Effective interventions targeting the mental health of children and young adults: A scoping review

The relationship between locomotive syndrome and depression in young Chinese college students

OBJECTIVES

This study investigates the relationship between locomotive syndrome (LS) and mental disorder (depression) in young Chinese college students.

METHODS

Our study population (n = 165; mean age of 19.82 ±1.90 years) comprises college student residents at Tsinghua University in Beijing, China. Three screening methods were used to evaluate LS: 25-question Geriatric Locomotive Function Scale (GLFS-25), a two-step test, and a stand-up test. Depression was screened by the Chinese version of the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale (ZSDS).

RESULTS

The prevalence of LS and depression was 20.1% and 30.9%, respectively. The LS group had lower grip strength and higher ZSDS scores than the non-LS group.

CONCLUSION

Young Chinese college students have a relatively high prevalence of LS, and LS and GLFS-25 scores were significantly related to depression. The present results suggest that management strategies for LS should consider depressive symptoms among young adults.

A Feasibility Study of the SAFE Pilot Program: A University-School Board Partnership in Ontario

The Support and Aid to Families Electronically (SAFE) pilot program was developed through a community-university partnership to support parents of elementary students in Ontario, while providing stable practicums for social work students in the midst of COVID-19 restrictions. Purpose: The aim of the current study was to examine the feasibility of the SAFE pilot program as a mental health support to families by examining three feasibility objectives: demand, acceptably, and implementation. Method: Qualitative data from interviews, focus groups, and qualitative surveys involving service users, social work students, referring school board and university professionals (n = 37) were examined. Results: Demand for SAFE extended beyond the pandemic. A high-level of acceptance of SAFE was identified. Areas of success and considerations for implementation are outlined. Discussion: This study provides practice guidance on implementing this unique program, with potential to address gaps in service provision and the ongoing crisis in field education.

A mobile healthy lifestyle intervention to promote mental health in adolescence: a mixed-methods evaluation

BACKGROUND

A healthy lifestyle may improve mental health. It is yet not known whether and how a mobile intervention can be of help in achieving this in adolescents. This study investigated the effectiveness and perceived underlying mechanisms of the mobile health (mHealth) intervention #LIFEGOALS to promote healthy lifestyles and mental health. #LIFEGOALS is an evidence-based app with activity tracker, including self-regulation techniques, gamification elements, a support chatbot, and health narrative videos.

METHODS

A quasi-randomized controlled trial (N = 279) with 12-week intervention period and process evaluation interviews (n = 13) took place during the COVID-19 pandemic. Adolescents (12-15y) from the general population were allocated at school-level to the intervention (n = 184) or to a no-intervention group (n = 95). Health-related quality of life (HRQoL), psychological well-being, mood, self-perception, peer support, resilience, depressed feelings, sleep quality and breakfast frequency were assessed via a web-based survey; physical activity, sedentary time, and sleep routine via Axivity accelerometers. Multilevel generalized linear models were fitted to investigate intervention effects and moderation by pandemic-related measures. Interviews were coded using thematic analysis.

RESULTS

Non-usage attrition was high: 18% of the participants in the intervention group never used the app. An additional 30% stopped usage by the second week. Beneficial intervention effects were found for physical activity (χ21 = 4.36, P = .04), sedentary behavior (χ21 = 6.44, P = .01), sleep quality (χ21 = 6.11, P = .01), and mood (χ21 = 2.30, P = .02). However, effects on activity-related behavior were only present for adolescents having normal sports access, and effects on mood only for adolescents with full in-school education. HRQoL (χ22 = 14.72, P < .001), mood (χ21 = 6.03, P = .01), and peer support (χ21 = 13.69, P < .001) worsened in adolescents with pandemic-induced remote-education. Interviewees reported that the reward system, self-regulation guidance, and increased health awareness had contributed to their behavior change. They also pointed to the importance of social factors, quality of technology and autonomy for mHealth effectiveness.

CONCLUSIONS

#LIFEGOALS showed mixed results on health behaviors and mental health. The findings highlight the role of contextual factors for mHealth promotion in adolescence, and provide suggestions to optimize support by a chatbot and narrative episodes.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov [NCT04719858], registered on 22/01/2021.

Occupational experiences and their importance for young peoples' mental health

BACKGROUND

Young peoples' mental health challenges have increased in recent years to become an urgent public health issue. Research is required to gain a better understanding of how occupations influence young peoples' everyday lives and support their mental health.

AIM

How do young people experience engaging in various occupations in their daily lives, and how do these experiences shape their mental health?

METHOD

Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 Norwegian young people aged 13-16 years. Verbatim transcriptions of the interviews were analysed using thematic analysis.

RESULTS

Four core themes emerged: 'doing' for balance and stability; self-discovery through doing; intentional doing to recharge and feel free; and reflecting on the consequences of doing social media.

CONCLUSIONS

Young peoples' occupational experiences shape their mental health in several ways: they serve as coping strategies, as a means to experience joy and accomplishment, and as a source of routines and opportunities for relaxation. We suggest that health-promoting initiatives for young people would strongly benefit from the inclusion of an occupational perspective.

Improving Children's Mental Health Literacy Through the Cocreation of an Intervention and Scale Validation: Protocol for the CHILD-Mental Health Literacy Research Study

BACKGROUND

Children's mental health is a public health priority, with 1 in 5 European children younger than 12 years having a behavioral, developmental, or psychological disorder. Mental health literacy (MHL) is a modifiable determinant of mental health, promoting psychological well-being and reducing mental health problems. Despite its significance, no interventions or scales currently exist for increasing and measuring MHL in this population.

OBJECTIVE

This study has dual objectives: (1) cocreating and evaluating an intervention on children's MHL, and (2) developing and validating a scale that measures children's MHL.

METHODS

Our study focuses on children aged 9-11 years attending primary school classes in various settings, including urban and rural areas, and priority education zones within a French department. Using a participatory research approach, we will conduct workshops involving children, parents, teachers, and 1 artist to cocreate an intervention comprising multiple tools (eg, a pedagogical kit and videos). This intervention will undergo initial evaluation in 4 classes through observations, interviews, and satisfaction questionnaires to assess its viability. Concurrently, the artist will collaborate with children to create the initial version of the CHILD-MHL scale, which will then be administered to 300 children. Psychometric analyses will validate the scale. Subsequently, we will conduct a cluster randomized controlled trial involving a minimum of 20 classes, using the CHILD-MHL scale scores as the primary end point to evaluate the intervention's efficacy. Additional interviews will complement this mixed methods evaluation. Both the intervention and the scale are grounded in the Child-Focused MHL model.

RESULTS

The first tool of the intervention is the pedagogical kit Le Jardin du Dedans, supported by the public organization Psycom Santé Mentale Info and endorsed by UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund) France. The second tool is a handbook by the Pan American Health Organization and the World Health Organization, which is addressed to teachers to sensitize them to children's mental health problems. The third is a 5-page supplementary leaflet produced by the nongovernmental organization The Ink Link, which teaches children the notion of MHL. Finally, we produced 56 items of the MHL Scale and listed existing education policies for children's mental health.

CONCLUSIONS

After its robust evaluation, the intervention could be extended to several schools in France. The scale will be the first in the world to measure children's MHL. It will be used not only to evaluate interventions but also to provide data for decision makers to include MHL in all educational policies. Both the intervention and the scale could be translated into other languages.

INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID)

PRR1-10.2196/51096.

The Influence of Disney Musical Practice Course on the Mental Health of Chinese Left-Behind Children from the Perspective of Art Communication

Background

In recent years, with a large number of rural people going out to work, the mental problems of left-behind children have been widely concerned by people from all walks of life.

Objective

The purpose is to improve the teaching quality of music education of left-behind children and solve their unique mental problems.

Methods

Based on the questionnaire survey, the mental state of left-behind children is studied, and the mental problems of left-behind children are intervened based on musical practice classes. First, the left-behind children's mental status is studied. Second, through the questionnaire, the left-behind children's music classroom status is studied and analyzed. Then, the musical classroom intervention experiment is designed to prevent and adjust the left-behind children's mental problems.

Results

The results show that more than 90% of left-behind children spend less than one month with their parents every year. Most of the left-behind children are supervised by their grandparents, and 68% of them have been accompanied by their grandparents for more than nine months. Due to the lack of parents' company, most of the left-behind children are lack of self-confidence and timid and tend to care about others' opinions. Musical practice classes have a good effect on the regulation and prevention of left-behind children's mental problems.

Conclusions

This study uses a questionnaire survey method to explore the new form of left-behind children's music classroom, preventing and regulating left-behind children's mental problems, which provides a reference for the research in related fields.