PsYoungSupport - Web-based Support to Young Careers to Persons With Mental Illness

NCT ID: NCT02316158

Last Updated: 2014-12-12

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 241 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2009-03-31
• Study Completion Date: 2010-05-31

Brief Summary

The overall aim with the project PsYoungSupport is to evaluate Internet and communication technology (ICT) health efforts, i.e. information, education and support for young adults (16-25 years) who are first degree relatives or represent the close social network (relative or close friend) of individuals with mental illness, with regard to the process (the quality and usefulness of the support) and the effect (on health and quality of life, situation as relative or part of close social network and consumption of other support/care) of the intervention.

The participatory design is one of the foundations of this project, and young adult participants will be consulted through out the research project. PsYoungSupport is a research program comprising three phases, Phase I is a survey of young relatives' and close friends' needs for internet based information, education and support, Phase II is the development of a website, and Phase III is an intervention based on the previous phases. The aim of phase III is to evaluate the effect of an internet based intervention containing information, education and support for young adults in families where a family member suffers from mental illness or functional disability. The participants (N=400) will be randomised to two groups with different kinds of support. The participants will be evaluated using self-questionnaires and web interviews at the following occasions: baseline at the start of the intervention, after 4 months and after 8 months. This project will have implications for persons suffering from mental illness as well as for their relatives and close friends.

Detailed Description

In the last decades it has been stated that the mental health of young people has deteriorated. Nowadays, the main part of the psychiatric care are out-patient care, family, relatives and close friends get involved and needs to take large responsibility for their relative or friend with mental illness. Therefore it is important to acquire knowledge that could benefit the patients and their families. There is still a gap in the knowledge as to which social support, such as information and education processes, are of value to the patient and family struggling with depression, and as to how individuals benefits from these components in their functional recovery from depression. Accordingly, pedagogic processes as an integrated part of patient-centred care and treatment may be increasingly important to study.

The overall aim is to evaluate internet and communication technology (ICT) health efforts, i.e. information, education and support for young adults who are first degree relatives or represent the close social network (relative or close friend) of individuals with mental illness, with regard to the process (the quality and usefulness of the support) and the effect (on health and quality of life, situation as relative or part of close social network and consumption of other support/care) of the intervention.

PsYoungSupport is a research program comprising three phases, Phase I is a survey of young relatives' and close friends' needs for internet based information, education and support, Phase II is the development of a website, and Phase III is an intervention based on the previous phases. The investigators have a participatory design, including young persons in the whole research process. Primary outcome measures are social interaction, the degree of subjective and objective burden, stigmatisation and illness. Data are going to be based on both qualitative and quantitative approaches. The results are also going to evaluate cost effectiveness and the process of learning.

Within three years this project will describe different kind of implications for relatives and close friends who are caring for persons suffering from mental illness. Increased accessibility to knowledge about how mental health can benefit them and their relatives and close friends will facilitate for and empower these persons, and also increase their participation in society and with that increase the democracy for these persons in the society. Within five years this study can be integrated within the Swedish national website Care on line.

Conditions

Mental Illness; Web

Keywords

Burden; Mental illness; Stress; Social support

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: PREVENTION
• Blinding Strategy: NONE

Study Groups

Webb-based support and education

It contains of two parts 1) evidence based information (about mental diseases, early signs, coping strategies, what you can do for your relative or close friend, what you can do for yourself, addresses to networks and web sites, relevant juridical issues, etc), 2) FAQ, where you directly can find answers to common questions.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Web-based support

Intervention Type: OTHER

Comparison between the efficacy between webb-based support and informational support

Available support in society

Available support in society for young persons presented in a brochure

Group Type: ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Web-based support

Intervention Type: OTHER

Comparison between the efficacy between webb-based support and informational support

Interventions

Web-based support

Comparison between the efficacy between webb-based support and informational support

Intervention Type: OTHER

Other Intervention Names

website: www.molnhopp.nu

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• age 16-25 years
• seeing themselves as a relative or close friend who supports a person with mental illness

Exclusion Criteria

• persons who do not understand, read or express him-/herself in Swedish
• persons with acute severe mental illness or acute suicidal risk

• Minimum Eligible Age: 16 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 25 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

Vardalinstitutet The Swedish Institute for Health Sciences

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Responsibility Role: SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

Ingela Skärsäter, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

University of Gothenburg, 405 30 Göteborg, Sweden

Barbro Krevers, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Linköping University, 581 83 Linköping, Sweden

Locations

Vårdalinstitutet - The Swedish Institute for Health Sciences

Gothenburg, , Sweden

Countries

Sweden

Other Identifiers

A2007003

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id