Altitudes: A Digital Intervention to Support Caregivers

Summary

The purpose of the present study is to investigate the feasibility, accessibility, and potential clinical benefits of implementing a moderated online social media platform with therapeutic content, Altitudes, to parents, caregivers, and supporters of young people with psychosis across the state of North Carolina, including in Coordinated Specialty Care (CSC) programs, Specialized Treatment Early in Psychosis (STEP) programs, and other community services where caregivers or supporters of young persons experiencing psychosis receive care. The investigators will evaluate acceptability and feasibility with up to 50 caregivers and supporters over the course of 6 months. Acceptability and usability will be assessed with various acceptability measures with the Altitudes caregivers and supporters, and caregivers and supporters' engagement with the digital platform. The investigators will additionally evaluate the impact of the platform on caregiver and supporter's psychological status, well-being, and social support, as measured via self-report questionnaires.

Conditions

• Care Burden
• Care Giving Burden
• Caregiver Burnout
• Caregiver Stress
• Caregiver Wellbeing
• Support, Family

Interventions

DEVICE

Device: Altitudes USA

Experimental participants will be onboarded to the digital platform, including the different spaces and how to use the site. The site includes educational and therapeutic content that is tailored to each individual and their current needs and experiences, including psychoeducation, supporting their loved one, self- care, social support, and so on. Further, the platform includes a moderated social media function, where users and family peer workers can post text, images, videos, and comments to connect and share their experiences. The site is monitored by graduated students and trained clinicians.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services

  collaborator OTHER_GOV

• University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Kelsey R Ludwig, PhD · University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

• Diana Perkins, MD, MPH · University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

Study Design

Allocation

NA

Purpose

OTHER

Masking

NONE

Model

SINGLE_GROUP

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Max Age

99 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2024-09-03

Primary Completion

2025-08-31

Completion

2025-08-31

FDA Device

Yes

Countries

• United States

Study Locations