This study is a randomized trial evaluating "Recovery 4 US", a social media program aimed at the enhancement of community participation and overall recovery of individuals with psychiatric disabilities.This innovative e-mental health program integrates Internet and mobile technologies and is designed to be a self-sustaining recovery-oriented virtual community for individuals living with a disabling mental illness based on the principles of Photovoice.
This study is a randomized trial evaluating "Recovery 4 US", a social media program aimed at the enhancement of community participation and overall recovery of individuals with psychiatric disabilities.This innovative e-mental health program integrates Internet and mobile technologies and is designed to be a self-sustaining recovery-oriented virtual community for individuals living with a disabling mental illness based on the principles of Photovoice. The "Recovery 4 US" program which includes a mobile phone application and a password protected website, has three main components: 1) receipt of daily hope-inspiring message, paired with a corresponding visual image; 2) creation and viewing of recovery-oriented Photovoice works; and 3) opportunity to attend community events initiated by members of the "Recovery 4 US" community. The benefits of the "Recovery 4 US" program will be evaluated through a randomized trial with n=60 participants. The study will take place at the Boston University Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation. Participants will be randomized to the experimental group (provided with a smartphone and access to "Recovery 4 US" application and website) or the control group (provided with a smartphone but without access to the "Recovery 4 US" app or website). We anticipate participation in the program will be associated with reduced loneliness, increased hopefulness, community participation, and overall recovery. The recruitment goal for this study was amended to n=70.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
OTHER
Masking
NONE
R4US is a social media program aimed at the enhancement of community participation and overall recovery of individuals with psychiatric disabilities.
Boston University Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation
Boston, Massachusetts, United States
UCLA Loneliness Scale
A 20-item 4-point Likert-type scale, widely used measure of loneliness and social isolation with Cronbach's alpha coefficients ranging from .89 to .94
Time frame: Change from Baseline to 3 months to 6 months
Herth Hope Index
12 item 4-point Likert type scale measuring the level of generalized hopefulness of the individual; the reported Cronbach's alpha coefficient of internal consistency of the scale is .97
Time frame: Change from Baseline to 3 months to 6 months
Perceived Stress Scale
10-item 5-point Likert-type scale self-report measure of the level of stress experienced at a given point of time. It was designed to capture how unpredictable, uncontrollable and overloaded respondents find their lives based on their capacity to cope with stress. Reported internal consistency coefficients for the scale ranged between 0.90 and 0.92
Time frame: Change from Baseline to 3 months to 6 months
Multi-Dimensional Assessment of Community Participation
Consists of objective and subjective measures of community belonging, inclusion and participation
Time frame: Change from Baseline to 3 months to 6 months
Recovery Assessment Scale
24-item 5-point Likert rating scale assessing the level of overall recovery among people with psychiatric disabilities.
Time frame: Change from Baseline to 3 months to 6 months
BASIS-R
measures: mood disturbances, anxiety, interpersonal and role functioning, daily living skills, psychotic symptoms, impulsivity and substance use on a scale from no difficulty to extreme difficulty.
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Enrollment
68
Time frame: Change from Baseline to 3 months to 6 months