Investigating How Incentives Impact Engagement With an Online Mental Health Application (Neuroflow)

NCT05121675 | Completed Results

• 1 other identifier: 849894
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 107
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The purpose of the study is to understand how incentives (either points alone or points that can be exchanged for gift certificates) encourage engagement with an online mental health app (Neuroflow) for University students. Overall, the hope of this study is to help the investigators understand how best to support mental health and wellness in university students.

Conditions

Behavioral Economics; Gifts, Financial; Point

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Engagement (Percentage of Daily check-in Activities)

  User engagement will be measured as the percentage of daily check-in activities (number completed out of the total number of activities assigned)

  Throughout 28-day trial (averaged)

Secondary Outcomes (4)

• Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7)

  Baseline and post-trial, up to 28 days

• Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-8)

  Baseline and post-trial, up to 28 days

• World Health Organization (WHO-5)

  Baseline and post-trial, up to 28 days

• Difficulties Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS)

  Baseline and post-trial, up to 28 days

Study Arms (2)

App with behavioral economics + financial incentives

EXPERIMENTAL

NeuroFlow uses behavioral economics reminders, gamification, and fun, motivating messages to encourage use. It also includes financial incentives so users can earn redeemable points accrued for activity completion for gift cards at popular outlets (e.g., 1000 points which is the maximum per month = $10 gift card).

Behavioral: Neuroflow app: Mental health and wellbeing resources for adults

App with behavioral economics incentives only

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

NeuroFlow uses behavioral economics reminders, gamification, and fun, motivating messages to encourage use. including points accrued for activity completion. This version of the app does not have financial incentives.

Behavioral: Neuroflow app: Mental health and wellbeing resources for adults

Interventions

Neuroflow app: Mental health and wellbeing resources for adults BEHAVIORAL

The NeuroFlow app delivers resources on resilience training, mindfulness-based strategies and cognitive behavioral therapy to adults looking to support their mental health and wellbeing. The specific "journey" (i.e., content such as activities, videos, trackers, and journaling) is tailored to individuals based on depression and anxiety screeners administered upon signing up to the app.

App with behavioral economics + financial incentives; App with behavioral economics incentives only

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• The target population for this study are college students either at the University of Pennsylvania or other US universities. Participants will be included if they have a smartphone and are willing to download and use the Neuroflow app throughout the duration of the study

You may not qualify if:

• Does not own a smartphone capable of downloading the NeuroFlow application or is unwilling to download and use the Neuroflow app throughout the duration of the study.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Pennsylvania: lead
• NeuroFlow: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104, United States

Location

Related Publications (3)

• Huang HY, Bashir M. Users' Adoption of Mental Health Apps: Examining the Impact of Information Cues. JMIR Mhealth Uhealth. 2017 Jun 28;5(6):e83. doi: 10.2196/mhealth.6827.

  PMID: 28659256 BACKGROUND

• Huckvale K, Nicholas J, Torous J, Larsen ME. Smartphone apps for the treatment of mental health conditions: status and considerations. Curr Opin Psychol. 2020 Dec;36:65-70. doi: 10.1016/j.copsyc.2020.04.008. Epub 2020 May 4.

  PMID: 32553848 BACKGROUND

• Lecomte T, Potvin S, Corbiere M, Guay S, Samson C, Cloutier B, Francoeur A, Pennou A, Khazaal Y. Mobile Apps for Mental Health Issues: Meta-Review of Meta-Analyses. JMIR Mhealth Uhealth. 2020 May 29;8(5):e17458. doi: 10.2196/17458.

  PMID: 32348289 BACKGROUND

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Gift Giving

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Social Behavior; Behavior

Results Point of Contact

• Title: Dr. Heather Nuske
• Organization: Perelman School of Medicine

Heather.Nuske@Pennmedicine.upenn.edu

2153495537

Study Officials

• Heather Nuske

  Penn Medicine

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Publication Agreements

• PI is Sponsor Employee: No
• Restrictive Agreement: No

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: PARTICIPANT
• Masking Details: Participants will be randomized to one of the two groups and will not be informed of which one. If they directly ask the investigators will tell them at the end of the trial.
• Purpose: SUPPORTIVE CARE
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Model Details: Participants will be randomized to one of the two arms. The participants getting the app with behavioral economics incentives only will be enrolled at the same time as the participants getting the app with behavioral economics + financial incentives.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: November 2, 2021
• First Posted: November 16, 2021
• Study Start: November 15, 2021
• Primary Completion: April 15, 2022
• Study Completion: May 15, 2022
• Last Updated: August 12, 2024
• Results First Posted: August 12, 2024

Record last verified: 2024-08

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

US (1)