Enhancing Engagement With Digital Mental Health Care

Summary

This proposal is a partnership between Mental Health America (MHA), a nonprofit mental health advocacy and resource organization, Talkspace (TS), a for-profit, online digital psychotherapy organization, and the University of Washington's Schools of Medicine and Computer Science Engineering (UW). The purpose of this partnership is to create a digital mental health research platform leveraging MHA and TS's marketing platforms and consumer base to describe the characteristics of optimal engagement with digital mental health treatment, and to identify effective, personalized methods to enhance motivation to engage in digital mental health treatment in order to improve mental health outcomes. These aims will be met by identifying and following at least 100,000 MHA and TS consumers over the next 4 years, apply machine learning approaches to characterizing client engagement subtypes, and apply micro-randomized trials to study the effectiveness of motivational enhancement strategies and response to digital mental health treatment.

Conditions

• Engagement, Patient

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Study 1, Demographics Survey

Participants will be shown a demographics survey (e.g., age range, gender, income).

BEHAVIORAL

Study 1, Next Steps Survey

Participants will be shown the Next Steps Survey, which includes 2 items assessing intended next steps on the Mental Health America (MHA) website (e.g., take another mental health test, find a treatment provider near you) and perceived need (yes, no, or I don't know) in addition to the Demographics Survey items.

BEHAVIORAL

Study 1, Generic Response

Participants will be provided with the generic/current response to screening.

BEHAVIORAL

Study 1, Generic Resources

Participants will be provided with links to a list of 4 generic Mental Health America (MHA) resources.

BEHAVIORAL

Study 1, Tailored Response

Participants will be provided with a response to screening that is tailored to the match between screening score (above or below depression criteria) and expressed need for mental health support (yes, no, or I don't know).

BEHAVIORAL

Study 1, Tailored Resources by Demographics

Participants will be provided with links to Mental Health America (MHA) resources tailored to sexuality (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, or Queer) status and age range.

BEHAVIORAL

Study 1, Tailored Resources by Desired Resources

Participants will be provided with links to Mental Health America (MHA) resources aligned with their expressed interest (e.g., additional screening, self help tools).

BEHAVIORAL

Study 2, Control

Participants in the Do-It-Yourself (DIY) control group will receive psychoeducation materials in W0. They will view content as usual (no DIY).

BEHAVIORAL

Study 2, DIY tool without AI

Participants in the Do-It-Yourself (DIY) tool without Artificial Intelligence (AI) group will be instructed to use the DIY tool 3 times a week.

BEHAVIORAL

Study 2, DIY tool with AI

Participants in the Do-It-Yourself (DIY) tool with Artificial Intelligence (AI) group will be instructed to use the DIY tool with AI 3 times a week.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Mental Health America

  collaborator OTHER

• Talkspace

  collaborator INDUSTRY

• National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

  collaborator NIH

• University of Washington

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Michael Pullmann, PhD · University of Washington

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

HEALTH_SERVICES_RESEARCH

Masking

TRIPLE

Model

SEQUENTIAL

Eligibility

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2021-10-15

Primary Completion

2024-05-14

Completion

2024-05-14

Countries

• United States

Study Locations