Christopher Houck1,2, Crosby A Modrowski2, Wendy Hadley3, David Barker1,2, Valerie Myers4, Kelsey Bala5, Brittany Wickham1, Tiffany Jerrod4. 1. Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Bradley Hasbro Children's Research Center, Rhode Island Hospital, Providence, RI. 2. Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Warren Alpert Medical School, Brown University, Providence, RI. 3. College of Education, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR. 4. Klein Buendel, Inc., Golden, CO; and. 5. Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Children's Research Center, Rhode Island Hospital, Providence, RI.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: This study examined the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary outcomes of internet-based Talking About Risk and Adolescent Choices (iTRAC), a tablet intervention designed to promote emotion regulation (ER) skills among middle schoolers as a strategy for reducing risk behaviors. METHODS: Adolescents (12-14 years) were recruited from 3 urban US schools for advisory groups (n = 15), acceptability testing (n = 11), and pilot testing (n = 85). Youth advisory boards and expert panels tailored content, resulting in an animated intervention of instructional videos, games, and activities designed to teach ER strategies to young adolescents. Eighty-five adolescents were randomized to the 4-module digital iTRAC intervention or a wait-list control group. Adolescents and 1 parent completed baseline and 3-month follow-up questionnaires examining ER attitudes and behaviors; adolescents also completed behavioral tasks related to distress tolerance. RESULTS: Among those randomized to iTRAC, 88% completed all modules. Moderate effect sizes ( d ≥ 0.36) were found from baseline to follow-up on adolescents' beliefs in the controllability of emotions, awareness of emotions, self-efficacy for managing emotions, perceived access to ER strategies, and use of ER strategies. Parent measures of adolescent regulation showed mixed results. CONCLUSION: A digital intervention to enhance ER skills for youth in early adolescence was feasible and demonstrated promising indicators of impact on emotional competence. Increasing adolescents' awareness of and access to ER strategies could reduce decisions driven by transient emotions, which in turn may reduce engagement in risk behaviors and resultant negative health outcomes. This brief tablet-based intervention has the potential to be self-administered and used to increase emotional competency.
OBJECTIVE: This study examined the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary outcomes of internet-based Talking About Risk and Adolescent Choices (iTRAC), a tablet intervention designed to promote emotion regulation (ER) skills among middle schoolers as a strategy for reducing risk behaviors. METHODS: Adolescents (12-14 years) were recruited from 3 urban US schools for advisory groups (n = 15), acceptability testing (n = 11), and pilot testing (n = 85). Youth advisory boards and expert panels tailored content, resulting in an animated intervention of instructional videos, games, and activities designed to teach ER strategies to young adolescents. Eighty-five adolescents were randomized to the 4-module digital iTRAC intervention or a wait-list control group. Adolescents and 1 parent completed baseline and 3-month follow-up questionnaires examining ER attitudes and behaviors; adolescents also completed behavioral tasks related to distress tolerance. RESULTS: Among those randomized to iTRAC, 88% completed all modules. Moderate effect sizes ( d ≥ 0.36) were found from baseline to follow-up on adolescents' beliefs in the controllability of emotions, awareness of emotions, self-efficacy for managing emotions, perceived access to ER strategies, and use of ER strategies. Parent measures of adolescent regulation showed mixed results. CONCLUSION: A digital intervention to enhance ER skills for youth in early adolescence was feasible and demonstrated promising indicators of impact on emotional competence. Increasing adolescents' awareness of and access to ER strategies could reduce decisions driven by transient emotions, which in turn may reduce engagement in risk behaviors and resultant negative health outcomes. This brief tablet-based intervention has the potential to be self-administered and used to increase emotional competency.
Authors: Christopher D Houck; David H Barker; Wendy Hadley; Larry K Brown; Amy Lansing; Brandon Almy; Evan Hancock Journal: Health Psychol Date: 2016-05-12 Impact factor: 4.267
Authors: Laura Kann; Steve Kinchen; Shari L Shanklin; Katherine H Flint; Joseph Kawkins; William A Harris; Richard Lowry; Emily O'Malley Olsen; Tim McManus; David Chyen; Lisa Whittle; Eboni Taylor; Zewditu Demissie; Nancy Brener; Jemekia Thornton; John Moore; Stephanie Zaza Journal: MMWR Suppl Date: 2014-06-13