Abstract
Background:
There is no evidence-based support offered to young people who have experienced online sexual abuse (YP-OSA). Interventions aimed at improving mentalisation (the ability to understand the mental states of oneself and others) are increasingly applied to treat young people with varied clinical issues. YP-OSA are reluctant to seek in-person support and are generally comfortable receiving support online. A digital intervention aimed at improving mentalisation in YP-OSA may reduce risk for re-victimisation and future harm and make young people more resilient and able to manage distress that might result from OSA experiences.
Objective:
In this paper, we describe the protocol to determine the feasibility of the i-Minds trial, the acceptability, safety and usability of the digital intervention (the “i-Minds” app) and explore how to best integrate i-Minds into existing routine care pathways.
Methods:
This is a mixed-methods non-randomised study to determine the feasibility, acceptability, safety and usability of the intervention. Participants aged between 12 and 18 years who report distress associated with online sexual abuse exposure will be recruited in the UK from NHS Trust Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, Sexual Assault Referrals Centres, and an online e-therapy provider. All participants will receive the i-Minds app for 6 weeks. Co-produced with young people and a range of stakeholders, the i-Minds app focuses on four main topic areas: mentalisation, online sexual abuse and its impact, emotional and mental health, and trauma. A daily prompt will encourage young people to use the app, which is designed to be used in a stand-alone manner alongside routine care. We will follow participants up post-intervention and conduct interviews with stakeholders to explore acceptability of the app and trial procedures, and identify areas for improvement. Informed by Normalisation Process Theory (NPT), we will examine barriers and enablers relevant to the future integration of the intervention into existing care pathways, including traditional clinic-based NHS services and NHS e-therapy providers.
Results:
This study received funding from the National Institute for Health and Care Research Health Services and Delivery Research programme. This study was approved by the Research Ethics Board West of Scotland. We expect data to be collected for up to 60 young people. We expect to conduct around 20 qualitative interviews with participants and 20 healthcare professionals who referred young people to the study. The results of the study will be submitted for publication.
Conclusions:
This is the first trial examining a digital health intervention targeting mentalisation processes in YP-OSA. This study will provide preliminary evidence on the feasibility of recruiting young people to a trial of this nature, and on the acceptability, safety and usability of the i-Minds app, including how to best integrate it into existing routine care. Findings will inform the decision for proceeding to a powered efficacy trial. Clinical Trial: ISRCTN Registry ISRCTN43130832; https://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN43130832
There is no evidence-based support offered to young people who have experienced online sexual abuse (YP-OSA). Interventions aimed at improving mentalisation (the ability to understand the mental states of oneself and others) are increasingly applied to treat young people with varied clinical issues. YP-OSA are reluctant to seek in-person support and are generally comfortable receiving support online. A digital intervention aimed at improving mentalisation in YP-OSA may reduce risk for re-victimisation and future harm and make young people more resilient and able to manage distress that might result from OSA experiences.
Objective:
In this paper, we describe the protocol to determine the feasibility of the i-Minds trial, the acceptability, safety and usability of the digital intervention (the “i-Minds” app) and explore how to best integrate i-Minds into existing routine care pathways.
Methods:
This is a mixed-methods non-randomised study to determine the feasibility, acceptability, safety and usability of the intervention. Participants aged between 12 and 18 years who report distress associated with online sexual abuse exposure will be recruited in the UK from NHS Trust Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, Sexual Assault Referrals Centres, and an online e-therapy provider. All participants will receive the i-Minds app for 6 weeks. Co-produced with young people and a range of stakeholders, the i-Minds app focuses on four main topic areas: mentalisation, online sexual abuse and its impact, emotional and mental health, and trauma. A daily prompt will encourage young people to use the app, which is designed to be used in a stand-alone manner alongside routine care. We will follow participants up post-intervention and conduct interviews with stakeholders to explore acceptability of the app and trial procedures, and identify areas for improvement. Informed by Normalisation Process Theory (NPT), we will examine barriers and enablers relevant to the future integration of the intervention into existing care pathways, including traditional clinic-based NHS services and NHS e-therapy providers.
Results:
This study received funding from the National Institute for Health and Care Research Health Services and Delivery Research programme. This study was approved by the Research Ethics Board West of Scotland. We expect data to be collected for up to 60 young people. We expect to conduct around 20 qualitative interviews with participants and 20 healthcare professionals who referred young people to the study. The results of the study will be submitted for publication.
Conclusions:
This is the first trial examining a digital health intervention targeting mentalisation processes in YP-OSA. This study will provide preliminary evidence on the feasibility of recruiting young people to a trial of this nature, and on the acceptability, safety and usability of the i-Minds app, including how to best integrate it into existing routine care. Findings will inform the decision for proceeding to a powered efficacy trial. Clinical Trial: ISRCTN Registry ISRCTN43130832; https://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN43130832
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Journal | JMIR research protocols |
| Publication status | Accepted/In press - 30 Oct 2022 |
Keywords
- online sexual abuse
- digital
- young people
- abuse
- eHealth
- mHealth
