYT Postdoctorado 3200944

Details and patient eligibility

About

It is estimated that approximately one in three university students has a mental health problem and between 5-10% have active suicidal ideation. Most college students do not receive professional treatment, which has been associated with structural and attitudinal barriers to help-seeking. Given that young people regularly use the internet to seek information about health problems, internet and digital technology-based interventions could represent an effective approach to overcome attitudinal barriers.

The goal of this study is to evaluate the feasibility of a mobile app-based intervention for the promotion of help-seeking in mental health services for university students at risk of suicide. The main questions it aims to answer are:

• Is it feasible to implement a mobile app-based intervention for the promotion of mental health help-seeking in a university context?
• Is it possible to increase the likelihood of help-seeking in mental health services among university students at risk of suicide through an app-based intervention?

Participants will receive a brief contact intervention (via phone call or chat) where they will be assessed by a clinical psychologist, receive information on available support services and instructions to download and use a mobile app called "Take Care of Your Mood". In addition, the participants can request a counseling session with a clinical psychologist. Participants will also receive reminder messages (by email and chat) motivating them to use the app or request a counseling session with a psychologist if they deem it necessary.

Researchers will compare this intervention with a brief contact intervention (control group) where participants will be assessed by a clinical psychologist, will receive instructions to download and use the app, but will not receive reminder messages or be able to access a counseling session with a psychologist.

Enrollment: 60 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• University students who have completed the Longitudinal Survey of University Student Mental Health (ELSAM), based on The WHO World Mental Health International College Student (WMH-ICS) initiative
• Suicidal ideation during the last 12 months
• Have access to Internet, email and Smartphone
• Agree to participate in the research through informed consent.

Exclusion criteria

• Currently undergoing mental health treatment (psychological or psychiatric)
• High suicidal risk during the last 30 days and/or 3 months [answer "yes" to questions 4 and 5 (last 30 days) and/or question 6 (last 3 months) of the C-SSRS]

Trial design

Primary purpose: Prevention

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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60 participants in 2 patient groups

Control Group

Active Comparator group

Description:

Participants will receive a brief contact intervention (via phone call or chat) in which a clinical psychologist will assess their general mental health status and level of suicidal risk, and will provide an intervention based on the principles of motivational interviewing and psycho-educational information along with a list of mental health services available within and outside the University. Participants will also receive instructions on how to download and use a mobile app.

Treatment:

Device: App Take Care of Your Mood

Intervention Group

Experimental group

Description:

Participants will receive a brief contact intervention (via phone call or chat) in which a clinical psychologist will assess their mental health status and level of suicidal risk and will provide an intervention based on the principles of motivational interviewing and psycho-educational information along with a list of mental health services available within and outside the University. Participants will also receive instructions on how to download and use a mobile app. Additionally, participants will also receive reminder messages (by email and chat) encouraging them to use the app and to request a counseling session (via phone call, videoconference or chat) with a clinical psychologist if they think it is necessary. After two months, this group will receive a new contact with a clinical psychologist via phone call or chat. In this contact, mood and level of suicidal risk will be assessed, and participants will be encouraged to seek mental health help if they have not already done so.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Reminder messages and counseling

Device: App Take Care of Your Mood