Access to effective pediatric mental health treatment is a major public health concern in the United States as paucity of pediatric providers leading to long wait times, financial burden, and stigma pose significant barriers to treatment. Digital mental health promises to remedy many chronic problems faced in providing timely and accessible mental health interventions to children. With that in mind, the investigators and Neuromotion Inc. created Mightier, an app-based heart rate biofeedback videogame platform designed to teach and facilitate practice of emotional regulation skills. The technology behind Mightier is backed by three trials showing clinical efficacy and since commercial launch 75% of families who have engaged with the product report improvement. However, Neuromotion's core mission remains increasing access to care, and the direct-to-consumer distribution of digital health also faces access challenges. The investigators propose that access to effective digital mental health interventions can be increased by meeting families where they already know to seek care: the traditional healthcare system. The investigators have partnered with a nationwide behavioral health insurance provider to pilot the integration of Mightier with traditional healthcare. Families will be recruited via direct outreach, social media, or healthcare provider referral. Participating children will be randomized into Mightier or treatment as usual control groups for 6 months. Behavioral healthcare utilization will be observed for 12 months. Through this work the investigators will demonstrate the value of Mightier to various stakeholders via decreased long-term healthcare utilization, confirm that Mightier use results in decreased symptoms of emotional dysregulation, irritability, and parent stress, and explore relationships among Mightier use, healthcare utilization, and symptoms. Ultimately this work will pave the way forward for large scale integration of digital healthcare and more traditional healthcare avenues while simultaneously increasing Mightier's ability to reach children in need.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
HEALTH_SERVICES_RESEARCH
Masking
SINGLE
Enrollment
183
Biofeedback video game play in home
Neuromotion Inc
Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Behavioral healthcare utilization cost
Dollars spent on behavioral healthcare over the study period.
Time frame: 12 Months
Change in Modified Overt Aggression Scale (MOAS) from baseline to 3 Months
The MOAS is a 5-point parent rated scale that rates the severity of four types of aggression: verbal, against property, against self (auto-aggression), and physical towards others. Scores range from 0-100 with lower scores representing less aggression (better outcome).
Time frame: Baseline, 3 months
Change in Disruptive Behavior Disorder Rating Scale (DBDRS) - Oppositional/Defiant Factor Score from baseline to 3 Months
The DBDRS is a 45-item scale that evaluates symptoms of Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD), Conduct Disorder (CD), and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) from the parent's perspective. Scores range from 0-135 with lower scores representing fewer behaviors associated with the above disorders (better outcome). This secondary outcome will include the Oppositional/Defiant Factor Score consisting of items 3, 13, 15, 17, 24, 26, 28, and 39.
Time frame: Baseline, 3 months
Change in Affective Reactivity Index - Parent (ARI-P) from baseline to 3 Months
The ARI is a 7-item scale that consists of 6 symptom items and 1 impairment item. The scale was designed to determine irritable mood rather than behavioral consequences such as hostility and acts of aggression. Scores range from 0 - 12 with lower scores representing less irritability.
Time frame: Baseline, 3 months
Change in Parent Stress Index - Short Form (PSI-SF) from baseline to 3 Months
The PSI-SF is a 36 item parent report scale that evaluates the extent and source of parent stress in the form of three subscales: Parental Distress, Parent-Child Dysfunctional Interaction, and Difficult Child. Total scores range from 36-180 with lower scores representing less parent stress.
Time frame: Baseline, 3 months
Clinical Global Impression - Improvement, Irritability/Anger (CGI-I Irritability/Anger)
The CGI-I scale requires the clinician to rate total improvement whether or not, in the raters judgment, it is due to treatment. The clinician compares the patient's condition at baseline to the time of rating on a scale ranging from 1 (very much improved) to 7 (very much worse)
Time frame: 3 months
Clinical Global Impression - Improvement, Aggression (CGI-I Aggression)
The CGI-I scale requires the clinician to rate total improvement whether or not, in the raters judgment, it is due to treatment. The clinician compares the patient's condition at baseline to the time of rating on a scale ranging from 1 (very much improved) to 7 (very much worse)
Time frame: 3 months
Clinical Global Impression - Improvement, Oppositional/Defiant Behavior (CGI-I Oppositional/Defiant Behavior)
The CGI-I scale requires the clinician to rate total improvement whether or not, in the raters judgment, it is due to treatment. The clinician compares the patient's condition at baseline to the time of rating on a scale ranging from 1 (very much improved) to 7 (very much worse)
Time frame: 3 months
Clinical Global Impression - Improvement, Disruptive Behavior (CGI-I Disruptive Behavior)
The CGI-I scale requires the clinician to rate total improvement whether or not, in the raters judgment, it is due to treatment. The clinician compares the patient's condition at baseline to the time of rating on a scale ranging from 1 (very much improved) to 7 (very much worse)
Time frame: 3 months
Change in Parent Confidence and Resources from baseline to 3 Months
Two 5 item questions regarding parent confidence in their ability to manage their child's behaviors and adequacy of resources to manage their child's behaviors
Time frame: Baseline, 3 months
Change in NIH-Emotion Toolbox from baseline to 3 Months
The NIH toolbox for emotion was developed to create a standardized, comprehensive, and concise battery of tests that can recognize the full spectrum of emotional experiences and their impacts on health and wellbeing. The NIH Toolbox for emotion includes 4 subdomains: negative affect, psychological well-being, stress and self-efficacy, and social relationships. For the age range of 8-12, self-report and proxy measures are available. Given that we expect a wide range of cognitive, developmental, and metacognitive abilities, proxy report measures will be used.
Time frame: Baseline, 3 months
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