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JoyPop Mobile Mental Health App With Transitional-Aged Youth

Anxiety | Depression | Stress | Emotion Regulation

New challenges, stressors, and a loss of support often accompany the transition from adolescence to adulthood. Not surprisingly, transitional-aged youth (TAY) between the ages of 18-25 experience some of the highest rates of mental distress. However, access to mental health services diminish for TAY due to gaps in care when transitioning from pediatric to adult services. These challenges are exacerbated in rural communities, such as in Northwestern Ontario, where youth already access mental health services less frequently and face longer wait times than those in more urban areas. Limited access and extended waits can exacerbate symptoms, prolong distress, and increase the risk for adverse outcomes. Novel, innovative approaches are urgently needed to support TAY in Northwestern Ontario. In partnership with St. Joseph Care Group and Thunder Bay Counselling Centre, the investigators are evaluating the impact of a mental health app (JoyPop) as a tool for TAY waiting for mental health services. The JoyPop app was developed to support improved emotion regulation - a fundamental difficulty for youth presenting with mental health challenges. A two-arm randomized controlled trial (RCT) will be used to evaluate the effectiveness of the app compared to usual practice while TAY are waiting for mental health services.

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Participation Requirements

  • Sex:

    ALL

  • Eligible Ages:

    18 to 25

Participation Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

* Youth must be on the wait-list for mental health services at St. Joseph's Care Group or Thunder Bay Counselling Centre and be between 18-25 years old.
* Eligible youth will also need to be available to attend a virtual or in-person orientation session.
* In order to download the JoyPop app, participants will need access to an iOS device (e.g., iPhone, iPad). Refurbished iPhones containing just the JoyPop app will be provided to participants to use for the duration of the trial if they do not have access to their own.

Study Location

Lakehead University
Lakehead University
Thunder Bay, Ontario
Canada

Contact Study Team

Primary Contact

Aislin R Mushquash, PhD

Study Sponsored By
Lakehead University
Participants Required
More Information
Study ID: NCT06239545