eHealth platform to improve mental health in adolescents - How well IMPROVA works is also being tested in Ulm schools
A digital training platform is designed to strengthen the mental health and well-being of adolescents. The eHealth platform was developed in the international EU project IMPROVA, with significant participation from Ulm University. An 18-month field study starting at the end of November will now test how effective the platform is. For the evaluation, students, parents and teachers in four countries will be interviewed. Numerous schools from the Ulm area are also participating.
Depression and anxiety disorders are widespread among adolescents, and the trend is rising. An international research project, funded by the EU with a total of seven million euros as part of Horizon Europe, aims to counteract this. The collaborative project is led by the non-profit research institution FSJD-CERCA from Barcelona. "At the heart of IMPROVA is our eHealth platform, which offers a variety of interactive modules, tools and information on mental health," explains Professor Harald Baumeister. The head of the Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy at Ulm University is leading the working group developing the eHealth platform. In addition, his department is also responsible for conducting the field trial in Germany. This includes surveys of students at secondary schools in Ulm and the surrounding area. Parents and teachers will also be surveyed. The IMPROVA researchers will investigate whether using the platform improves the mental health and well-being of adolescents. In the course of November, the scientific field studies will start in Spain, France, Romania and Germany.
Around 3,000 students in grades 7 to 13 will be surveyed in each country. In the Ulm area, 13 secondary schools are already participating, with a total of 16 planned. In the next few weeks, parents will be informed and asked for their consent. Four assessments are planned for the student surveys over a period of one and a half years. "To evaluate effectiveness, we will compare an intervention group with a waiting list group that will have access to the IMPROVA platform one school year later," explains Dr. Ann-Marie Küchler. The researcher from the Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy is coordinating the German field trial.
"What's special about IMPROVA is that it offers a health tool that can be integrated into the education system. There are specially tailored offers for adolescents, their parents and teachers," says Dr. Rodrigo Antunes Lima, scientific coordinator of IMPROVA from FSJD-CERCA in Barcelona. The focus is on improving mental health through health literacy, prevention and destigmatisation. Adolescents and teachers have access to the digital training platform, which is available as an app or browser version and contains interactive modules adapted for the target groups. In addition, a website offers adolescents, teachers and parents comprehensive information on mental health. Schools are also provided with teaching units they can implement in the classroom on a variety of topics: How do I recognise my strengths? How do I regulate my feelings? What helps me in conflicts or crises?
The eHealth platform is the interdisciplinary result of the collaboration of international scientists from the fields of psychology, epidemiology, health research and computer science. Küchler and Baumeister's team worked closely with the Ulm Institute for Databases and Information Systems headed by Professor Manfred Reichert, Rüdiger Pryss, Professor of Medical Informatics at the University of Würzburg, and Dr. Rodrigo Antunes Lima from the Fundació ivada per a la recerca i la docència Sant Joan de Déu (FSJD-CERCA) in Barcelona.
The schools benefit directly from participating: Teachers and school staff have access to comprehensive resources to support the mental well-being of their students and to help them cope with crises. The schools also receive an anonymised report on the development of their students' mental health over the course of the school year. In addition, further support is available on request, such as scientific lectures on the topic of mental health or specially tailored offers for project weeks. "In addition, each school is individually supported by a dedicated IMPROVA team member," adds Dr. Ann-Marie Küchler.
Wissenschaftlicher Ansprechpartner:
Prof. Dr. Harald Baumeister, Head of the Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Ulm University, E-Mail: harald.baumeister@uni-ulm.de
Dr. Ann-Marie Küchler, E-Mail: improva@uni-ulm.de
Weitere Informationen:
https://www.improva-project.eu/
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