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Cited by 14Digital Mental Health InterventionsCOVID-19 and Mental HealthImpact of Technology on Adolescents

Pilot randomised controlled trial of a remotely delivered online intervention for adolescent mental health problems in India: lessons learned about low acceptability and feasibility during the COVID-19 pandemic

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Gonsalves, Pattie P., Bhat, Bhargav, Sharma, Rhea, Jambhale, Abhijeet, Chodankar, Bindiya, Verma, Mamta, Hodgson, Eleanor, Weiss, Helen A. +6 more·2023·BJPsych Open
DOI 10.1192/bjo.2022.624PMC PMC9798210
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Abstract

Background: ‘POD Adventures’ is a gamified problem-solving intervention delivered via smartphone app, and supported by non-specialist counsellors for a target population of secondary school students in India during the COVID-19 pandemic. Aims: To evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of undertaking a randomised controlled trial of POD Adventures when delivered online with telephone support from counsellors. Method: We conducted a parallel, two-arm, individually randomised pilot-controlled trial with 11 secondary schools in Goa, India. Participants received either the POD Adventures intervention delivered over 4 weeks or usual care comprising information about local mental health services and national helplines. Outcomes were assessed at two timepoints: baseline and 6 weeks post-randomisation. Results: Seventy-nine classroom sensitisation sessions reaching a total of 1575 students were conducted. Ninety-two self-initiated study referrals (5.8%) were received, but only 11 participants enrolled in the study. No intervention arm participants completed the intervention. Outcomes at 6 weeks were not available for intervention arm participants (n = 5), and only four control arm participants completed outcomes. No qualitative interviews or participant satisfaction measures were completed because participants could not be reached by the study team. Conclusions: Despite modifications to address barriers arising from COVID-19 restrictions, online delivery was not feasible in the study context. Low recruitment and missing feasibility and acceptability data make it difficult to draw conclusions about intervention engagement and indicative clinical outcomes. Prior findings showing high uptake, adherence and engagement with POD Adventures when delivered in a school-based context suggest that an online study and delivery posed the biggest barriers to study participation and engagement.

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  • An alternative digital format of problem solving proved to be feasible and acceptable with in-person guidance, but remote delivery was less viable.

    “An alternative digital format of problem solving proved to be feasible and acceptable with in-person guidance, but remote delivery was less viable.”

    From The Lancet Psychiatry Commission on youth mental health (2024) · cites this paper as [340]

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Authors
Gonsalves, P. P., Bhat, B., Sharma, R., Jambhale, A., Chodankar, B., Verma, M., Hodgson, E., Weiss, H. A., Leurent, B., Cavanagh, K., Fairburn, C. G., Cuijpers, P., Michelson, D., & Patel, V.
Affiliations
  • University of Sussex (GB)
  • Sangath (IN)
  • London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (GB)
  • University of Oxford (GB)
  • Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (NL)
  • Harvard University (US)
Corresponding author
Gonsalves, Pattie P.
ORCID
Venue
BJPsych Open
Publisher
Royal College of Psychiatrists
Published
2022-12-27
Volume
9
Issue
1
Pages
e7-e7
ISSN
2056-4724 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1192/bjo.2022.624
PMC
PMC9798210
OpenAlex
W4313248792
Cited by
14
References
17
Citations by year
2026: 2 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 6
FWCI
2.65
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • BJPsych Open (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • LSHTM Research Online (London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine) (acceptedVersion)
  • Sussex Research Online (University of Sussex) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
  • UCL Discovery (University College London) (submittedVersion)
  • Figshare (submittedVersion, cc-by)
Funders
Wellcome Trust (106919/A/15/Z)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Applied Psychology › Digital Mental Health Interventions
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › COVID-19 and Mental Health
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Impact of Technology on Adolescents
Keywords
adolescent mental health, mobile application, online intervention, telephone counseling, feasibility, acceptability, COVID-19 pandemic, school mental health, high school students, participant recruitment, intervention engagement

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