Project SOLVE: Trial of a Brief Digital Problem-solving Intervention

President and Fellows of Harvard College

Status: Completed

Conditions: Depression; Anxiety; Stress

Treatments: Other: Project SOLVE; Other: Project SUCCESS

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT04806321

IRB20-1791

Details and patient eligibility

About

The goal of this trial is to examine the effectiveness of a universal, self-guided, digital single-session intervention focusing on problem-solving skills in improving adolescent mental health and well-being, relative to an active control intervention focusing on study skills, within the context of school settings during the coronavirus disease pandemic.

Full description

More than 20% of adolescents will experience at least one mental health disorder or problem before adulthood that warrants treatment, yet 80% of these adolescents will never receive care. This need-to-access gap appears to be heightened during the current coronavirus disease pandemic and its resulting disruptions to healthcare and education systems. Both within and beyond the context of the pandemic, preventive mental health interventions are positioned to help adolescents build and strengthen coping strategies that can preclude the emergence of mental health difficulties that require more resource-intensive levels of clinical care. Preventive mental health interventions delivered via digital platforms and within school-based settings might be especially scalable.

The current school-based trial is designed to test one such strategy that harnesses technology to boost the scalability of adolescent mental health interventions: a brief (one 30 minute session) digital program designed to empower adolescents (10-14 years old) to solve, rather than be overwhelmed by, everyday problems (Project SOLVE). Single-session interventions designed to help adolescents cultivate adaptive mindsets have reduced anxiety and depression among adolescents with and without elevated symptoms of these disorders. Building on this strong foundation, Project SOLVE targets these mental health challenges with problem solving skills-one of the most versatile, commonly used, and potent therapeutic techniques for adolescents.

Enrollment: 522 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 10 to 14 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Adolescent is in grades 6-8 (inclusive) at partnering schools
• Adolescent is between the ages of 10-14 years (inclusive) at the time of study enrollment
• Adolescent and at least one guardian consent to adolescent participation in study
• Adolescent reads English well enough to effectively complete the digital programs
• Adolescent has access to a digital device

Exclusion criteria

• Adolescent is non-English speaking, as the programs are only available in English
• Adolescent does not have access to a digital device
• Adolescent has an intellectual disability that precludes comprehension of the program content

Trial design

Primary purpose: Prevention

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Triple Blind

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522 participants in 2 patient groups

Project SOLVE

Experimental group

Description:

This program is self-guided, digital, and approximately 30 minutes in length. Content is designed to help adolescents solve, rather than be overwhelmed by, everyday problems. The program includes: (1) An introduction to problem solving; (2) Testimonials from "valued others" (older adolescents; celebrities) describing their use of problem solving skills; (3) Evidence from studies that our brains are capable of problem solving and that problem solving can be helpful; and (4) Activities designed to enable adolescents to practice sequential problem solving using a few steps (SOLVE Steps).

Treatment:

Other: Project SOLVE

Project SUCCESS

Active Comparator group

Description:

This program is self-guided, digital, and approximately 30 minutes in length. Content is designed to help adolescents improve their study skills. This program includes: (1) An introduction to study skills; (2) Testimonials from "valued others" describing their use of study skills; (3) Description of helpful and commonly used study skills (e.g., note-taking); and (4) Activities designed to encourage adolescents to practice these skills in their daily lives.

Treatment:

Other: Project SUCCESS