Joseph van Agteren

Kick.it: The development of an evidence-based smoking cessation smartphone app

Currently, the evidence for mobile health (mHealth) smoking cessation interventions is limited and heterogeneous, warranting the need for innovative rigorously developed solutions. The aim of this study was to describe the development of a smoking cessation smartphone application (app) developed using evidence-based principles. The app (Kick.it) was designed using the Intervention Mapping framework, incorporating an extensive literature review and qualitative study, in combination with the Behavioural Change Taxonomy v1, the Theoretical Domains Framework, and the Persuasive System Design framework. Kick.it provides quit smoking education, skills training, motivational content and self-regulation functionality for smokers, as well as their social support network. By logging cravings and cigarettes smoked, users will create their own smoking profile, which will be used to provide tailored interventions. It hosts a social network to allow 24/7 social support and provides in-app tools to help with urges to smoke. The app aims to motivate smokers to retry if they slip-up or relapse, allowing them to learn from previous smoking cessation attempts. Rather than basing the app on a singular behavioral change approach, Kick.it will use elements stemming from a variety of behavioral approaches by combining methods of multiple psychological theories. The use of best-practice intervention development frameworks in conjunction with evidence-based behavioral change techniques is expected to result in a smartphone app that has an optimal chance of helping people to quit smoking.

Adapting, Pilot Testing and Evaluating the Kick.it App to Support Smoking Cessation for Smokers with Severe Mental Illness: A Study Protocol

(1) Background: While the prevalence of tobacco smoking in the general population has declined, it remains exceptionally high for smokers with severe mental illness (SMI), despite significant public health measures. This project aims to adapt, pilot test and evaluate a novel e-health smoking cessation intervention to assist relapse prevention and encourage sustained smoking cessation for young adults (aged 18–29 years) with SMI. (2) Methods: Using co-design principles, the researchers will adapt the Kick.it smartphone App in collaboration with a small sample of current and ex-smokers with SMI. In-depth interviews with smokers with SMI who have attempted to quit in the past 12 months and ex-smokers (i.e., those having not smoked in the past seven days) will explore their perceptions of smoking cessation support options that have been of value to them. Focus group participants will then give their feedback on the existing Kick.it App and any adaptations needed. The adapted App will then be pilot-tested with a small sample of young adult smokers with SMI interested in attempting to cut down or quit smoking, measuring utility, feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary outcomes in supporting their quit efforts. (3) Conclusions: This pilot work will inform a larger definitive trial. Dependent on recruitment success, the project may extend to also include smokers with SMI who are aged 30 years or more.

A systematic review of technology-assisted interventions for co-morbid depression and substance use:

Introduction Mental health interventions disseminated via, or accessed using, digital technologies are an innovative new treatment modality for managing co-morbid depression and substance use disorder. The present systematic review assessed the current state of this literature. Methods A search of the Cochrane Library, Embase, Pubmed, PsycInfo and Scopus databases identified six eligible studies (Nparticipants = 862), utilising quasi-experimental or randomised controlled designs. Reporting quality was evaluated and Hedges’ g effect sizes (with 95% confidence intervals and p-values) were calculated to determine treatment effectiveness. Process outcomes (e.g. treatment satisfaction, attrition rates) were also examined. Results Quality ratings demonstrated high internal validity, although external validity was low. Effect size data revealed medium to large and short-term improvements in severity of depression and substance use symptoms in addition to global improvement in social, occupational and psychological functioning. Longer-term treatment effectiveness could not be established, due to the limited available data. Preliminary findings suggest that there was high client satisfaction, therapeutic alliance and client engagement. Discussion Mobile phone devices and the Internet can help to increase access to care for those with mental health co-morbidity. Large-scale and longitudinal research is, however, needed before digital mental healthcare becomes standard practice. This includes establishing critical therapeutic factors including optimum levels of assistance from clinicians.

Evaluation of existing experimental evidence for treatment of depression in indigenous populations: A systematic review: Treatment of depression in Indigenous populations

Abstract Objective To review available literature and identify the experimental evidence for effective treatment of depression in Indigenous populations worldwide. Method MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsychInfo, Informit, Psychology, and Behavioural Sciences databases were systematically searched for intervention studies from each databases inception to November 2016. Randomised controlled trials were included if they examined the effects of therapy for depression as primary or secondary outcome with Indigenous participants of any age group. Results This review found a total of four experimental trials (152 participants) worldwide studying the effect of behavioural and pharmacological interventions for depression in Indigenous populations. The quality of evidence was low to moderate. Results from three diverse interventions suggest that culturally specific cognitive and behavioural therapy may have the potential to reduce depressive symptoms in Indigenous young people. However, the evidence base is currently insufficient to offer sound conclusions. One trial studied the effect of dosage differences (75 vs 125 mg) of a tricyclic antidepressant, clomipramine, finding that Indigenous African patients may respond to treatment regimens at a lower dosage than recommended standard in western textbooks. Conclusions Findings from this review indicate potential for the use of culturally adapted behavioural interventions to target depression in Indigenous populations; however, current evidence is insufficient to confirm their effectiveness. Similarly, there is insufficient evidence to propose recommendations for effective pharmacological treatment for Indigenous people. A tentative finding, that lower doses of antidepressants might be effective for the Indigenous, compared to the general population, requires further investigation as it holds important implications for clinical practice. More rigorous experimental research with adequate sample sizes needs to be conducted to provide conclusive recommendations for adoption into standard care.