How v. How and Why Nudges and Rewards

Summary

Members of CVS/Aetna will receive a direct mailing or receive no outreach at all.

Our design will be a 3-cell between-subjects design:

1. control: this will be a group who will not receive any outreach
2. how: this will be a group that will receive a mailer emphasizing only how to seek treatment for mental health issues
3. how and why: this will be a mailer emphasizing both how to get help and why they should get help for mental health issues (i.e., listing out how mental health treatment can improve their lives).

Within the how and how and why conditions, participants will be further divided into two different groups:

1. incentive ineligible
2. incentive eligible

The incentive ineligible will receive the how or how and why mailer, depending on their condition.

For the incentive eligible, they will again further be divided into the following two groups:

1. incentive holdout
2. incentive receive Those randomized into the incentive holdout group will receive the how or how and why mailer, depending on their condition. Those randomized into the incentive receive group will receive one of those two mailers, but it will also include an incentive if they seek out mental health treatment (if they visit a therapist within 30 days, they will receive a gift card).

Conditions

• Control Condition
• How Incentive Receive
• How Incentive Holdout
• How Incentive Ineligible
• How and Why Incentive Receive
• How and Why Incentive Holdout
• How and Why Incentive Ineligible

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

How Nudge

We will nudge participants to get mental health treatment in a mailing that details how they can go about seeking treatment.

BEHAVIORAL

How and Why Nudge

We will nudge participants to get mental health treatment in a mailing that details how they can go about seeking treatment and why they should go about seeking treatment.

BEHAVIORAL

Incentive

Participants in incentive groups will also receive a mailer that includes a an incentive to seek treatment (if they visit a therapist within 30 days, they will receive a gift card).

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Pennsylvania

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Marissa Sharif, PhD · University of Pennsylvania

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

SINGLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2022-04-24

Primary Completion

2023-05-01

Completion

2023-05-01

Countries

• United States

Study Locations