Although several randomized clinical trials have demonstrated that digital mental health (DMH) tools are highly effective, most consumers do not sustain their use of these tools. The field currently lacks an understanding of DMH tool engagement, how engagement is associated with well-being, and what practices are effective at sustaining engagement. In this partnership between Mental Health America, Talkspace, and the University of Washington (UW), we propose a naturalistic and experimental, theory driven program of research, with the aim of understanding 1) how consumer engagement in self-help and clinician assisted DMH varies and what engagement patterns exist, 2) the association between patterns of engagement and important consumer outcomes, and 3) the effectiveness of personalized strategies for optimal engagement with DMH treatment.
Patient Population: Adolescents
Beliefs and Attitudes for Successful Implementation in Schools
This research developed and tested a pre-implementation intervention, based on Motivational Interviewing, as means of facilitating greater adoption of useful school-based practices among preventionists working in high schools.
A Hybrid Effectiveness-Implementation Trial of a School-based Teen Marijuana Check-Up
This research supports the conduct of a Type II hybrid trial, which compares via two-arm RCT features: 1) gold-standard vs. as-needed clinician coaching for school-based interventions over a two-year period, and 2) the clinical effectiveness of TMCU vs. services-as-usual among marijuana-using students.
Latinx Health in Rural Areas (Project LAHRA)
This project aims to examine health disparities in substance use and factors influencing the health and well-being of Latinx youth residing in rural and small-town communities of the United States, a growing but understudied and underserved population.
Global Mental Health Databank (MindKind)
| The goal of this study is to learn how best to design a databank – a pool of data – about emotional health experiences from youth from around the world. The University of Washington is partnering with Sage Bionetworks to develop a user-friendly data platform for mental health interventions for youth. The overall scope of this project is to recruit 1,500 youth in South Africa, India, and the UK (each) to engage in a mental health intervention and both share their data and help co-design a user-friendly database for lay people, researchers and other key stakeholders. The University of Washington will provide global mental health expertise to Sage’s team to guide design, implementation, and interpretation of data collected. |
Communication and Recovery Enhancement (CARE) clinical trial
This study aims to refine and test a brief intervention (CARE) that aims to promote recovery in recent sexual assault survivors. CARE is delivered to supporters of sexual assault survivors (e.g., friends, family members, romantic partners), with or without the survivor present. It aims to encourage conversations about the assault and decrease negative reactions by the supporter. In stage 1 of this study, we will conduct feedback sessions with 8-10 dyads of survivors and their supporters to finalize the intervention materials. In stage 2, we will conduct a pilot clinical trial of CARE with 60 dyads, who will be randomized to dyadic intervention, supporter-only intervention, or waitlist control.
Initial efficacy trial of a group-based implementation strategy designed to increase teacher delivery of evidence-based prevention programs
The purpose of this project is to test the effects of BASIS-T (Beliefs and Attitudes to Support Implementation in Schools – Teachers) on the implementation and student outcomes of evidence-based prevention programs (EBPP) via a hybrid type 3 implementation-effectiveness trial. Failing to address individual-level motivational factors of implementers is especially costly, as individual behavior change is ultimately required for successful EBPP implementation, even when organizational factors such as evidence-informed policy, supportive leadership, and effective training are in place. Hybrid type 3 trials allow for testing the effects of implementation strategies, as well as observing the reproducibility of particular EBPPs — in this case, CHAMPS, a universal classroom management program for improving student social, behavioral, and academic outcomes.
A Research Institute for Implementation Science in Education (RIISE) to address the “Last Mile” in education
Longstanding gaps between science and practice in schools have contributed to a persistent “last mile” problem in which education research consistently fails to reach the individuals for whom it was intended. Implementation research is an emerging scientific study in education of methods to promote the systematic uptake of research findings and evidence-based programs and practices into routine services. The purpose of this three-year methods training grant is to increase the number of education scholars with expertise in conceptualizing, designing, and executing implementation research studies. We propose to establish a Research Institute for Implementation Science in Education (RIISE) that will provide training and mentorship to increase human intellectual capital devoted to implementation research study design in education and build a network of implementation scientists devoted to bridging the “last mile.”
PATHSS Study: Participatory Active Transportation for Health in South Seattle
This observational study will examine mobility challenges and opportunities among people living and working in South Beacon Hill using participatory research methods: 1) community member photography-enhanced storytelling (photovoice), 2) interviews with Beacon Hill stakeholders and community members, and 3) mobility audits.
Disseminating a user-friendly guide: Advancing the science of intervention adaptation and improving access to evidence-based psychological treatment
Adaptation of evidence-based practices and programs (EBPs) is a necessary component of the implementation process. EBPs must be adapted to function with the constraints of real-world practice settings, providers’ expertise, and patients’ needs. The science of intervention adaptation is hungry for well-defined methods of EBP adaptation to guide decision making. A how-to guide for EBP adaptation titled MODIFI: Making Optimal Decisions for Intervention Flexibility during Implementation, is under development with NIMH funding (F32 MH116623). MODIFI will be disseminated via multiple strategies locally, nationally, and internationally. Dissemination of MODIFI will improve the practice of intervention adaptation by providing practitioners with a how-to guide that is (a) evidence-based, (b) usable, and (c) supported by the expert consensus of implementation practitioners and researchers.
