{"title":"LovesCompany:评估以青少年心理健康为重点的在线社区的安全性和可行性。","authors":"Anna Van Meter, Neha Agrawal","doi":"10.2989/17280583.2023.2283030","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><i>Background</i>: Adolescents are at risk for mental health (MH) disorders but are unlikely to seek services and may be reluctant to talk about their MH. An anonymous, online MH-focused community could help reduce suffering. However, online forums can also promote negative behaviours such as cyberbullying. This study aimed to evaluate the safety and feasibility of an online community - LovesCompany - to improve MH outcomes for adolescents.<i>Methods</i>: American adolescents (14-17 years) were recruited through social media. Eligible participants were randomised to LovesCompany or a placebo MH resource site. Outcomes were assessed every other week for six months, and at twelve months. Multilevel models assessed group differences in depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation. A subgroup of participants participated in qualitative interviews.<i>Results</i>: Participants (<i>N</i> = 202) were mostly female (70%), White non-Hispanic (69%), and cisgender (80%). There were no instances of inappropriate behaviour such as bullying or posting explicit content. Symptoms for both groups improved over time. Participants appreciated hearing others' experiences and valued the opportunity to offer support.<i>Conclusion</i>: Although adolescents are often resistant to MH treatment, they appear to be interested in anonymous, online, MH-focused conversation, and can benefit from giving and seeking support. Finding a balance between an appealing user experience, ethical considerations, and resource needs is challenging.</p>","PeriodicalId":45290,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Child and Adolescent Mental Health","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.3000,"publicationDate":"2022-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":"{\"title\":\"LovesCompany: evaluating the safety and feasibility of a mental health-focused online community for adolescents.\",\"authors\":\"Anna Van Meter, Neha Agrawal\",\"doi\":\"10.2989/17280583.2023.2283030\",\"DOIUrl\":null,\"url\":null,\"abstract\":\"<p><p><i>Background</i>: Adolescents are at risk for mental health (MH) disorders but are unlikely to seek services and may be reluctant to talk about their MH. An anonymous, online MH-focused community could help reduce suffering. However, online forums can also promote negative behaviours such as cyberbullying. This study aimed to evaluate the safety and feasibility of an online community - LovesCompany - to improve MH outcomes for adolescents.<i>Methods</i>: American adolescents (14-17 years) were recruited through social media. Eligible participants were randomised to LovesCompany or a placebo MH resource site. Outcomes were assessed every other week for six months, and at twelve months. Multilevel models assessed group differences in depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation. A subgroup of participants participated in qualitative interviews.<i>Results</i>: Participants (<i>N</i> = 202) were mostly female (70%), White non-Hispanic (69%), and cisgender (80%). There were no instances of inappropriate behaviour such as bullying or posting explicit content. Symptoms for both groups improved over time. Participants appreciated hearing others' experiences and valued the opportunity to offer support.<i>Conclusion</i>: Although adolescents are often resistant to MH treatment, they appear to be interested in anonymous, online, MH-focused conversation, and can benefit from giving and seeking support. Finding a balance between an appealing user experience, ethical considerations, and resource needs is challenging.</p>\",\"PeriodicalId\":45290,\"journal\":{\"name\":\"Journal of Child and Adolescent Mental Health\",\"volume\":null,\"pages\":null},\"PeriodicalIF\":0.3000,\"publicationDate\":\"2022-01-01\",\"publicationTypes\":\"Journal Article\",\"fieldsOfStudy\":null,\"isOpenAccess\":false,\"openAccessPdf\":\"\",\"citationCount\":\"0\",\"resultStr\":null,\"platform\":\"Semanticscholar\",\"paperid\":null,\"PeriodicalName\":\"Journal of Child and Adolescent Mental Health\",\"FirstCategoryId\":\"1085\",\"ListUrlMain\":\"https://doi.org/10.2989/17280583.2023.2283030\",\"RegionNum\":0,\"RegionCategory\":null,\"ArticlePicture\":[],\"TitleCN\":null,\"AbstractTextCN\":null,\"PMCID\":null,\"EPubDate\":\"2024/3/20 0:00:00\",\"PubModel\":\"Epub\",\"JCR\":\"Q4\",\"JCRName\":\"PSYCHOLOGY, CLINICAL\",\"Score\":null,\"Total\":0}","platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Journal of Child and Adolescent Mental Health","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.2989/17280583.2023.2283030","RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":null,"ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"2024/3/20 0:00:00","PubModel":"Epub","JCR":"Q4","JCRName":"PSYCHOLOGY, CLINICAL","Score":null,"Total":0}
LovesCompany: evaluating the safety and feasibility of a mental health-focused online community for adolescents.
Background: Adolescents are at risk for mental health (MH) disorders but are unlikely to seek services and may be reluctant to talk about their MH. An anonymous, online MH-focused community could help reduce suffering. However, online forums can also promote negative behaviours such as cyberbullying. This study aimed to evaluate the safety and feasibility of an online community - LovesCompany - to improve MH outcomes for adolescents.Methods: American adolescents (14-17 years) were recruited through social media. Eligible participants were randomised to LovesCompany or a placebo MH resource site. Outcomes were assessed every other week for six months, and at twelve months. Multilevel models assessed group differences in depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation. A subgroup of participants participated in qualitative interviews.Results: Participants (N = 202) were mostly female (70%), White non-Hispanic (69%), and cisgender (80%). There were no instances of inappropriate behaviour such as bullying or posting explicit content. Symptoms for both groups improved over time. Participants appreciated hearing others' experiences and valued the opportunity to offer support.Conclusion: Although adolescents are often resistant to MH treatment, they appear to be interested in anonymous, online, MH-focused conversation, and can benefit from giving and seeking support. Finding a balance between an appealing user experience, ethical considerations, and resource needs is challenging.
期刊介绍:
The Journal of Child & Adolescent Mental Health publishes papers that contribute to improving the mental health of children and adolescents, especially those in Africa. Papers from all disciplines are welcome. It covers subjects such as epidemiology, mental health prevention and promotion, psychotherapy, pharmacotherapy, policy and risk behaviour. The journal contains review articles, original research (including brief reports), clinical papers in a "Clinical perspectives" section and book reviews. The Journal is published in association with the South African Association for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Allied Professions (SAACAPAP).