Background Treating substance use disorders (SUDs) during adolescence can prevent adult addiction and improve youth outcomes. However, it can be challenging to keep adolescents with SUDs engaged in ongoing services, thus limiting potential benefits. Developmentally appropriate tools are needed to improve treatment engagement during and between sessions for youth with SUDs and mental health disorders. Mobile health apps may augment or replace psychotherapy components; however, few have been developed specifically for youth with SUDs following user-guided design principles, which may limit their appropriateness and utility. Formative research on acceptability to intended end users is needed before the efficacy of such tools can be examined. Objective This study involves user-centered, iterative development and initial user testing of a web-based app for adolescents with SUDs and mental health concerns. Methods Adolescents aged 14 to 17 years with past-year involvement in outpatient psychotherapy and behavioral health clinicians with adolescent SUD treatment caseloads were recruited. Across 2 assessment phases, 40 participants (alpha: 10 youths and 10 clinicians; beta: 10 youths and 10 clinicians) viewed an app demonstration and completed semistructured interviews and questionnaires about app content and functionality. Results Participants expressed positive impressions of the app and its potential utility in augmenting outpatient therapy for youth with SUDs and mental health concerns. Noted strengths included valuable educational content, useful embedded resources, and a variety of activities. Adolescents and clinicians favored the app over conventional (paper-and-pencil) modalities, citing convenience and familiarity. The app was found to be user-friendly and likely to improve treatment engagement. Adolescents suggested the inclusion of privacy settings, and clinicians recommended more detailed instructions and simplified language. Conclusions The novel app developed here appears to be a promising, acceptable, and highly scalable resource to support adolescents with SUDs and mental health concerns. Future studies should test the efficacy of such apps in enhancing adolescent behavioral health treatment engagement and outcomes.
BACKGROUND Traumatically injured youth experience elevated risk for behavioral health disorders, yet post-hospital monitoring of patients’ behavioral health is rare. The Telehealth Resilience and Recovery Program (TRRP) was originally developed to address this gap for mental health recovery but not substance use. OBJECTIVE To use an iterative, user-guided approach to inform substance use adaptations to TRRP procedures. METHODS Semi-structured interviews were conducted with young people discharged from trauma centers (n=20) and trauma healthcare providers (n=15). Responses were analyzed to guide new TRRP substance use content and procedures. RESULTS Identified themes concerned gaps in care; automation; user personalization; and privacy concerns. A multimedia, web-based, mobile education application was developed, and TRRP procedures were adapted to target opioid and other substance use disorder risk. CONCLUSIONS Patients and healthcare providers found TRRP and its expansion to address substance use acceptable. Novel content and procedures developed here will be evaluated in a future trial.
BACKGROUND Developmentally appropriate tools are needed that improve behavioral health treatment engagement and outcomes for youth with substance use disorders (SUDs) and mental health disorders. Mobile health applications may augment or replace psychotherapy components, but few have been developed specifically for youth with SUDs following user-guided design principles, which may limit their appropriateness and utility. OBJECTIVE This study involved the user-centered, iterative development and initial user testing of a web-based app for adolescents with SUDs and mental health concerns. METHODS Adolescents aged 14-17 with past-year involvement in outpatient psychotherapy and behavioral health clinicians with adolescent SUD treatment caseloads were recruited. Across two assessment phases (alpha: 10 youth, 10 clinicians; beta: 10 youth, 10 clinicians), participants viewed an app demonstration and completed semi-structured interviews and questionnaires about app content and functionality. RESULTS Participants expressed positive impressions of the app and its potential utility in augmenting outpatient therapy for youth with SUDs and mental health concerns. Noted strengths included valuable educational content, useful embedded resources, and the variety of activities. Adolescents and clinicians favored the app over conventional (paper-and-pencil) modalities, citing convenience and familiarity. The app was found to be user-friendly and likely to improve treatment engagement. Adolescents suggested including privacy settings, and clinicians recommended more detailed instructions and simplified language. CONCLUSIONS The novel app developed here appears to be a promising, acceptable, and highly scalable resource to support for adolescents with SUDs and mental health concerns. Future studies should test the efficacy of such apps in enhancing treatment engagement and outcomes.
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