The Evaluation of a School Climate Videogame Intervention

NCT ID: NCT04025294

Last Updated: 2021-03-03

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 100 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2019-10-01
• Study Completion Date: 2020-12-30

Brief Summary

A randomized control trial of a videogame intervention to assess and improve school climate.

Detailed Description

To assess the acceptability and preliminary efficacy of a videogame intervention designed to teach teens the skills in restructuring thoughts and then empowering them to take action and improve their school climate.

For this project, the play2PREVENT Lab aims to assess the acceptability and preliminary efficacy of a videogame intervention designed to teach teens the skills in restructuring thoughts and then empowering them to take action and improve their school climate. Program and school staff will enroll participants between the ages of 14-19 years old to play our videogame during their after school programs. Before and after gameplay, participants will answer assessment questions related to self-efficacy, cognitive reappraisal, and dimensions of school climate. Questions will also assess participants' feedback on the videogame. Students not randomly assigned to the videogame intervention will only respond to assessment questions. The data will be transmitted electronically via Qualtrics data collection platform to the Lab for further analysis.

Conditions

Cognitive Reappraisal; Self Efficacy

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: PREVENTION
• Blinding Strategy: SINGLE

Study Groups

Students playing videogame

The experimental group will consist of our videogame intervention including the five mini-games.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

videogame

Intervention Type: DEVICE

A videogame intervention that is interactive and engaging that teaches adolescents how to restructure negative automatic thoughts through an adapted thought record (a technique used in cognitive behavioral therapy to improve moods) by modeling how to do so and then empower them through real-life activities to improve their school climate. The videogame intervention is comprised of five mini-games, each containing a short narrative that models how to restructure negative automatic thoughts and navigate through challenging situations that often take place in school settings. The topics of each mini-game are informed by the constructs of school climate according to the National School Climate Center. Students using the videogame intervention will be prompted to think deeply and reflect on the narratives presented in each mini-game.

Students receiving school climate assessment

The control group differs from the experimental group as it includes the school climate assessment tool but excludes the mini-games

Group Type: ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

School Climate Assessment Survey

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

A school climate assessment survey will include items adapted from questions developed by the National School Climate Center. Items will assess various dimensions of school climate including safety, social media, relationships, support for learning, and environment.

Interventions

videogame

A videogame intervention that is interactive and engaging that teaches adolescents how to restructure negative automatic thoughts through an adapted thought record (a technique used in cognitive behavioral therapy to improve moods) by modeling how to do so and then empower them through real-life activities to improve their school climate. The videogame intervention is comprised of five mini-games, each containing a short narrative that models how to restructure negative automatic thoughts and navigate through challenging situations that often take place in school settings. The topics of each mini-game are informed by the constructs of school climate according to the National School Climate Center. Students using the videogame intervention will be prompted to think deeply and reflect on the narratives presented in each mini-game.

Intervention Type: DEVICE

School Climate Assessment Survey

A school climate assessment survey will include items adapted from questions developed by the National School Climate Center. Items will assess various dimensions of school climate including safety, social media, relationships, support for learning, and environment.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Must be a current high school student
• English-speaking
• Willing to provide minor assent
• Willing to provide parental consent (if under 18 years old)
• Willing to play/use the game/tool for about 45 minutes to 1 hour after school
• Willing to answer questions about their experiences in playing the game, questions around school climate, and questions around self-efficacy on an iPad for about 30 minutes
• Willing to participate in an optional focus group for about 30 minutes

Exclusion Criteria

• Those that do not meet the criteria above

• Minimum Eligible Age: 14 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 19 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

Yale University

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Responsibility Role: SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

Lynn E Fiellin, MD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Yale University

Locations

Yale Center for Health & Learning Games

New Haven, Connecticut, United States

Countries

United States

References

Fernandes CF, Deng Y, Tran AH, Hieftje KD, Boomer TMP, Taylor CK, Fiellin LE. A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial to Evaluate a Cognitive Behavioral Videogame Intervention: empowerED. Games Health J. 2023 Feb;12(1):42-52. doi: 10.1089/g4h.2021.0118. Epub 2022 Nov 8.

Reference Type: DERIVED

PMID: 36350349 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

2000026033

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id