HAPA Engagement Strategies for Patient Engagement

(QT-DIMES Trial)

Not yet recruiting at 1 trial location

Overseen By Meghan Romanelli, PhD

Age: Any Age

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: University of Washington

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

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: Unknown

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

Sexual and gender minority (SGM) populations are disproportionately impacted by mental health concerns relative to their heterosexual and cisgender peers. Despite high need, SGM populations continue to report unmet mental health needs because they cannot or do not access mental health services. Digital Mental Health (DMH) services have been recognized as feasible, economical, and effective options to broaden the availability of mental health care to consumers who face barriers to mental health help-seeking. SGM consumers cite a preference for DMH care and this delivery format holds promise to attend to major mental health care access barriers experienced by this consumer group. Yet, the availability of DMH services tailored to the needs of SGM consumers is limited, and a dearth of research examines SGM populations' actual engagement with DMH services. A potential solution to fully understand how SGM populations utilize DMH services would be to characterize their engagement within a natural setting. Leveraging an established partnership with Mental Health America (MHA), a non-profit mental health advocacy group offering free, evidence-based screenings and self-guided DMH resources, this study will follow a large, naturalistic sample of SGM DMH consumers with the aim to test tailored engagement strategies with SGM DMH consumers using a micro-randomized trial (MRT) design. Results of this study will inform if delivering engagement strategies can meaningfully increase initial and sustained engagement with MHA resources and which types of strategies, specifically, work best for which users.

Who Is on the Research Team?

Meghan Romanelli, PhD

Principal Investigator

University of Washington

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This study is for sexual and gender minority individuals who are interested in digital mental health services. It aims to understand how they engage with these online resources. There's no specific exclusion criteria provided, but participants likely need internet access and must be willing to use the Mental Health America platform.

Inclusion Criteria

I am 14 years old or older.

Completed the PHQ-9 depression screener in English

Answered MHA's standard demographic questions that identify users as LGBTQ+

Exclusion Criteria

IP addresses outside of the United States

I have not answered the standard demographic questions.

I am 13 years old or younger.

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• HAPA Engagement Strategies

Trial Overview The trial is testing engagement strategies tailored for SGM populations using digital mental health services. It employs a micro-randomized trial design to see which strategies improve initial and ongoing interaction with Mental Health America's free resources.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: HAPA Engagement Strategies Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

At each decision point in the MHA Screening Program flow, each eligible participant will be randomized to either receive a HAPA-based engagement strategy or not. Participants will be randomized with equal probability (0.2) to either receive: 1) no engagement strategy (i.e., the standard Next Steps resource page as usual; control), or; 2) one of four types of HAPA-based engagement strategies. Participants randomized to receive an engagement strategy will be randomized with equal probability to an engagement strategy targeting a HAPA construct: 1) outcome expectancy; 2) self-efficacy; 3) perceived risk, and; 4) barriers and resources. The first decision point will be the screening Results page which is displayed immediately after completing the PHQ-9 and optional demographic questions. The second decision point will be the targeted Next Steps resource page that participants click on from the Results page.

Group II: Results Page Comparator Active Control 1 Intervention

Users see the usual MHA Results Page without engagement strategies.

Group III: Resource Page Comparator Active Control 1 Intervention

Users see the usual MHA Next Steps resource pages without engagement strategies.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

University of Washington

Lead Sponsor

Trials

1,858

Recruited

2,023,000+

Mental Health America

Collaborator

Trials

3

Recruited

50,700+

National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

Collaborator

Trials

3,007

Recruited

2,852,000+