A Digital Peer Support Platform to Translate Web-Based Peer Support for Emerging Adult Mental Well-being: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial

GeckHong Yeo, Weining Chang, Li Neng Lee, Matt Oon, Dean Ho, GeckHong Yeo, Weining Chang, Li Neng Lee, Matt Oon, Dean Ho

Abstract

Background: Mental health issues among emerging adults (aged 19-25 years) on a global scale have underscored the need to address their widespread experiences of depression and anxiety. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, emerging studies are being directed toward the development and deployment of digital peer emotional disclosure and support for the psychological well-being of emerging adults. However, it is important to explore the implementation and clinical effectiveness, as well as associated mechanisms of change, for optimal approaches in conducting digital peer support interventions for emerging adults' psychological well-being.

Objective: We describe a randomized controlled trial to evaluate the implementation and clinical effectiveness of Acceset, a digital peer support intervention to address emerging adult mental well-being. The intervention has 2 components. First, the digital peer support training equips befrienders (ie, peers who provide support) to harness 4 components of psychological well-being-mattering, selfhood, compassion, and mindfulness-to provide effective peer support for seekers (ie, peers who seek support). Second, Acceset incorporates psychological well-being digital markers and harnesses community engagement to drive emotional disclosure among peers.

Methods: A total of 100 participants (aged 19-25 years) from the National University of Singapore will be recruited and randomized into 2 arms. In arm 1 (n=50), the seekers will use Acceset with befrienders (n=30) as well as moderators (n=30) for 3 weeks. Arm 2 comprises a wait-listed control group (n=50). A questionnaire battery will be used to monitor seekers and befrienders at 4 time points. These include baseline (before the intervention), 3 weeks (end of the intervention), and 6 and 9 weeks (carryover effect measurement). Implementation outcomes of the intervention will involve evaluation of the training curriculum with respect to adoption and fidelity as well as user acceptability of the Acceset platform and its feasibility for broader deployment. Clinical outcomes will include mattering, selfhood, compassion, mindfulness, perceived social support, and psychological well-being scores.

Results: This protocol received National University of Singapore Institutional Ethics Review Board approval in October 2021. Recruitment will commence in January 2022. We expect data collection and analyses to be completed in June 2022. Preliminary findings are expected to be published in December 2022. The Cohen d index will be used for effect size estimation with a .05 (95% reliability) significance level and 80% power.

Conclusions: This protocol considers a novel digital peer support intervention-Acceset-that incorporates components and digital markers of emerging adult mental well-being. Through the validation of the Acceset intervention, this study defines the parameters and conditions for digital peer support interventions for emerging adults.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05083676; https://ichgcp.net/clinical-trials-registry/NCT05083676.

International registered report identifier (irrid): PRR1-10.2196/34602.

Keywords: digital health; mental health; peer emotional disclosure; peer support intervention; randomized controlled trial.

Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of Interest: MO is chief executive officer, founder, and shareholder of Acceset Pte Ltd. Acceset Pte Ltd was not a funder of this study. DH is a scientific founder and shareholder of KYAN Therapeutics, which is developing personalized medicine platforms. DH is also an inventor of current and pending patents pertaining to digital therapeutics and food technology.

©GeckHong Yeo, Weining Chang, Li Neng Lee, Matt Oon, Dean Ho. Originally published in JMIR Research Protocols (https://www.researchprotocols.org), 20.09.2022.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Diagrammatic flow in terms of sequence of events on the Acceset digital text-based intervention (ie, the platform). CSQ-8: Client Satisfaction Questionnaire-8; GAD-7: Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7; MPSS: Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support; PHQ-9: 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire; RMS: Rosenberg Mattering Scale.
Figure 2
Figure 2
The Acceset intervention draws on digital peer support within the Singapore ecosystem and community.
Figure 3
Figure 3
A mechanism of change linking befrienders’ web-based support and seekers’ psychological well-being.

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