Digital Health Intervention to Improve Well-Being and Reduce Depression Among Adolescents Seen in Emergency Department
Overview
Depressive symptoms and related problems are increasingly common among American youth. Yet no one has developed a mobile app that provides accessible, effective prevention interventions that teens will actually use. We have developed a digital intervention, iDOVE (intervention for DepressiOn and Violence prevention in the ED), that has been shown to increase well-being, decrease stress, and improve self-efficacy.
Market Opportunity
At the same time that American youth are experiencing increased depressive symptoms and related problems, COVID has heightened their reliance on social media, in addition to their mental distress. The delivery of interventions to personal mobile devices, at the place and time they may be most effective, has appeal to patients and health care practitioners alike. Developing such interventions, however, is difficult and rarely done effectively. The primary reason is the need for expertise not only in health care–specific topics, intervention development theory, and population-specific characteristics, but also in design and technology development.
Innovation and Meaningful Advantages
Our innovative text messaging-based intervention, iDOVE, consists of two parts: 1) remote video interaction with a trained counselor to enroll the adolescent in the text messaging program and to introduce basic concepts about Self-efficacy, emotional regulation, and cognitive reappraisal, and 2) an 8-week automated, structured, and interactive text messaging program that provides daily tailored messages regarding depression prevention, resilience, and well-being. The iDOVE intervention, which we have offered to high-risk adolescents seen in the emergency department for any reason, has shown 90 percent use on a daily basis by enrolled adolescents ages 13–17. Preliminary studies show that it increases well-being, decreases stress, and improves self-efficacy. The form of delivery can be adapted to suit the needs of any evidence-based intervention.
Collaboration Opportunity
We are interested in exploring 1) research collaborations to further develop this intervention and 2) licensing opportunities with digital health companies.
Principal Investigator
Megan Ranney, MD, MPH
Warren Alpert Foundation Professor of Emergency Medicine
Professor of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Health Services, Policy, and Practice
Brown University
Brown Tech ID 3142J
megan_ranney@brown.edu
https://vivo.brown.edu/display/mranney
Publication
Ranney ML, Freeman JR, Connell G, Spirito A, Boyer E, Walton M, Guthrie K, and Cunningham RM. A Depression Prevention Intervention for Adolescents in the Emergency Department. Journal of Adolescent Health 2016 Oct 01;59(4):401-410. doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2016.04.008.