Making SPARX Fly in Nunavut: Pilot Testing an E-intervention for Boosting Resilience Against Youth Depression

Y

York University

Status

Completed

Conditions

Depressive Symptoms

Emotion Regulation

Treatments

Other: SPARX (Smart, Positive, Active, Realistic, X-Factor thoughts)

Study type

Interventional

Funder types

Other

Identifiers

NCT05702086

02 004 15N-M

Details and patient eligibility

About

The goal of this pilot trial was to test SPARX with Inuit youth in Northern Canada. SPARX is an educational video game designed to teach cognitive behavioural therapy strategies and techniques. This "serious game" has previously shown promise in addressing symptoms of depression with Māori youth in New Zealand. Researchers in this study tested SPARX's suitability with Inuit youth in the territory of Nunavut using surveys that youth completed before and after gameplay.

Hypothesis 1: Youth who completed SPARX were expected to experience a decrease in depressive symptoms and risk factors related to depression. Hypothesis 2: Youth who completed the SPARX program were expected to experience an increase in factors related to resilience.

A team of Nunavut-based community mental health staff facilitated youth's participation in this remote pilot trial with 24 youth aged 13-18 across 11 communities in Nunavut. These youth had been identified by community facilitators as showing low mood, depression, and/or significant levels of stress.

Trial design

Primary purpose

Treatment

Allocation

Randomized

Interventional model

Parallel Assignment

Masking

None (Open label)

48 participants in 2 patient groups

"Play now" intervention group

Experimental group

Description:

The sequence of SPARX play differed for the youth depending on whether they were in Group A ("play now" intervention group) or Group B ("play later" waitlist group). Both groups completed the pre-intervention surveys at Time 1, the beginning of the study. Group A youth then began to play SPARX for seven weeks while Group B waited. During their wait time of seven weeks, Group B youth were not required to participate in any SPARX activities or meet with the community facilitator during their wait period, and they were provided with no additional SPARX-related information. After seven weeks (Time 2), Group A youth completed post-intervention surveys, while Group B youth began their engagement with SPARX by first completing an additional set of pre-intervention surveys, immediately followed by seven weeks of SPARX play. Once Group B youth completed their SPARX gameplay (Time 3), they completed post-intervention surveys.

Treatment:

Other: SPARX (Smart, Positive, Active, Realistic, X-Factor thoughts)

"Play later" waitlist group

Active Comparator group

Description:

The sequence of SPARX play differed for the youth depending on whether they were in Group A ("play now" intervention group) or Group B ("play later" waitlist group). Both groups completed the pre-intervention surveys at Time 1, the beginning of the study. Group A youth then began to play SPARX for seven weeks while Group B waited. During their wait time of seven weeks, Group B youth were not required to participate in any SPARX activities or meet with the community facilitator during their wait period, and they were provided with no additional SPARX-related information. After seven weeks (Time 2), Group A youth completed post-intervention surveys, while Group B youth began their engagement with SPARX by first completing an additional set of pre-intervention surveys, immediately followed by seven weeks of SPARX play. Once Group B youth completed their SPARX gameplay (Time 3), they completed post-intervention surveys.

Treatment:

Other: SPARX (Smart, Positive, Active, Realistic, X-Factor thoughts)

Trial contacts and locations

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