Upper secondary school students' compliance with two Internet-based self-help programmes: a randomised controlled...

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Adolescent Health
• Digital Health

Background:

• Rising rates of psychiatric symptoms and stress in Swedish adolescents.
• Need for accessible mental health interventions for young people.
• Exploration of digital self-help programs for adolescent well-being.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the feasibility and potential effects of two internet-based self-help programs (mindfulness-based and music-based) for adolescents.
• To assess the impact of these programs on psychiatric symptoms, sleep quality, and perceived stress.
• To investigate compliance rates with internet-based interventions among adolescents.

Main Methods:

• Randomized controlled trial involving 283 upper secondary school students in Sweden.
• Interventions: internet-based mindfulness (iMBI) and music programs, plus a waiting list control.
• Assessments included Symptoms Checklist 90, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and Perceived Stress Scale pre- and post-intervention.

Main Results:

• Low compliance was observed, with fewer than 20 participants logging into each program and only one completing the iMBI program.
• No significant differences in psychiatric health, sleep quality, or stress were found between intervention completers and non-completers.
• The study could not assess the programs' potential effects due to extremely low engagement rates.

Conclusions:

• Adolescents exhibit very low compliance with unsupervised internet-based self-help programs.
• Further research is required to identify methods for increasing adolescent engagement in digital mental health interventions.
• Enhancing compliance is crucial for realizing the potential benefits of internet-based mindfulness programs for adolescent mental health.