Feasibility and Efficacy of a Digital Mental Health Intervention for Teen Wildfire Survivors

Stanford University

Status: Completed

Conditions: Disaster; PTSD; Trauma; Anxiety; Adolescent Behavior; Stress

Treatments: Behavioral: Sonoma Rises

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT03868761

IRB-49196

Details and patient eligibility

About

In October, 2017, Northern California experienced devastating and historic wildfires. Sonoma Rises is an app designed for anyone who was impacted by this event and is intended to help survivors of disaster find their new normal. This study will assess the feasibility and efficacy of a self-help post-disaster mental health intervention delivered via a mobile app with a sample of teens who are experiencing post-disaster mental health symptoms.

Enrollment: 7 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 13 to 17 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

1. Males & females aged 13-17 years directly impacted by the 2017 wildfires having lost their home or been temporarily displaced
2. Screen positive for PTSD (Child Trauma Screening Questionnaire = 5 or higher)
3. Have regular access to a smart phone and a computer
4. Have a personal email address
5. Speak and read English fluently
6. Have parental consent

Exclusion criteria

1. A positive self-reported history of psychosis, bipolar, or schizophrenia
2. Serious self-reported physical health concerns necessitating surgery or with prognosis <6 months
3. A positive screen for a current Substance User Disorder (CRAFFT = 2 or higher)
4. Current self-reported suicidal ideation
5. Self-reported pregnancy
6. Self-reported less than four weeks of stable prescription medication for anxiety, anti-depressant, and sleep promoting medications prior to the screening assessment

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: N/A

Interventional model: Single Group Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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7 participants in 1 patient group

Single Arm

Other group

Description:

21 male and female teenage participants will be randomized to one of three varying baseline assessment periods of two, four, or six weeks. Multiple baseline is a type of single-case experimental design (SCED) that is a time- and cost-effective method for evaluating efficacy of a new treatment, Sonoma Rises. The randomization of participants to baseline periods of varying lengths enables assessment of whether symptom changes occur when, and only when, the intervention is applied.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Sonoma Rises