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The Grow It! app-longitudinal changes in adolescent well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic: a proof-of-concept study.

ABSTRACT: Adolescent mental health and well-being have been adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. In this preregistered longitudinal study, we evaluated whether adolescents' well-being improved after playing the multiplayer serious game app Grow It! During the first lockdown (May-June 2020), 1282 Dutch adolescents played the Grow It! app (age = 16.67, SD = 3.07, 68% girls). During the second lockdown (December-May 2020 onwards), an independent cohort of 1871 adolescents participated (age = 18.66, SD = 3.70, 81% girls). Adolescents answered online questionnaires regarding affective and cognitive well-being, depressive symptoms, anxiety, and impact of COVID-19 at baseline. Three to six weeks later, the baseline questionnaire was repeated and user experience questions were asked (N = 462 and N = 733 for the first and second cohort). In both cohorts, affective and cognitive well-being increased after playing the Grow It! app (t = - 6.806, p < 0.001; t = - 6.77, p < 0.001; t = - 6.12, p < 0.001; t = - 5.93, p < 0.001; Cohen's d range 0.20-0.32). At the individual level, 41-53% of the adolescents increased in their affective or cognitive well-being. Adolescents with higher risk profiles (i.e., more depressive symptoms, lower atmosphere at home, and more COVID-19 impact) improved more strongly in their well-being. Positive user evaluations and app engagement were unrelated to changes in affective and cognitive well-being. This proof-of-concept study tentatively suggests that Grow It! supported adolescents during the pandemic.

SUBMITTER: Dietvorst E

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9076805 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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The Grow It! app-longitudinal changes in adolescent well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic: a proof-of-concept study.

Dietvorst E E Legerstee J S JS Vreeker A A Koval S S Mens M M MM Keijsers L L Hillegers M H J MHJ

European child & adolescent psychiatry 20220507 6

Adolescent mental health and well-being have been adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. In this preregistered longitudinal study, we evaluated whether adolescents' well-being improved after playing the multiplayer serious game app Grow It! During the first lockdown (May-June 2020), 1282 Dutch adolescents played the Grow It! app (age = 16.67, SD = 3.07, 68% girls). During the second lockdown (December-May 2020 onwards), an independent cohort of 1871 adolescents participated (age = 18.66, S ...[more]

PMID: 35524826

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Project description:ObjectivesTo evaluate the efficacy and acceptability of 'Whitu: seven ways in seven days', a well-being application (app) for young people.DesignProspective randomised controlled trial of Whitu against waitlist control, with 45 participants in each arm.Participants90 New Zealand young people aged 16-30 recruited via a social media advertising campaign.SettingParticipants' homes.InterventionsDeveloped during the COVID-19 pandemic, and refined from a prototype version that was evaluated during a smaller qualitative study, 'Whitu: seven ways in seven days' is a well-being app that, as its name suggests, contains seven modules to help young people (1) recognise and rate emotions, (2) learn relaxation and mindfulness, (3) practice self-compassion and (4) gratitude, (5) connect with others, (6) care for their physical health and (7) engage in goal-setting. It can be completed within a week or as desired.Main outcome measuresPrimary outcomes were changes in well-being on the WHO 5-item Well-Being Index and Short Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale. Secondary outcomes were changes in depression on the Centre for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale, anxiety on the Generalised Anxiety Disorder 7-item Scale, self-compassion on the Self Compassion Scale-Short Form, stress on the 10-item Perceived Stress Scale, sleep on the single-item Sleep Quality Scale and user engagement on the end-user version of the Mobile Application Rating Scale and via qualitative feedback during an online survey. Outcomes were evaluated at baseline, 4 weeks (primary study endpoint) and 3 months, and analysed using linear mixed models with group, time and a group-time interaction.ResultsAt 4 weeks, participants in the Whitu group experienced significantly higher emotional (Mean difference (md) 13.19 (3.96 to 22.42); p=0.005) and mental (md 2.44 (0.27 to 4.61); p=0.027) well-being, self-compassion (md 0.56 (0.28 to 0.83); p<0.001) and sleep (md 1.13 (0.24 to 2.02); p=0.018), and significantly lower stress (md -4.69 (-7.61 to -1.76); p=0.002) and depression (md -5.34 (-10.14 to -0.53); p=0.030), compared with the waitlist controls. Group differences remained statistically significant at 3 months for all outcomes. Symptoms of anxiety were also lower in the intervention group at 4 weeks (p=0.096), with statistically significant differences at 3 months (md -2.31 (-4.54 to -0.08); p=0.042). Usability of Whitu was high (subjective ratings of 4.45 (0.72) and 4.38 (0.79) out of 5 at 4 weeks and 3 months, respectively) and qualitative feedback indicated individual and cultural acceptability of the app.ConclusionsGiven the evolving psychological burden of the COVID-19 pandemic, Whitu could provide a clinically effective and scalable means of improving the well-being, mental health and resilience of young people. Replication of current findings with younger individuals and in other settings is planned.Trial registration numberAustralian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ACTRN12620000516987).

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Dataset Information

The Grow It! app-longitudinal changes in adolescent well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic: a proof-of-concept study.

Publications

The Grow It! app-longitudinal changes in adolescent well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic: a proof-of-concept study.

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