None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
Adolescence is an active phase of relationship development. Up to 25% adolescents reported a recent psychological distress because of a family or interpersonal issue, constituting a risk factor for depression and anxiety. Researchers at the Black Dog Institute have developed a mobile phone application called WeClick to help young people cope with the emotional impact of relationship conflicts. This pilot randomised controlled trial aims to evaluate the effectiveness of the WeClick mobile app for improving depression symptoms (primary outcome), as well as for improving anxiety symptoms, psychological distress, wellbeing, belongingness, social self-efficacy and help-seeking behaviour (secondary outcomes) among teens, in comparison to a waitlist control group. The current study is important in providing initial evidence of targeting relationships as a way to improve adolescents’ social and emotional wellbeing and increase their social self-efficacy and intentions to seek help for mental health problems from their social connections. Meanwhile, the findings of this study will also shed light on if mobile phone apps are able to deliver engaging, accessible, and personalised health interventions in adolescents.
Interventions
WeClick is a mobile app developed by researchers at the Black Dog Institute. The app is designed to reduce mental health problems associated with relationship issues. It is available on both iOS and Android operating devices and is based on the principles of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. The app consists of four characters, each facing different relationship issues including family conflict, peer conflict, intimate relationships, as well as other adolescent issues including substance use, self-
WeClick is a mobile app developed by researchers at the Black Dog Institute. The app is designed to reduce mental health problems associated with relationship issues. It is available on both iOS and Android operating devices and is based on the principles of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. The app consists of four characters, each facing different relationship issues including family conflict, peer conflict, intimate relationships, as well as other adolescent issues including substance use, self-esteem, low mood, and anxiety. The user selects a character and then works through a series of interactive activities. The app is based on the social learning model which aims to teach the user skills by observing what occurs in others’ relationships. By completing each of the stories, the user builds their own character profile which outlines who they can turn to for help, what they can do to keep on top of things, how they would seek help, and what they do to stay calm. In the current study, participants are given 4 weeks access to the app. During this time, they are free to use the app at their discretion. Participants are notified to use the app weekly by an in-app reminder. App usage is measured by the start time and completion time of the stories within the app. This is recorded by the app and sent back to the Black Dog Institute e-health platform. From this, time spent on app will be calculated.
Sponsors
Black Dog Institute
Study design
Allocation
Randomised controlled trial
Intervention model
Parallel
Primary purpose
Treatment
Masking
Open (masking not used)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
12 Years to 16 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
This study targeted young people aged between 12 to 16 years who are living in Australia, fluent in English, have access to the Internet, have an active email address, and mobile phone access (iOS or Android). Participants are also required to provide their parents’ consent.
Exclusion criteria
Nil
Outcome results
None listed