The Effectiveness of a Smartphone Intervention Targeting Suicidal Ideation in Young Adults: Randomized Controlled Trial Examining the Influence of Loneliness

Autor: Lauren McGillivray, Nicholas Keng-Meng Hui, Quincy J J Wong, Jin Han, Jiahui Qian, Michelle Torok
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2023
Předmět:
Zdroj: JMIR Mental Health, Vol 10, p e44862 (2023)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 2368-7959
DOI: 10.2196/44862
Popis: BackgroundLoneliness is commonly reported by young people and has been shown to contribute to the rapid onset and escalation of depression and suicidal ideation during adolescence. Lonely people may also be particularly susceptible to disengaging from treatment early given the likelihood of their more complex clinical profiles leading to cognitive fatigue. While a smartphone intervention (LifeBuoy) has been shown to effectively reduce suicidal ideation in young adults, poor engagement is a well-documented issue for this therapeutic modality and has been shown to result in poorer treatment outcomes. ObjectiveThis study aims to determine whether loneliness affects how young people experiencing suicidal ideation engage with and benefit from a therapeutic smartphone intervention (LifeBuoy). MethodsA total of 455 community-based Australian young adults (aged 18-25 years) experiencing recent suicidal ideation were randomized to use a dialectical behavioral therapy–based smartphone intervention (LifeBuoy) or an attention-matched control app (LifeBuoy-C) for 6 weeks. Participants completed measures of suicidal ideation, depression, anxiety, and loneliness at baseline (T0), post intervention (T1), and 3 months post intervention (T2). Piecewise linear mixed models were used to examine whether loneliness levels moderated the effect of LifeBuoy and LifeBuoy-C on suicidal ideation and depression across time (T0 to T1; T1 to T2). This statistical method was then used to examine whether app engagement (number of modules completed) influenced the relationship between baseline loneliness and suicidal ideation and depression across time. ResultsLoneliness was positively associated with higher levels of overall suicidal ideation (B=0.75, 95% CI 0.08-1.42; P=.03) and depression (B=0.88, 95% CI 0.45-1.32; P
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