OurChild Digital Platform for Child Mental Health

Overseen By Yi-Ling Tan, MPH

Age: Any Age

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: NYU Langone Health

Disqualifiers: Siblings, No smartphone, others

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: Unknown

254 Participants Needed

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial aims to create a digital platform, called OurChild, to improve access to mental health resources for young Chinese American children and their families. It focuses on addressing the mental health needs of children aged 2 to 6 years in the Sunset Park area of Brooklyn. The trial seeks children who have received primary care at a specific clinic for at least six months and whose family identifies as Chinese. Parents must have a smartphone to participate. As an unphased trial, this study offers families the chance to contribute to innovative solutions for mental health support in their community.

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial information does not specify whether participants need to stop taking their current medications.

What prior data suggests that the OurChild mHealth Digital Platform is safe for children?

Research has shown that digital tools for children's mental health are generally safe and well-received. Studies on mobile apps for kids' mental health have found these tools helpful and not harmful. For example, a review of safety apps demonstrated they can lower risks for vulnerable children without causing major problems.

Moreover, digital platforms like OurChild are designed to support mental health and improve access to resources. Although specific safety data on OurChild is not available, similar digital solutions for children's mental health have proven promising and usually safe. This suggests that the OurChild platform is likely safe for supporting young children's mental health. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about the OurChild mHealth Digital Platform because it offers a fresh approach to addressing child mental health. Unlike traditional treatments, such as in-person therapy or medication, this digital platform provides support through mobile health technology, making it more accessible and convenient for families. It empowers children and their caregivers by offering personalized, interactive resources that can be accessed anytime, which could enhance engagement and adherence compared to standard methods. This innovative platform aims to bridge gaps in mental health care, potentially reaching underserved populations who may face barriers to conventional treatment.

What evidence suggests that the OurChild mHealth Digital Platform is effective for early childhood mental health?

Research shows that digital platforms like OurChild, studied in this trial, can greatly benefit children's mental health. Studies on similar online tools reveal they ease access to mental health information and services. This is crucial for communities with unmet needs, such as Chinese American immigrant families. OurChild aims to close this gap by digitally connecting families with mental health resources. This approach has proven effective in raising mental health awareness and access in other communities. ^{3 6 7 8 9}

Who Is on the Research Team?

Simona Kwon, DrPh

Principal Investigator

NYU Langone Health

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for Chinese American children aged 2-6 and their parents in Sunset Park, Brooklyn. Parents must be legal guardians, willing to consent, and have a smartphone. Children should prefer Chinese language and have been patients at the specified health center for over 6 months.

Inclusion Criteria

Child must have been receiving pediatric primary care at the 7th Ave FHC for at least 6 months

My child is between 2 and 6 years old.

Parents must be the child's parent/legal guardian

Exclusion Criteria

Siblings and parents of previously enrolled children

You need to have an iPhone or Android smartphone to participate.

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Design and Development

Collaborate with stakeholders to conduct needs analysis and participatory design activities; build a digital library of resources; pilot and assess the beta version of OurChild

18 months

Implementation and Evaluation

Evaluate the reach, effectiveness, adoption, implementation, and maintenance of OurChild 1.0 through an implementation cohort study

27 months

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for changes in accessing resources, parent-provider engagement, and referrals

3 months

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• OurChild mHealth Digital Platform

Trial Overview

The OurChild mHealth Digital Platform is being tested as a tool to improve access to mental health information and services for young Chinese American children by integrating with electronic health records.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: OurChild Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

NYU Langone Health

Lead Sponsor

Trials

1,431

Recruited

838,000+

National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD)

Collaborator

Trials

473

Recruited

1,374,000+

Published Research Related to This Trial

A scoping review of 32 articles revealed that eHealth applications can effectively promote child mental health in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), focusing on interventions for families, school mental health services, and pediatric care systems.

Most eHealth studies reported positive outcomes, indicating that while many were conducted in high-income countries, their design strategies can be adapted for LMICs, highlighting the need for more research to test these strategies in diverse contexts.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Use of Technology to Promote Child Behavioral Health in the Context of Pediatric Care: A Scoping Review and Applications to Low- and Middle-Income Countries. Huang, KY., Lee, D., Nakigudde, J., et al.[2023]

Out of 3806 mental health apps identified, only 15 (0.39%) met the criteria for targeting anxiety, depression, or PTSD in youth, indicating a significant lack of quality options available for young users.

The overall quality of the eligible apps was moderate, with a mean score of 3.59 on the Mobile App Rating Scale, and only one app had been evaluated in a randomized controlled trial, highlighting the need for more rigorous scientific evaluation and development of mental health apps.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Mobile-based interventions for common mental disorders in youth: a systematic evaluation of pediatric health apps. Domhardt, M., Messner, EM., Eder, AS., et al.[2021]

The user embracement software for pediatric risk classification was evaluated positively by specialists, achieving over 70% approval in key quality areas such as functional adequacy (100% from informatics specialists) and safety (100% from nursing specialists).

Overall, the software demonstrated strong technical quality and functional performance, with high scores in usability (84.9% from informatics and 98.7% from nursing) and performance efficiency (93.4% from informatics and 96.2% from nursing).

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Evaluation of user embracement software with pediatric risk classification. Felipe, GF., Lima, FET., Barbosa, LP., et al.[2021]

The Assioma m-Health platform was developed to enhance communication and data collection in a child and adolescent neuropsychiatry unit, showing high usability and satisfaction among families (50% satisfied) and clinicians (33% satisfied) based on a study with 30 participants (24 caregivers and 6 clinicians).

The platform has the potential to optimize clinical pathways, improve compliance, and increase clinical efficiency, while also reducing the need for in-person visits, which is particularly important during the COVID-19 pandemic.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Mobile-Health Technologies for a Child Neuropsychiatry Service: Development and Usability of the Assioma Digital Platform. Fucà, E., Costanzo, F., Bonutto, D., et al.[2021]

The myHealthE (MHE) system successfully automates the collection and reporting of Patient-Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs) for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, demonstrating feasibility and acceptability within NHS clinical services.

The paper outlines a framework for developing and implementing digital health innovations, addressing logistical and governance challenges, which can guide future researchers in creating interoperable systems within NHS infrastructure.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Moving from development to implementation of digital innovations within the NHS: myHealthE, a remote monitoring system for tracking patient outcomes in child and adolescent mental health services. Morris, AC., Ibrahim, Z., Moghraby, OS., et al.[2023]

Digital health interventions, such as mobile apps and electronic health records, can enhance patient safety for children and their parents by providing preventive measures and risk management strategies, as identified in a scoping review of 13 studies.

These interventions can improve the continuity of care from hospitalization to home, thereby increasing children's safety and quality of care through better engagement with healthcare providers after discharge.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Digital health intervention on patient safety for children and parents: A scoping review. Park, J., Jeon, H., Choi, EK.[2023]

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced mental health providers to transition to virtual care for children and youth, highlighting the need for specific guidance in this area.

A six-pillar framework developed by the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto provides a structured approach for delivering effective virtual mental healthcare, addressing both the benefits and challenges of this new service model.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

From Pandemic to Progression: An Educational Framework for the Implementation of Virtual Mental Healthcare for Children and Youth as a Response to COVID-19. Doan, BT., Yang, YB., Romanchych, E., et al.[2022]

Young people generally engage well with mobile-based mental health apps, showing some positive effects on emotional self-awareness, although many outcomes were not statistically significant.

Despite the potential of these apps to improve access to mental health services and support self-help, the current literature is limited, highlighting the need for more research to validate their effectiveness.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Use of mobile apps and technologies in child and adolescent mental health: a systematic review. Punukollu, M., Marques, M.[2023]

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