Exploring the efficacy of brief, single-session interventions to promote young people’s mental health and wellbeing

Ball, Jessica Theresa (2024) Exploring the efficacy of brief, single-session interventions to promote young people’s mental health and wellbeing. Doctoral thesis, University of East Anglia.

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Abstract

Background

Children and young people’s mental health is an area of concern worldwide. In the face of barriers such as long waits to access evidence-based treatment, perceived stigma, and a want to deal with difficulties themselves, single session interventions (SSIs) have arisen as one potential solution.

Method

A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted to synthesise evidence of the efficacy of self-administered SSIs for youth mental health. An empirical study then explored the efficacy of an online growth mindset intervention.

Results

Meta-analyses of 19 studies found a small effect for anxiety symptoms (g = -0.22, 95% CI: -0.40, -0.04) with substantial heterogeneity (I² = 67%) and a wide prediction interval (-0.69, 0.25). Furthermore, there was a small effect for depressive symptoms (g = -0.12, 95% CI: -0.23, -0.01) with substantial heterogeneity (I² = 58%) and a wide prediction interval (- 0.44, 0.20). The empirical study was pre-registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05676554) and recruited and randomised 104 young people aged 14-18 years old. At the four-week follow-up anxiety and depression symptoms were small (d = .07, [95% CI: -0.32, 0.47]). However, personality mindset yielded a significant large effect (p = .02, d = -.96, [95% CI: - 1.87, -0.04]), but this was non-significant following Bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons. Case completer analysis resulted in similar observations.

Conclusions

The complementary projects explored the efficacy of SSIs for young people. The medium to large effect sizes for growth mindset interventions highlighted in the systematic review are consistent with findings from the empirical project. Taken together the research suggest that SSIs can have positive effects on mental health and have contributed to the field of children and young people’s mental health research. The projects have hopefully paved the way for future RCTs.

Item Type:	Thesis (Doctoral)
Faculty \ School:	Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences
Depositing User:	Zoe White
Date Deposited:	06 Nov 2024 16:09
Last Modified:	06 Nov 2024 16:09
URI:	https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/97544
DOI:

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