i-Minds: a digital intervention for young people exposed to online sexual abuse

Conditions

App-based support for young people who have experienced distress associated with online or technology-facilitated sexual abuse Mental and Behavioural Disorders

Bucci S, Varese F, Quayle E, Cartwright K, Larkin A, Chan C, Chitsabesan P, Green V, Hewins W, Machin M, Newton A, Niebauer E, Norrie J, Radford G, Richards C, Sandys M, Selby V, Shafi S, Ward J, Whelan P, Schwannauer M.

2026-01-06

10.1111/camh.70060

Experiences of a digital health intervention for young people exposed to technology assisted sexual abuse: a qualitative study.

Quayle E, Larkin A, Schwannauer M, Varese F, Cartwright K, Chitsabesan P, Green V, Radford G, Richards C, Shafi S, Whelan P, Chan C, Hewins W, Newton A, Niebauer E, Sandys M, Ward J, Bucci S.

2024-03-285 citations

10.1186/s12888-024-05605-6

A Digital Intervention to Improve Mental Health and Interpersonal Resilience in Young People Who Have Experienced Technology-Assisted Sexual Abuse: Protocol for a Nonrandomized Feasibility Clinical Trial and Nested Qualitative Study

Sandra Bucci, Filippo Varese, Ethel Quayle, Kim Cartwright, Matthew Machin et al. (11 authors)

JMIR Research Protocols2022-10-2912 citations

10.2196/40539

Interventions

Non-randomised mixed methods feasibility clinical trial with all participants receiving the intervention (novel app-based intervention using a mentalisation-based approach to improve resilience and re

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

All

Age

12 Years to 18 Years

Inclusion criteria

Inclusion criteria: 1. 12-18 years old 2. Have been exposed to online sexual abuse and report associated distress 3. Are receiving support from NHS CAMHS, SARC or e-therapy providers (Kooth) and will continue to be actively supported by the service over the duration of the trial 4. Willing to use an app designed to support YP-OSA 5. Proficient in speaking and writing in English 6. Have the capacity to consent 7. Consent to providing their username to the research team (Kooth participants only)

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion criteria: 1. Have insufficient verbal and written command of English 2. Have moderate learning difficulties (as assessed by their direct care team) 3. Are at risk of current or recent (past month) suicidality

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame
1. Feasibility of delivering the app will be assessed via recruitment and retention data congruent with all relevant fields of the CONSORT statement for feasibility studies. Assessment will take place across the recruitment and data collection period (months 1-11 of trial). 2. Usability, safety and acceptability: 2.1. Usability assessed by the proportion of participants who complete intervention, dropout rates, reason for withdrawal, app usage and engagement (using secure software analytics guided by AMUsED framework) 2.2. Safety assessed using detailed adverse events/serious adverse events reports 2.3. Acceptability assessed using in-depth interviews with trial participants (YP-OSA) to examine whether expectations met, level of support needed to engage with the app, overall impressions, likes/dislikes about the app, how it helped/did not help, changes required, barriers to participation/engagement. Assessment will take place across the recruitment and data collection period (months 1-11 of trial).	—

Measure

Time frame

1. Feasibility of delivering the app will be assessed via recruitment and retention data congruent with all relevant fields of the CONSORT statement for feasibility studies. Assessment will take place across the recruitment and data collection period (months 1-11 of trial). 2. Usability, safety and acceptability: 2.1. Usability assessed by the proportion of participants who complete intervention, dropout rates, reason for withdrawal, app usage and engagement (using secure software analytics guided by AMUsED framework) 2.2. Safety assessed using detailed adverse events/serious adverse events reports 2.3. Acceptability assessed using in-depth interviews with trial participants (YP-OSA) to examine whether expectations met, level of support needed to engage with the app, overall impressions, likes/dislikes about the app, how it helped/did not help, changes required, barriers to participation/engagement. Assessment will take place across the recruitment and data collection period (months 1-11 of trial).

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Secondary

Measure	Time frame
1. Exploration of whether the app brings about clinically meaningful change in outcomes, measured via a battery of questionnaires measuring mentalisation, problematic internet use, emotional distress, online abuse-related stress, emotion regulation, interpersonal sensitivity, views/attitudes towards close interpersonal relationships and resilience, app satisfaction. Assessment will take place at baseline (pre-app use) and post 6-week intervention window (post-treatment). 2. Exploration of differences in engagement and potential clinical benefit across key demographic groups, measured by a registration form requesting demographic (e.g. gender, ethnicity, age, sexual orientation, internet use, level of social deprivation) and clinical (e.g. diagnosis, treatment regime in referring service, other sources of support) details. Assessed at baseline. 3. Exploration of barriers and enablers to app integration and uptake into existing National Health Service (NHS) Child & Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) & Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARC) and e-therapy provider pathways, assessed with qualitative interviews with healthcare professionals and service managers from referring services to examine ways to maximise uptake, utility, user experience, acceptability, satisfaction, reach of the app; how the app can be locally adapted and translated into practice; referral routes to the app via existing care pathways; strategic perceptions about whether the app can be scaled up. This will be assessed throughout the data collection period.	—

Measure

Time frame

1. Exploration of whether the app brings about clinically meaningful change in outcomes, measured via a battery of questionnaires measuring mentalisation, problematic internet use, emotional distress, online abuse-related stress, emotion regulation, interpersonal sensitivity, views/attitudes towards close interpersonal relationships and resilience, app satisfaction. Assessment will take place at baseline (pre-app use) and post 6-week intervention window (post-treatment). 2. Exploration of differences in engagement and potential clinical benefit across key demographic groups, measured by a registration form requesting demographic (e.g. gender, ethnicity, age, sexual orientation, internet use, level of social deprivation) and clinical (e.g. diagnosis, treatment regime in referring service, other sources of support) details. Assessed at baseline. 3. Exploration of barriers and enablers to app integration and uptake into existing National Health Service (NHS) Child & Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) & Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARC) and e-therapy provider pathways, assessed with qualitative interviews with healthcare professionals and service managers from referring services to examine ways to maximise uptake, utility, user experience, acceptability, satisfaction, reach of the app; how the app can be locally adapted and translated into practice; referral routes to the app via existing care pathways; strategic perceptions about whether the app can be scaled up. This will be assessed throughout the data collection period.

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Countries

England, Scotland, United Kingdom

Outcome results

None listed