Homeless Youth Study - Stepping Stone Project

NCT03620682 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: 14112402
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 35
• Locations: 0 countries
• Sites: N/A

Brief Summary

Homelessness is associated with a multitude of negative consequences including an increased risk for mental health problems. Once homeless, these individuals face significant barriers to mental health care and are therefore less likely to receive the treatment they need. Mobile technology may offer a novel platform for increasing access to mental health care in this population. Thus, the primary goals of this pilot study are to (1) establish the feasibility and acceptability of delivering a brief cognitive-behavioral intervention to homeless youth via smartphone technology, (2) examine the extent to which brief cognitive-behavioral interventions delivered via mobile technology improve mental health and trauma-related psychological symptoms in homeless youth, and (3) establish smartphone usage patterns among homeless youth to inform future interventions.

Conditions

Mental Health

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Treatment adherence

  Adherence will be assessed based on number of coaching sessions attended over the course of the 1 month treatment period (range of 0 to 3).

  Baseline (week 0) to Endpoint (week 4)

• Treatment satisfaction

  Participants will be asked to report the extent to which they were satisfied with the study, the extent to which they thought the study was helpful, and whether they would recommend the study to someone else. These responses are recorded on 5-point likert type scales with higher ratings indicating higher satisfaction.

  Treatment endpoint (week 4)

Secondary Outcomes (6)

• Depression symptoms

  Baseline (week 0) to Endpoint (week 4)

• Posttraumatic Stress Disorder symptoms

  Baseline (week 0) to Endpoint (week 4)

• Emotion Regulation

  Baseline (week 0) to Endpoint (week 4)

• Anxiety symptoms

  Baseline (week 0) to Endpoint (week 4)

• Risky sexual behavior and substance use

  Baseline (week 0) to Endpoint (week 4)

Other Outcomes (2)

• Acceptability of mental health treatment

  Baseline (week 0) to Endpoint (week 4)

• Positive and negative affect

  Baseline (week 0) to Endpoint (week 4)

Study Arms (1)

Mobile mental health intervention

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants will receive emotional support and problem-solving / stress-management skills via over-the-phone coaching sessions and mobile applications.

Behavioral: Coaching sessions; Behavioral: Mobile applications

Interventions

Coaching sessions BEHAVIORAL

Participants receive three 30-minute phone sessions with a doctorate-level therapist over the course of one month. These sessions are skills-based and focus on improving participants' problem solving through cognitive-behavioral techniques. Participants are allowed to text the therapist between sessions for information and support.

Mobile mental health intervention

Mobile applications BEHAVIORAL

Participants will have access to 3 mobile apps for the duration of the study, and after it ends. One app will push participants a daily, self-reflective survey to complete, and a daily motivational or instructional tip to rate. Other apps will provide education and exercises on various aspects of mental health and wellness, such as sleep and relaxation.

Mobile mental health intervention

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 23 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• English-speaking
• Homeless as defined by lacking "a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence," (Department of Education) including youth who temporarily share the housing of others due to financial hardship
• Currently sleeping in a Chicago-based shelter (at least 50% of nights in the past week)
• Willingness and ability to comply with requirements of the study protocol

You may not qualify if:

• Involvement in risky behaviors that could interfere with the ability to fully engage in the study, as determined by the Principal Investigator
• Current involvement in legal proceedings
• Mental retardation or significant cognitive impairment
• Significant suicidal ideation indicated by a BDI-II item 9 score ≥ 2 or enacted suicidal behaviors within 6 months prior to eligibility
• Any concurrent psychotherapy of any duration
• Inability to understand study procedures and participate in the informed consent process

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Rush University Medical Center: lead

Related Publications (1)

• Schueller SM, Glover AC, Rufa AK, Dowdle CL, Gross GD, Karnik NS, Zalta AK. A Mobile Phone-Based Intervention to Improve Mental Health Among Homeless Young Adults: Pilot Feasibility Trial. JMIR Mhealth Uhealth. 2019 Jul 2;7(7):e12347. doi: 10.2196/12347.

  PMID: 31267980 DERIVED

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Psychological Well-Being

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Personal Satisfaction; Behavior

Study Officials

• Alyson K Zalta, PhD

  Rush University Medical Center

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NA
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: SINGLE GROUP
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Assistant Professor

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: July 24, 2018
• First Posted: August 8, 2018
• Study Start: January 29, 2016
• Primary Completion: December 11, 2017
• Study Completion: May 11, 2018
• Last Updated: August 8, 2018

Record last verified: 2018-08