There are an increasing number of mobile apps available for adolescents with mental health problems and an increasing interest in assimilating mobile health (mHealth) into mental health services. ...Despite the growing number of apps available, the evidence base for their efficacy is unclear.
This review aimed to systematically appraise the available research evidence on the efficacy and acceptability of mobile apps for mental health in children and adolescents younger than 18 years.
The following were systematically searched for relevant publications between January 2008 and July 2016: APA PsychNet, ACM Digital Library, Cochrane Library, Community Care Inform-Children, EMBASE, Google Scholar, PubMed, Scopus, Social Policy and Practice, Web of Science, Journal of Medical Internet Research, Cyberpsychology, Behavior and Social Networking, and OpenGrey. Abstracts were included if they described mental health apps (targeting depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorders, self-harm, suicide prevention, conduct disorder, eating disorders and body image issues, schizophrenia, psychosis, and insomnia) for mobile devices and for use by adolescents younger than 18 years.
A total of 24 publications met the inclusion criteria. These described 15 apps, two of which were available to download. Two small randomized trials and one case study failed to demonstrate a significant effect of three apps on intended mental health outcomes. Articles that analyzed the content of six apps for children and adolescents that were available to download established that none had undergone any research evaluation. Feasibility outcomes suggest acceptability of apps was good and app usage was moderate.
Overall, there is currently insufficient research evidence to support the effectiveness of apps for children, preadolescents, and adolescents with mental health problems. Given the number and pace at which mHealth apps are being released on app stores, methodologically robust research studies evaluating their safety, efficacy, and effectiveness is promptly needed.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Depression and anxiety are common during adolescence. Whilst effective interventions are available treatment services are limited resulting in many adolescents being unable to access effective help. ...Delivering mental health interventions via technology, such as computers or the internet, offers one potential way to increase access to psychological treatment. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to update previous work and investigate the current evidence for the effect of technology delivered interventions for children and adolescents (aged up to 18 years) with depression and anxiety. A systematic search of eight electronic databases identified 34 randomized controlled trials involving 3113 children and young people aged 6–18. The trials evaluated computerized and internet cognitive behavior therapy programs (CBT:
n
= 17), computer-delivered attention bias modification programs (ABM:
n
= 8) cognitive bias modification programs (CBM:
n
= 3) and other interventions (
n
= 6). Our results demonstrated a small effect in favor of technology delivered interventions compared to a waiting list control group:
g
= 0.45 95% CI 0.29, 0.60
p
< 0.001. CBT interventions yielded a medium effect size (
n
= 17,
g
= 0.66 95% CI 0.42–0.90
p
< 0.001). ABM interventions yielded a small effect size (
n
= 8,
g
= 0.41 95%CI 0.08–0.73
p
< 0.01). CBM and ‘other’ interventions failed to demonstrate a significant benefit over control groups. Type of control condition, problem severity, therapeutic support, parental support, and continuation of other ongoing treatment significantly influenced effect sizes. Our findings suggest there is a benefit in using CBT based technology delivered interventions where access to traditional psychotherapies is limited or delayed.
A powerful and insightful clinical resource for CBT practitioners who work with children and young adults The newly updated and thoroughly revised Second Edition of this companion to Think Good, Feel ...Good and Thinking Good, Feeling Better delivers guidance for clinicians using the author's seminal workbooks. This companion work builds upon the workbook materialsby offering readers instruction on all aspects of the therapeutic process and a wide range of case studies highlighting specific therapies in action. A Clinician's Guide covers topics including parental involvement, key cognitive distortions in children, formulations, challenging thoughts, guided discovery, and the use of imagery. The author also includes a chapter focusing on common potential problems that arise in therapy and strategies to overcome them. The book highlights the underlying philosophy, process, and core skills of employing CBT with children and young people. Readers will appreciate the competency framework, which describes the CORE philosophy, PRECISE process, and the ABCs of specific techniques. The book also includes: * Additional materials and handouts for use in therapy, including psycho-educational materials for children and parents on common problems, like depression, OCD, PTSD, and anxiety * Downloadable, multi-use worksheets for use in the clinician's therapeutic sessions * Practical, real-world case examples that shed light on the techniques and strategies discussed in the book * A systematic approach to the use of cognitive behavioural therapy to treat commonpsychological problems Perfect for professionals and trainees in child and adolescent mental health, like psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, educational psychologists, community psychiatric nurses, and occupational therapists, the book also belongs on the shelves of non-mental health professionals, including school nurses and social workers, who regularly work with children in a therapeutic setting.
Instructional resource for mental health clinicians on using cognitive behavioural therapy with adolescents and young adults This book complements author Paul Stallard's Think Good, Feel Good and ...provides a range of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy resources that can be used with adolescents and young adults. Building upon that book's core strengths, it provides psycho-educational materials specifically designed for adolescents and young people. The materials, which have been used in the author's clinical practice, can also be utilized in schools to help adolescents develop better cognitive, emotional and behavioural skills. Thinking Good, Feeling Better includes traditional CBT ideas and also draws on ideas from the third wave approaches of mindfulness, compassion focused therapy and acceptance and commitment therapy. It includes practical exercises and worksheets that can be used to introduce and develop the key concepts of CBT. The book starts by introducing readers to the origin, basic theory, and rationale behind CBT and explains how the workbook should be used. Chapters cover techniques used in CBT; the process of CBT; valuing oneself; learning to be kind to oneself; mindfulness; controlling feelings; thinking traps; solving problems; facing fears; and more. Written by an experienced professional with all clinically tested material Specifically developed for older adolescents and young adults Reflects current developments in clinical practice Wide range of downloadable materials Includes ideas from third wave CBT, Mindfulness, Compassion Focused Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Thinking Good, Feeling Better: A CBT Workbook for Adolescents and Young Adults is a "must have" resource for clinical psychologists, adolescent and young adult psychiatrists, community psychiatric nurses, educational psychologists, and occupational therapists. It is also a valuable resource for those who work with adolescents and young adults including social workers, nurses, practice counsellors, health visitors, teachers and special educational needs coordinators.
Newly updated edition of the highly successful core text for using cognitive behaviour therapy with children and young people The previous edition of Think Good, Feel Good was an exciting, practical ...resource that pioneered the way mental health professionals approached Cognitive Behaviour Therapy with children and young people. This new edition continues the work started by clinical psychologist Paul Stallard, and provides a range of flexible and highly appealing materials that can be used to structure and facilitate work with young people. In addition to covering the core elements used in CBT programmes, it incorporates ideas from the third wave CBT therapies of mindfulness, compassion focused therapy and acceptance and commitment therapy. It also includes a practical series of exercises and worksheets that introduce specific concepts and techniques. Developed by the author and used extensively in clinical practice, Think Good, Feel Good, Second Edition: A CBT Workbook for Children and Young People starts by introducing readers to the origin, basic theory, and rationale behind CBT and explains how the workbook should be used. Chapters cover elements of CBT including identifying thinking traps; core beliefs; controlling feelings; changing behaviour; and more. Written by an experienced professional with all clinically tested material Fully updated to reflect recent developments in clinical practice Wide range of downloadable materials Includes ideas for third wave CBT, Mindfulness, Compassion Focused Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Think Good, Feel Good, Second Edition: A CBT Workbook for Children and Young People is a "must have" resource for clinical psychologists, child and adolescent psychiatrists, community psychiatric nurses, educational psychologists, and occupational therapists. It is also a valuable resource for those who work with young people including social workers, school nurses, practice counsellors, teachers and health visitors.
Although the negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health have attracted interest, little attention has focused on its positive effects and possible post-traumatic growth.
To assess ...anxiety, well-being and post-traumatic growth in carers of children aged 6-16 years in Portugal and the UK.
A cross-sectional online survey of volunteers conducted at the peak of the first wave of COVID-19 during lockdown (1 May to 27 June 2020).
A total of 385 caregivers (Portuguese, n = 185; UK, n = 200), predominantly mothers (n = 341, 88.6%), completed the survey. The majority were working exclusively from home (n = 271, 70.4%), almost half reported a reduction in income (n = 174, 45.2%), most children were home taught (n = 358, 93%), and 75 (19.5%) identified a family member with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 infection. In total, 341 caregivers (88.6%) identified positives arising from COVID-19, most commonly related to the post-traumatic growth domains of improved relationships, a greater appreciation of life, discovering and embracing new possibilities, and positive spiritual change. A comparison of those who did (n = 341) and did not (n = 34) report any positives found a significant difference in well-being scores (t373 = 2.24, P = 0.025) but not in anxiety scores (t373 = 0.75, P = 0.45).
Despite experiencing considerable adversity, examples of post-traumatic growth during the lockdown were common. Although the voluntary online nature of our survey is a limitation, our findings suggest that further research exploring post-traumatic growth following pandemics is warranted.
BackgroundMany university students self-harm but few receive support. Smartphone apps have been identified as acceptable sources of support for students who self-harm, but the use of supportive ...self-harm apps is yet to be explored in this population.ObjectiveThis study sought to explore the acceptability and safety of a specific app (BlueIce) for university students who self-harm.MethodsThis was an exploratory, mixed methods study with 15 university students attending university well-being services with self-harming thoughts and/or behaviours. BlueIce was offered alongside the face-to-face support provided by the well-being service. Self-harming thoughts and behaviours, coping self-efficacy, and symptoms of anxiety and depression were measured before and after using BlueIce for 6 weeks. Follow-up interviews were also undertaken to explore how students perceived BlueIce in more depth.ResultsFollowing app use, there were statistically significant reductions in symptoms of anxiety (baseline M 12.47, SD 4.42; follow-up M 10, SD 4.16) t(14)=2.26, p=0.040, d=0.58 and depression (baseline M 16.5, SD 5.17, follow-up M 12.27, SD 3.66) t(13)=5.50, p<0.001, d=1.47. Qualitative findings showed participants found BlueIce to be acceptable, safe and helpful, and reported that they were more able to cope with difficult feelings and better understand their self-harm triggers following use of the app.ConclusionBlueIce was an acceptable, safe and helpful source of support for university students struggling with self-harm thoughts and/or behaviours. This builds on previous findings with adolescents and suggests that BlueIce could be a particularly acceptable and helpful resource for university students.
Self-harm and other mental health difficulties are very common amongst university students, but students face numerous barriers in accessing professional support. Support offered via a smartphone app ...may help to overcome some of the barriers they face, while providing support that is acceptable and helpful. However, there is limited research on supportive apps for students who self-harm. This study aimed to evaluate a self-help app (BlueIce) for helping students manage their self-harm, mental wellbeing and coping ability. This was a pre-post study in which 80 participants completed baseline measures online and were sent a link to download BlueIce. Of these, 27 completed follow-up questionnaires six weeks later assessing anxiety, depression, self-harm, and coping self-efficacy/styles. At follow-up, participants also completed a questionnaire evaluating BlueIce. Self-harm urges and symptoms of anxiety and depression significantly decreased, and coping self-efficacy significantly increased. Around two thirds (64%) said that BlueIce had stopped them from harming themselves an average of 24 times. Feedback showed that BlueIce helped provide a distraction in difficult times and helped them to manage their emotions in a more adaptive way. Following the trial period, participants’ wellbeing had significantly improved, suggesting that BlueIce may be helpful for university students in managing their self-harm urges and general mental health.
Cognitive–behavioural therapy (CBT) is a practical, goal-focused approach that helps children understand the relationship between their thoughts, feelings and behaviours. The aim is to identify the ...dysfunctional and distorted cognitions associated with their psychological problems and to create more functional and balanced cognitive patterns that create less emotional distress and more helpful behaviours. CBT has strong evidence as an effective intervention for children and adolescents with emotional problems. The benefits for children with physical health and chronic conditions appear promising, although further research is required to substantiate these gains.
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