New environments are known to be anxiogenic initially for many animals including the zebrafish. In the zebrafish, a novel tank diving (NTD) assay for solitary fish has been used extensively to model anxiety and the effect of anxiolytics. However, studies can differ in the conditions used to perform this assay. Here, we report the development of an efficient, automated toolset and optimal conditions for effective use of this assay. Applying these tools, we found that two important variables in previous studies, the direction of illumination of the novel tank and the age of the subject fish, both influence endpoints commonly measured to assess anxiety. When tanks are illuminated from underneath, several parameters such as the time spent at the bottom of the tank, or the transitions to the top half of the tank become poor measures of acclimation to the novel environment. Older fish acclimate faster to the same settings. The size of the novel tank and the intensity of the illuminating light can also influence acclimation. Among the parameters measured, reduction in the frequency of erratic swimming (darting) is the most reliable indicator of anxiolysis. Open source pipeline for automated data acquisition and systematic analysis generated here and available to other researchers will improve accessibility and uniformity in measurements. They can also be directly applied to study other fish. As this assay is commonly used to model anxiety phenotype of neuropsychiatric ailments in zebrafish, we expect our tools will further aid comparative and meta-analyses.

Background University students often experience numerous financial, social and emotional stressors that can affect their mental health. The Peer Support Centre (PSC) is a pilot project that was established to provide peer support to students in these stressful conditions. We wanted to investigate whether peer support is a viable form of support that would benefit university students. The objective of this study is to determine whether the organization was indeed providing a beneficial service to students and if it was fulfilling the needs of the students that visited the service. Methods After a support session, students and peer support providers completed an anonymous questionnaire regarding their self-reported mental wellbeing using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) metrics, and Outcome Rating Scale (ORS). They were also asked about their experience with previous professional mental health services as well as their experience at the PSC. With the data collected from 1043 students and 797 volunteers from September 2016–March 2020, a program evaluation was conducted for quality improvement purposes. Results The PSC is used by students of different sexes, genders, and ethnicities. Students reported having a low ORS score, moderate anxiety as per the GAD-7 and moderate depression according to the PHQ-9. They find it easy to use and rely on it as an alternative form of support when they approach barriers that prevent them from accessing professional services. Lastly, the peer support providers feel very validated in their role and overall quite prepared and helpful when helping their fellow peers. Conclusions The establishment of a student service that provides peer support would be beneficial to the members of a university/college campus.

Background Emotion regulation is an ability related to psychological well-being; when dysregulated, individuals may have psychiatric symptoms and maladapted physiological responses. Virtual reality–assisted cognitive behavioral therapy (VR-CBT) is an effective psychotherapy to target and strengthen emotion regulation; however, it currently lacks cultural sensitivity and can be improved by adapting it to the cultural context of service users. During previous participatory research, we co-designed a culturally adapted cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) manual and 2 virtual reality (VR) environments to function as a complement to therapy (VR-CBT) for Inuit who would like to access psychotherapy. Emotion regulation skill building will occur in virtual environments that have interactive components such as heart rate biofeedback. Objective We describe a protocol for a proof-of-concept 2-arm randomized controlled trial (RCT) with Inuit (n=40) in Québec. The primary aims of this research are to investigate the feasibility, benefits, and challenges of the culturally adapted VR-CBT intervention versus an established VR self-management that is available commercially. We will also investigate self-rated mental well-being and objective psychophysiological measures. Finally, we will use proof-of-concept data to identify suitable primary outcome measures, conduct power calculations in a larger trial for efficacy, and collect information about preferences for on-site or at-home treatment. Methods Trial participants will be randomly assigned to an active condition or active control condition in a 1:1 ratio. Inuit aged 14 to 60 years will receive a culturally adapted and therapist-guided VR-CBT with biofeedback or a VR relaxation program with nonpersonalized guided components over a 10-week period. We will collect pre- and posttreatment measures of emotion regulation and biweekly assessments over the treatment and at 3-month follow-up. The primary outcome will be measured by the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS-16) and a novel psychophysiological reactivity paradigm. Secondary measures include psychological symptoms and well-being via rating scales (eg, anxiety or depressive symptoms). Results As this is the prospective registration of an RCT protocol, we do not yet report any results from the trial. Funding was confirmed in January 2020, and recruitment is expected to start in March 2023 and is set to finish in August 2025. The expected results are to be published in spring 2026. Conclusions The proposed study responds to the community’s desire for accessible and appropriate resources for psychological well-being, as it was developed in active collaboration with the Inuit community in Québec. We will test feasibility and acceptance by comparing a culturally adapted, on-site psychotherapy with a commercial self-management program while incorporating novel technology and measurement in the area of Indigenous health. We also aim to fulfill the needs for RCT evidence of culturally adapted psychotherapies that are lacking in Canada. Trial Registration International Standard Randomized Controlled Trial Number (ISRCTN) 21831510; https://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN21831510 International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID) PRR1-10.2196/40236

Background: University/college campuses are a rigorous academic environment that also contain numerous financial, social and emotional stressors that often result in the deterioration of students’ mental health. The Peer Support Centre (PSC) is a pilot project that was established to provide peer support to students in these stressful conditions. We wanted to investigate whether peer support is a viable form of support that would benefit university students. The objective of this study is to determine whether the organization was indeed providing a beneficial service to students and if it was fulfilling the needs of the students that visited the service.Methods: After a support session, students (also referred to as supportees) were asked to complete an anonymous questionnaire regarding their self-reported mental wellbeing, their experience with previous professional mental health services, and their experience at the PSC. There weren’t any selection criteria for either the supportees or volunteers as the completion of the questionnaire was completely voluntary. Additionally, volunteers (also referred to as supporters) were asked to complete a similar questionnaire after conducting a support session. With the data collected from 1043 supportees and 797 volunteers from September 2016 – March 2020, a program evaluation was conducted for quality improvement purposes. The responses to the questionnaires were analysed by calculating the means, modes, standard deviations and performing Two-Sample t-tests.Results: The PSC is used by a wide variety of students of different sexes, genders, ethnicities. Students reported having a low ORS score, moderate anxiety as per the GAD-7 and moderate depression according to the PHQ-9. They find it easy to use and rely on it as an alternative form of support when they approach barriers that prevent them from accessing professional services. Lastly, the supporters feel very validated in their role and overall quite prepared and helpful when helping their fellow peers.Conclusions: The established of a service that delivers peer support would be beneficial to the students on a university or college campus as it can serve as a complement to professional services.

BACKGROUND Emotion regulation is an ability related to psychological well-being; when dysregulated, individuals may have psychiatric symptoms and maladapted physiological responses. Cognitive behavioural therapy combined with virtual reality (VR-CBT or CBT-VR) is an effective psychotherapy to target and strengthen emotion regulation, but currently lacks cultural sensitivity and could be improved by adapting it to the cultural context of service users. OBJECTIVE We describe a protocol for a proof-of-concept two-arm randomized controlled trial (RCT) with n=40 Inuit in Quebec. METHODS In a ten-week intervention, Inuit aged 14-60 will receive a culturally adapted VR-CBT with biofeedback or self-guided VR relaxation program. The trial will assess emotion regulation with objective and subjective measures at baseline, throughout and after the treatment and at a 3-month follow-up. The primary outcome is measured by the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS-16) and a novel psychophysiological reactivity paradigm. Secondary measures include psychological symptoms and wellbeing via rating scales. RESULTS NA CONCLUSIONS The proposed study responds to community desire for accessible and appropriate resources for psychological well-being, as it was developed in active collaboration with the Inuit community in Quebec. We compare a culturally adapted psychotherapy to a commercial self-management program, incorporate novel technology and measurement, and fulfill needs for RCT evidence of culturally adapted psychotherapies. CLINICALTRIAL ISRCTN, ISRCTN21831510, registered 29 April 2022, https://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN21831510