Report

Teaser, summary, work performed and final results

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - ECoWeB (Assessing and Enhancing Emotional Competence for Well-Being (ECoWeB) in the Young: A principled, evidence-based, mobile-health approach to prevent mental disorders and promote mental well-being)

Teaser

ECoWeB aims to develop and evaluate a self-help mobile phone app to promote mental well-being and prevent poor mental health in young people (aged 16-22) across Europe ECoWeB occurs in the context of growing concerns about the worsening mental health of young people and the...

Summary

ECoWeB aims to develop and evaluate a self-help mobile phone app to promote mental well-being and prevent poor mental health in young people (aged 16-22) across Europe ECoWeB occurs in the context of growing concerns about the worsening mental health of young people and the need for highly scalable mental health promotion and prevention. Whilst there has been a huge growth in health apps the vast majority are neither based on scientific principles nor proven in rigorous large-scale trials. ECoWeB addresses these major gaps with a large-scale randomised cohort trial, with two novel elements. First, the intervention builds Emotional Competence (EC) skills in young people: the abilities (i) to helpfully appraise emotional situations and ability to cope; (ii) to understand and recognise emotions; (iii) to regulate emotions. Second, the app is personalised to match the presenting abilities of the individual. We will compare the personalized self-help EC app, a cognitive-behavioural (CBT) app, and a self-monitoring app.

Work performed

For this first 18-month period, the main tasks were to:

(1) adapt existing and prepare new content for the EC interventions within the app (Work packages 3-5)
(2) adapt and validate existing EC measurement instruments (WP3-5)
(3) design and build the app, including underlying functions and features and preparing and integrating content (WP2)
(4) complete governance and planning necessary for the trial including finalising trial protocol, obtaining ethical approval, trial registration, insurance, data protection (WP7)
(5) finalise and build the necessary systems and IT structures for trial delivery including assessment and screening website, database, randomisation and personalisation algorithms (WP7)
(6) design and build the control interventions for the trial (WP7)
(7) incorporate young person input into (1)-(6) to ensure that the intervention will be relevant and engaging (WP8)

(1), (2) (6) (7) have been completed and good progress has been made on (3)-(5).

WP1 has managed the overall project, set in place structures and processes for communication and decision-making within the consortium. It has coordinated project meetings, liaised with the funding body (EC) and monitored progress.

WP2 completed the design of the app after extensive review with WP3-7, producing a detailed description of features required in the app. From this, an interactive mock-up was built and used for further feedback from consortium members and potential users. Core features in app design included a Library where users read or watch psychoeducation, Challenges that are learning tasks for the users, Tools that are useful in-the-moment strategies for users, Mood Monitoring and an Explore feature where users view progress. The core of the app has been built, with critical background features programmed including data security, log-on processes, and underlying components for the features. The animations for the Library have been completed. Remaining content is being configured and loaded into the app.

WP3 (Appraisals) created interventions related to the ability to make accurate and helpful appraisals in achievement situations (school; work) and social settings. For achievement settings, the intervention combines principles from proven treatment approaches of attributional retraining, growth mindset intervention, and utility-value intervention designed to increase perceived control and value and reduce anxiety, boredom, hopelessness. For social settings, a cognitive bias modification task was developed to train individuals to make positive interpretations of ambiguous social situations. WP3 have adapted, abbreviated, and validated relevant questionnaires.

WP4 (Emotion Regulation) has adapted a proven internet-based intervention related to the ability to regulate emotion processes by focusing on reducing maladaptive repetitive negative thought (RNT: worry, rumination) for app delivery, including audio-exercises for immediate coping, reflection exercises, and plans linking strategies to warning signs to encourage practise in daily life. WP4 developed and trialled an innovative ecological momentary assessment (EMA) approach to assess RNT, which was found to reliably assess RNT in daily life and out-perform trait RNT measures in predicting psychopathology after 3 months. A pilot study developed a state-of-the-art method to detect dysfunctional rumination patterns in speech.

WP5 (Emotion Knowledge and Perception) has created assessment instruments and an intervention related to the ability to understand and recognise emotion processes in the self and in others. WP5 adapted, abbreviated, and validated performance tests that assess emotional competence as an ability on realistic tasks with emotional content. WP5 designed and refined a training task to teach young people about different facets of the emotional experience. WP5 advances the state-of-the-art by training emotion competence skills directly. In a gamified context, participants learn about eac

Final results

ECoWeB progresses beyond the state-of-the-art as the first multi-nation trial of a mental health promotion app in young people and by developing and testing an innovative approach to personalisation. Technological advancements include building of multiple configurations of the same app necessary for personalisation and the development of new voice analysis technology to identify emotions. Expected results include start of the large-scale trial in late 2019, recruiting over 2000 young people by fall 2020 and the data arising from the cohort trial, including evidence on the efficacy of the app in mental health promotion. ECoWeB has huge potential impact: an evidence-based effective scalable mental health promotion intervention would have major benefit for young people’s well-being and associated long-term socio-economic impact.

Website & more info

More info: http://www.ecowebproject.eu.