Skip to content

HELP (HEalthy Lifestyles Project) for Youth With Mental Distress

Mental Health Issue

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn about how healthcare providers can support youths' mental health. The main question\[s\] it aims to answer are:

* Do youth (12 to 17 years of age) who engage in the 6-month HELP e-intervention have a larger improvement in emotional health (measured by the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire) than youth who do not receive the intervention?
* Does engagement in the HELP e-intervention improve lifestyle behaviour (physical activity, sleep or screen time)?
* Do youth who engage in the 6-month HELP e-intervention utilize fewer mental healthcare resources, during and for 1 year following study participation, than youth who do not receive the intervention? Participants will receive the HELP intervention for 6 months, either immediately or after waiting 6 months from study enrollment. At 0, 3, 6, and 12 months, participants will answer a series of questionnaires to assess their emotional health and lifestyle behaviors. Researchers will compare the emotional health and lifestyle behaviors of youth who received HELP immediately to those who wait for 6 months prior to the intervention to see if their emotional health or lifestyle behaviors differ.

null

Participation Requirements

  • Sex:

    ALL

  • Eligible Ages:

    12 to 17

Participation Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

* Youth 12-17 years of age seeking, waiting for or receiving support for emotional distress.
* Able to provide informed consent to study participation.
* Able to engage in the HELP e-intervention in English (French translation of the e-modules will not be available until intervention efficacy is established).
* Willing to be randomized to a study group.
* Willing to complete objective behaviour measures if selected (1 of 3 participants).
* Willing to complete the study questionnaires.
* Willing to provide consent for evaluation of mental healthcare system outcomes via their health record.

Exclusion Criteria:

* Identified or suspected eating disorder
* Youth whose health or family status is deemed to be inappropriate for the study as per their most responsible clinician.

Study Location

Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario
Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario
Ottawa, Ontario
Canada

Contact Study Team

Primary Contact

Pat Longmuir, PhD

[email protected]
6137383908
Study Sponsored By
Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario
Participants Required
More Information
Study ID: NCT06232733