Marcus Bendtsen|Ulrika Müssener|Catharina Linderoth|Kristin Thomas
A Mobile Health Intervention for Mental Health Promotion Among University Students: Randomized Controlled Trial
Linköping University|Linköping University|Linköping University|Linköping University
background high positive mental health including ability cope normal stresses life work productively able contribute ones community associated various health outcomes role positive mental health therefore increasingly recognized national mental health promotion programs policies mobile health mhealth interventions could costeffective way disseminate positive psychological interventions general population objective aim study estimate effect fully automated mhealth intervention positive mental health anxiety depression symptomology among swedish university students using randomized controlled trial design methods 2arm singleblind researchers parallelgroups randomized controlled trial mhealth positive psychology program intervention group relevant online mental health information control group employed estimate effect novel intervention participants recruited using digital advertising student health care centers sweden inclusion criteria 1 university students 2 able read understand swedish 3 access mobile phone exclusion criteria high positive mental health assessed mental health continuum short form mhcsf high depression anxiety symptomology assessed hospital anxiety depression scale hads primary outcome positive mental health mhcsf secondary outcomes depression anxiety symptomatology hads subscales mhcsf also analyzed exploratory outcomes outcomes measured 3 months randomization questionnaires completed participants mobile phones results total 654 participants median age 25 years including 510 780 identifying female randomized either intervention n348 control group n306 followup positive mental health significantly higher intervention group compared control group incidence rate ratio irr1067 95 ci 10241112 p002 depression anxiety symptomatology intervention group showed significantly lower scores followup compared control group depression irr0820 95 ci 07140942 p005 anxiety irr0899 95 ci 08400962 p002 followup rates lower expected 583 primary outcomes 523 secondary outcomes however attrition analyses identify systematic attrition respect baseline variables conclusions mhealth intervention estimated superior usual care increasing positive mental health among university students protective effect intervention also found depressive anxiety symptoms findings demonstrate feasibility using automated mobile phone format enhance positive mental health offers promise use mhealth solutions public mental health promotion trial registration international standard randomized controlled trial registry isrctn54748632 httpwwwisrctncomisrctn54748632