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DTSTART:20241103T020000
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DESCRIPTION:Program: Mental Health Session: Technology and Social Media in
  Public Health Authors: Tassos Kyriakides\, Kaitlin Maciejewski See all a
 uthors and presenters → Abstract Introduction Half of U.S. adolescents ha
 ve experienced a mental health disorder\, underscoring the need for scala
 ble public health interventions. Mental health disorders often begin in a
 dolescence or early adulthood\, representing a critical period for preven
 tion. Yet\, access to evidence-based and relatable mental health resource
 s remains limited\, particularly for under-resourced populations. Serious
  games offer a scalable\, cost-effective\, and interactive way to deliver
  health promotion content. Funded by the NIDA HEAL Initiative\, we develo
 ped PlaySmart\, a digital health game designed to build knowledge and ski
 lls that encourage adolescents to seek mental health support. Methods Thr
 ough extensive input from adolescents\, PlaySmart was developed by incorp
 orating behavior change theories\, and a randomized controlled trial was 
 designed to evaluate its efficacy. Adolescents (ages 16-19) with symptoms
  of depression\, anxiety\, and/or non-opioid substance use\, and no prior
  opioid misuse\, were enrolled at 15 Connecticut high schools. Participan
 ts were randomized 1:1 using sex and grade to either PlaySmart or control
  games\, aiming for 300 minutes of gameplay. Assessments were completed a
 t baseline\, 6-weeks post-gameplay and at 3\, 6\, and 12 months. Mental h
 ealth outcomes to be explored include depression\, anxiety\, stigma\, hel
 p-seeking behaviors\, self-efficacy to seek help\, and coping skills know
 ledge and other outcomes related to mental health including opioid-relate
 d knowledge\, perceptions\, and attitudes. Analyses will use parametric a
 nd non-parametric techniques and logistic and longitudinal models with So
 bel’s tests for mediation effects\, as appropriate. Results Among 532 par
 ticipants\, at baseline\, mean age was 16.6 years\; 47% were female\; 45%
  identified as Black\, 34% White\, 8% Asian\, 4% American Indian\, and th
 e remainder a mix\; 38% identified as Hispanic/Latinx. 33% reported lifet
 ime alcohol use and 19% marijuana use. Notably\, 50% reported at least mi
 ld anxiety symptoms and 61% at least minimal depression symptoms. Assessm
 ent completion rates were high: 88% at 6 weeks and at 3 months\, 86% at 6
  months\, and 83% at 12 months. Analyses are underway. Conclusions PlaySm
 art is a rigorously developed and evaluated\, scalable intervention addre
 ssing mental health in a novel and engaging format. It represents a poten
 tially promising prevention tool\, particularly for those with mental hea
 lth concerns and limited access to mental health resources.\n\nSpeakers:\
 nTassos Kyriakides\; Kaitlin Maciejewski\n\nAdmission:\nRegistrationFees:
  APHA Event Registration is Required\n\nDetails URL:\nhttps://medicine.ya
 le.edu/event/developing-and-evaluating-a-digital-health-game-to-promote-m
 ental-health-in-adolescents/\n
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251103T133000
DTSTAMP:20260418T113158Z
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251103T123000
GEO:38.903500;-77.022987
LOCATION:801 Allen Y Lew Pl NW\, Washington\, DC\, United States
SEQUENCE:0
STATUS:Confirmed
SUMMARY:3196.0 - Scaling prevention: Developing and evaluating a digital h
 ealth game to promote mental health in adolescents
UID:443050b1-00f1-4824-bfe8-ecf5af21b0c1
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