Purpose The purpose of this paper is to test a mental wellness intervention, Mood Lifters (ML), that addresses significant barriers to mental health care. ML includes adults over 18 struggling with mental wellness or any life difficulties, except those with active suicidality, mania and psychosis, and addresses barriers to care using peer leaders in a manualized group format with a gamified point system. Design/methodology/approach Participants were recruited using online postings. Those eligible (76% female, 80% white) were randomly assigned to professional-led groups (N = 30), peer-led groups (N = 33) or a waitlist (N = 22; i.e. attended assigned condition if available). Participants completed pre- and postgroup measures (including the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 and Perceived Stress Scale), attended 15 weekly meetings and tracked “points” or at-home skills practice. Multiple imputation was used to account for attrition. Linear regressions were analyzed to determine the program’s impact on anxiety and depressive symptoms and perceived stress. Further analyses included comparisons between peer- and professional-led groups. Findings Participants in ML experienced significant reductions in anxiety symptoms. Completing more homework across the program led to significant reductions in anxiety and perceived stress. Finally, there were no significant differences in attendance, homework completed or outcomes between peer- and professional-led groups. Practical implications Overall, participation in the ML program led to reduced anxiety symptoms, and for those who completed more homework, reduced perceived stress. More accessible programs can make a significant impact on symptoms and are critical to address the overburdened care system. Additionally, there were no differences between leader types indicating that peers may be an effective way to address accessibility concerns. Originality/value ML is unique for three reasons: it takes a biopsychosocial/Research Domain Criteria approach to mental wellness (i.e. incorporates many areas relevant to mental health, does not focus on a specific diagnosis), overcomes major barriers to mental health care and uses a peer-delivery model. These attributes, taken together with the results of this study, present a care alternative for those with less access.
Effective, scalable mental health programs are greatly needed for older adults. In this study, Mood Lifters—a peer-led, community-based program promoting mental well-being—was adapted to more specifically address the needs of older adults. Two groups completed the 14-week program via Zoom. A total of 24 participants enrolled ( Mage = 72 years), with 20 (83%) completing the program. Compared to baseline, program completers showed significant improvements in depression symptoms ( p < .01), perceived stress ( p = .04), sleep quality ( p < .01), physical activity ( p < .01), and brain health behaviors ( p = .01), with improvements maintained at 1-month follow-up. No significant changes were reported in participants’ anxiety, loneliness, or resilience. Participant ratings of program satisfaction were very high ( M = 4.75/5). Results suggest Mood Lifters for Seniors is feasible to disseminate and acceptable to older adults, with preliminary evidence of benefits in several mental health domains. Future randomized trials with larger, more diverse samples are needed to confirm program benefits.
Objectives Parents of medically complex children juggle unique demands associated with caring for chronically ill children, many of which negatively impact their mental wellbeing. Despite this, parents of medically complex children often forgo mental health support due to concerns with costs, time, stigma, and accessibility. There is limited research on evidence-based interventions addressing such barriers for these caregivers. We piloted an adapted version of Mood Lifters, a peer-led wellness program, to equip parents of medically complex children with evidence-based strategies to manage their mental health while also reducing barriers to support. We hypothesized parents would find Mood Lifters to be feasible and acceptable. Further, parents would experience improvements in mental wellbeing upon program completion. Methods We conducted a single-arm prospective pilot study to assess Mood Lifters for parents of medically complex children. Participants included 51 parents in the U.S. recruited from a local pediatric hospital providing care for their children. Caregiver mental wellbeing was assessed through validated questionnaires pre-intervention (T1) and post-intervention (T2). Repeated-measures analysis of variance was conducted to evaluate change between T1 and T2. Results Analyses from T1 and T2 (n = 18) revealed improvements in parents’ depression (F(1,17) = 7.691, p = 0.013) and anxiety (F(1,17) = 6.431, p = 0.021) after program completion. Improvements in perceived stress and positive and negative emotion were significant at p < 0.0083. Significance of results Parents of medically complex children experienced improved mental health upon participating in Mood Lifters. Results offer preliminary support for the feasibility and acceptability of Mood Lifters as an evidence-based care option that may also alleviate common barriers to care.
Subjects (N = 100) studied a series of 6 natural exemplars (birds) from each of 12 different categories (families). Birds were presented in one of 4 ways: (1) blocked by category; (2) intermixed; (3) first blocked, then intermixed; or (4) first intermixed, then blocked. Following study, subjects judged the likelihood that they would be able to classify new birds belonging to families that had been studied earlier. Finally, subjects were asked to classify 6 new birds from each of 12 studied families. The data were collected in the laboratory and are stored using figshare in an Excel file alongside an annotation file. The data can inform future investigations of the way that individuals learn natural concepts and categories.
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