Mobile Mental Health Apps for Suicide Prevention
Acceptability, Usability and Effectiveness of Mental Health Apps for Suicide Prevention in Essential Workers and the Unemployed During SARS-CoV-2
2 other identifiers
interventional
838
1 country
1
Brief Summary
Access to mental health care by essential workers and the unemployed during the COVID19 pandemic has been challenging. Usual access to mental health care is limited by social distancing, and for many now unemployed due to closures of businesses, insurance is insufficient to cover the costs of mental health care. For these individuals who are at risk for suicide (isolation, unemployment, financial crisis plus past suicide attempts, significant mental health challenges), access to care is crucial and many maybe turning to online and accessible interventions, such as mental health apps and other online resources. Indeed, organizations such as the VA have already created free access mobile applications for mental health in anticipation of this need. Using Psyberguide, the investigators will identify the top ten free apps that address mental health issues and conduct a nation-wide evaluation of these apps with participants who are essential workers and unemployed with risk for suicide. Participants will first be surveyed about which strategies they have used to manage mental health issues, what apps and online tools they have used, and what usability challenges they have faced. The investigators will then ask a random sample of participant to engage in a randomized trial of these top-rated apps for 4 weeks. Apps will be rated on usability, acceptability, feasibility and effectiveness. Results from this trial will be quickly disseminated through several avenues: (1) the UWAC website and ALACRITY Centers network; (2) through CREATIV Lab's partnership with Mental Health America; (3) through the UW Center for Suicide Prevention and Recovery (CSPAR) and partnerships with other suicide focused organizations including Forefront, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, that American Association of Suicidology, the Rocky Mountain MIRECC, and the Defense Suicide Prevention Office and (4) through local partnership with King County and WA state contact tracers.
Trial Health
Trial Health Score
Automated assessment based on enrollment pace, timeline, and geographic reach
participants targeted
Target at P75+ for not_applicable depression
Started Nov 2020
Shorter than P25 for not_applicable depression
1 active site
Health score is calculated from publicly available data and should be used for screening purposes only.
Trial Relationships
Click on a node to explore related trials.
Study Timeline
Key milestones and dates
First Submitted
Initial submission to the registry
August 22, 2020
CompletedFirst Posted
Study publicly available on registry
September 3, 2020
CompletedStudy Start
First participant enrolled
November 30, 2020
CompletedPrimary Completion
Last participant's last visit for primary outcome
June 20, 2021
CompletedStudy Completion
Last participant's last visit for all outcomes
June 20, 2021
CompletedResults Posted
Study results publicly available
October 20, 2022
CompletedOctober 20, 2022
October 1, 2022
7 months
August 22, 2020
July 18, 2022
October 7, 2022
Conditions
Outcome Measures
Primary Outcomes (4)
Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9)
The Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) consists of 9 depression items and one disability item. Each item is associated with a DSM symptom of depression, which the participant rates whether or not they have experienced the symptom over the last two weeks, with severity rating of 0-3. It is one of the few measures that is brief (it takes less than one minute to give) and has been found to have excellent sensitivity to change over time, with a total sum score ranging from 0 - 27. Higher scores indicate higher depression symptom severity.
PHQ-9 at RCT baseline and RCT follow-up; duration of 4 weeks.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (7-Item) Scale (GAD-7)
The Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7) is a 7- item screener for generalized anxiety. It consists of items related to generalized anxiety disorder. Participants rate on a scale of 0-3 how much they have experienced in the last two weeks to crease a total sum score ranging from 0 - 21. The scale is a valid screener for generalized anxiety symptoms. Higher scores indicate higher anxiety symptom severity.
GAD-7 at RCT baseline and RCT follow-up; duration of 4 weeks.
Brief Difficulties With Emotional Regulation Scale (DERS)
The Brief Difficulties with Emotional Regulation Scale (DERS) is a brief, 36-item, self-report questionnaire designed to assess multiple aspects of emotion dysregulation. a 36-item self-report measure of six facets of emotion regulation. Items are rated on a scale of 1 ("almost never \[0-10%\]") to 5 ("almost always \[91-100%\]"). Total scores range from 18 - 90 with higher scores indicate more difficulty in emotion regulation.
DERS at RCT baseline and RCT follow-up; duration of four weeks.
Suicidal Behavioral Questionnaire-Revised (SBQ-R)
The suicidal behavioral questionnaire revised (SBQ-R) is a self-report questionnaire designed to identify risk factors for suicide. Total scores range from 3 to 18, with higher scores indicate indicating higher risk of suicidal behavior.
SBQ-R RCT baseline and RCT follow-up; duration of four weeks.
Secondary Outcomes (4)
Acceptability of Intervention Measure (AIM)
Participants will complete this measure at RCT Follow-Up; after 4 weeks of using the mobile mental health app to which they are randomized.
Intervention Appropriateness Measure (IAM)
Participants will complete this measure at RCT Follow-Up; after 4 weeks of using the mobile mental health app to which they are randomized.
Intervention Usability Scale (IUS)
Participants will complete this measure at RCT Follow-Up; after 4 weeks of using the mobile mental health app to which they are randomized.
Feasibility of Intervention Measure (FIM)
Participants will complete this measure at RCT Follow-Up; after 4 weeks of using the mobile mental health app to which they are randomized.
Other Outcomes (7)
PARS EQ-5D
PARS EQ-5D at RCT baseline and RCT follow-up; duration of 4 weeks.
CAGE-AID
Participants will complete the CAGE-AID at RCT follow-up; after 4 weeks of using the mobile mental health app to which they are randomized.
Brief Resilience Scale (BRS)
Participants will complete the BRS at RCT follow-up; after 4 weeks of using the mobile mental health app to which they are randomized.
- +4 more other outcomes
Study Arms (4)
Phase 2: Mobile Mental Health App - 1
ACTIVE COMPARATORParticipants randomized to a free mobile mental health application that focuses on meditation.
Phase 2: Mobile Mental Health App - 2
ACTIVE COMPARATORParticipants randomized to a free mobile mental health application that assists with coping with COVID-19.
Phase 2: Mobile Mental Health App - 3
ACTIVE COMPARATORParticipants randomized to a free mobile mental health application that focuses on positive psychology.
Phase 2: Mobile Mental Health App - 4
ACTIVE COMPARATORParticipants randomized to a free mobile application that addresses mental health issues through mood tracking.
Interventions
Free mobile mental health application that focuses on meditation
Free mobile mental health application that assists with coping with COVID-19
Free mobile mental health application that focuses on positive psychology.
Free mobile application that addresses mental health issues through mood tracking
Eligibility Criteria
You may qualify if:
- Phase 1
- years old and older
- Identify as an essential worker or unemployed due to COVID-19
- English-speaking
- Access to a mobile device (e.g. smartphone or tablet)
- Based in the United States
- Phase 2
- years old and older
- Scored at or above validated cut off scores in Phase 1 (PHQ-2\>3; GAD-2\>3; SBQ-R\>7) or reported history of past suicide attempt
- Identify as an essential worker or unemployed due to COVID-19
- English-speaking
- Access to a mobile device (e.g. smartphone or tablet)
- Based in the United States
You may not qualify if:
- Phase 1
- Under the age of 19
- Neither an essential worker nor unemployed due to COVID-19
- Non-English speaking
- No access to a mobile device (e.g. smartphone or tablet)
- Not based in the United States
- Phase 2
- Under the age of 19
- Did not score at or above validated cut off scores in Phase 1 (PHQ-2\>3; GAD-2\>3; SBQ-R\>7) nor reported history of past suicide attempt
- Neither an essential worker nor unemployed due to COVID-19
- Non-English speaking
- No access to a mobile device (e.g. smartphone or tablet)
- Not based in the United States
Contact the study team to confirm eligibility.
Sponsors & Collaborators
Study Sites (1)
University of Washington
Seattle, Washington, 98195, United States
Related Publications (2)
Comtois KA, Mata-Greve F, Johnson M, Pullmann MD, Mosser B, Arean P. Effectiveness of Mental Health Apps for Distress During COVID-19 in US Unemployed and Essential Workers: Remote Pragmatic Randomized Clinical Trial. JMIR Mhealth Uhealth. 2022 Nov 7;10(11):e41689. doi: 10.2196/41689.
PMID: 36191176DERIVEDMata-Greve F, Johnson M, Blanchard BE. A longitudinal examination of cultural risk factors of suicide and emotion regulation. Am J Orthopsychiatry. 2022;92(5):635-645. doi: 10.1037/ort0000629. Epub 2022 May 26.
PMID: 35617246DERIVED
MeSH Terms
Conditions
Interventions
Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)
Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)
Results Point of Contact
- Title
- Morgan Johnson
- Organization
- University of Washington
Publication Agreements
- PI is Sponsor Employee
- No
- Restrictive Agreement
- No
Study Design
- Study Type
- interventional
- Phase
- not applicable
- Allocation
- RANDOMIZED
- Masking
- NONE
- Purpose
- TREATMENT
- Intervention Model
- PARALLEL
- Sponsor Type
- OTHER
- Responsible Party
- PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
- PI Title
- Professor
Study Record Dates
First Submitted
August 22, 2020
First Posted
September 3, 2020
Study Start
November 30, 2020
Primary Completion
June 20, 2021
Study Completion
June 20, 2021
Last Updated
October 20, 2022
Results First Posted
October 20, 2022
Record last verified: 2022-10
Data Sharing
- IPD Sharing
- Will not share