Project 2: A brief motivational interviewing intervention to promote healthy technology use and prevent mental health and behavior problems

PROJECT 2 SUMMARY About a third of adolescents engage in online risk behaviors such as problematic internet use, which has been robustly linked to depression and anxiety among adolescents in longitudinal, bidirectional studies. Technology used for entertainment among tweens younger than 13 continues to increase, averaging 5.3 hours a day. Additionally, online risk behaviors predict sleep disturbances, which are prospectively related to mental health problems among adolescents. Adolescence is a critical developmental window for intervening and promoting healthy technology use given the significant physical, social, and emotional changes during this period. Brief motivational interviewing interventions have demonstrated effectiveness among adolescents, and they hold promise for accelerating delivery of mental health interventions in school-based contexts. Thus, our overall goal is to develop the TECH Check-up (TCU), an evidence-informed brief motivational interviewing intervention to promote healthy technology use and improve mental health and behavior problems. The first phase of the TCU will include an interview with an early adolescent, an adolescent and caregiver self-assessment, and feedback. Informed by social cognitive theory, the second phase will include four online modules for youth to strengthen their technology use-related self-efficacy and self-regulation. As we develop the TCU, we will employ the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) to address barriers and facilitators of intervention content and delivery strategies. We will also leverage a collaborative, participatory approach and engage with adolescents, caregivers, and school partners via the center’s advisory boards to ensure the TCU is acceptable and feasible. The first aim is to qualitatively identify crucial technology use attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors among adolescents ages 11-14, caregivers, and school staff, which are necessary to develop the TCU. We will conduct 6 CFIR-informed focus groups with adolescents, caregivers, and school leadership (N ~ 45). Using rapid analysis methods, qualitative feedback will be integrated into our second aim, which is to develop and iteratively refine the TCU content and delivery, including its brief motivational interview and four online modules. We will conduct user testing in two Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles with additional adolescents, caregivers, and school leadership (N = 12). The third aim is to identify the feasibility, acceptability, and initial efficacy of the TECH Check-Up in a pilot randomized trial (N = 120) with 60 adolescents randomly assigned to the intervention group, and 60 to a wait-list control group. We will assess the feasibility and acceptability of the TCU and evaluate the initial efficacy of the TCU on healthy technology use, as well as youth mental health (i.e., depression and anxiety) and behavior problems (i.e., sleep disturbances). This study addresses a public health risk by developing an intervention to promote healthy technology use and self-regulation as protective factors among adolescents, thereby reducing youth risk for mental health problems and behavioral concerns.