Developing Mental Health Supports for Autistic Students

Rutgers The State University of New Jersey

Status: Completed

Conditions: Autism Spectrum Disorder; Depression, Anxiety

Treatments: Behavioral: Emotional Support Plan - Clinician Guided (ESP-C); Behavioral: Emotional Support Plan - Self Guided (ESP-S)

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT04926090

Pro2021000076

Details and patient eligibility

About

The present study aims to expand the availability of emotional supports in order to promote successful transitions and longer-term outcomes for autistic students in PSE.

Full description

This study has three specific aims:

Aim 1: Identify mental health needs of autistic students to inform supports. Focus groups engaging key stakeholders will be used to understand the mental health needs of autistic college students and inform adaptation of two individualized mental health supports: 1) the ESP intervention and 2) protocols for monitoring mood and psychological distress.

Aim 2: Develop resources to inform and guide mental health care of autistic students. Focus group information will inform 1) adaptation of clinician (ESP-C) and self-guided (ESP-S) emotional support plans and monitoring protocols and 2) develop a "College Student Mental Health Guide" to aide autistic college students, their families and mental health professionals in proactive planning for mental health supports during PSE.

Aim 3: Assess the feasibility, acceptability and initial efficacy of the ESP-C and ESP-S.

The study will yield preliminary data to apply for additional funding to conduct a large-scale trial to validate these methods to monitor and support mental health of autistic adults. Information gathered from the study will also be used to inform development of a mental health guide for autistic students.

Enrollment: 19 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 17+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Previous ASD diagnosis,
• Has smartphone (to access the ESP app)
• At least 6th grade Reading Comprehension on the WRAT-5. The WRAT-5 may not be required if a student has other evidence of age-appropriate reading level.
• Be currently enrolled in a Postsecondary Education (PSE) institution.

Exclusion criteria

• Not a students in a PSE Institution or do not have diagnosis of ASD
• Score below a 6th grade Reading Comprehension on the WRAT-5
• Unable to understand English
• No access to a compatible iOS and Android smartphone
• the PI's clinical judgment that it would not be in the adult's best interest to be enrolled

Trial design

Primary purpose: Prevention

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

---

19 participants in 3 patient groups

Emotional Support Plan - Clinician Guided (ESP-C) + (Bi)Weekly Monitoring

Experimental group

Description:

This will involve brief assessment visits throughout the fall semester, without prompting to use the ESP-C. Visits will be weekly for the first 6 weeks and then biweekly for the remaining 9 weeks of the term.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Emotional Support Plan - Clinician Guided (ESP-C)

Emotional Support Plan - Clinician Guided (ESP-C) + 4x Daily Monitoring

Experimental group

Description:

Participants in this arm will be prompted on their phones 4x/day, to report on activities, mood, suicidal ideation, distress level and ESP use since the last prompt. They will also participate in brief assessment visits conducted weekly for the first 6 weeks and then biweekly for the remaining 9 weeks of the term.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Emotional Support Plan - Clinician Guided (ESP-C)

Emotional Support Plan - Self Guided (ESP-S) + 4x Daily Monitoring

Experimental group

Description:

Participants in this arm will be prompted on their phones 4x/day, to report on activities, mood, suicidal ideation, distress level and ESP use since the last prompt. They will be asked to complete questionnaires weekly for the first 6 weeks and then biweekly for the remaining 9 weeks of the term.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Emotional Support Plan - Self Guided (ESP-S)