Homeless Youth Study - Stepping Stone 2.0

Rush University Medical Center100 enrolled

Overview

Housing instability is both a cause and consequence of mental health problems. As such youth experiencing housing instability (e.g., homeless or marginally housed) have higher rates of mental health problems.Because of their circumstances, these youth also face significant barriers to mental health care and are therefore less likely to receive the treatment that they need. Mobile technology may offer a novel platform for increasing access to mental health care in this population. The primary goals of this pilot study are to (1) establish the feasibility and acceptability of delivering automated mental health interventions via smartphone technology, (2) examine the extent to which automated mental health interventions delivered via mobile technology improve mental health in homeless, marginally-housed, and exiting foster youth.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

NONE

Enrollment

100

Conditions

Mental Health Issue (E.G., Depression, Psychosis, Personality Disorder, Substance Abuse)

Interventions

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 16 YearsMax age: 25 YearsHealthy volunteers:

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * 16-25 years * English-speaking * Youth must meet one of the following risk criteria * Experiencing housing instability as defined by: * lacking a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence OR whose primary nighttime residence is a shelter, institution, or a "public or private place not designed for, or ordinarily used as, a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings" * sharing the housing of other persons due to loss of housing \[or\] economic hardship. * frequent moves, poor housing quality (e.g., living in severely overcrowded housing). * Imminently leaving the foster care system * Willingness and ability to comply with requirements of the study protocol Exclusion Criteria: \* Inability to understand study procedures and participate in the informed consent process.

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Program adherence

Program adherence will be assessed based on usage data determining how often participants utilized the study applications, and how often they completed daily surveys and rated daily tips.

Time frame: Baseline to Endpoint (6 months)

Program satisfaction

Program satisfaction will be assessed using a self-report questionnaire that participants will be asked to complete at the midpoint and endpoint of the study. Participants will be asked to report the extent to which they benefited from the study, how helpful the mobile applications were, and if they would recommend the study to others. These responses are recorded on 5-point likert type scales with higher ratings indicating higher satisfaction.

Time frame: Midpoint (3 months) and Endpoint (6 months)