Technology-Enabled Prevention Service for At-Risk Youth

Anxiety disorders are the most common class of psychopathology among youth, with nearly a quarter of adolescents meeting 12-month diagnostic criteria. There is evidence that anxiety prevention programs can be effective for youth however, they are not widely available or accessible, particularly among underserved populations where need is greatest. Novel approaches to increase engagement in and access to interventions that prevent the development and impact of anxiety disorders among are needed. To address these gaps in the literature, the goals specific to this grant are to use user-centered design methods to engage at-risk adolescents, providers, and community partnerships that serve socioeconomically disadvantaged neighborhoods into the iterative design of a digital prevention program for anxiety. We will then conduct a randomized pilot trial on the adapted digital prototype. Importantly, the proposed study is designed to complement the training program by helping the PI to refine relevant research skills while designing and evaluating a digital anxiety preventive intervention for at-risk youth. The Principal Investigator’s (PI) goal is to harness digital tools to extend reach of preventive interventions to low-income youth in community settings, and sustainably deploy and evaluate digital tools for adolescents designed to reduce the incidence of anxiety and related disorders. A comprehensive training plan was therefore constructed to systematically advance the PI’s: 1) expertise in user-centered design methods, 2) aptitude in community-engaged research with underserved populations, 3) extension of methodological skills related to designing and deploying preventive interventions, and 4) to extend my proficiency in qualitative and longitudinal data analytics. Accomplishment of the training goals and proposed research project will provide the skills and tools necessary for development of an R01 proposal aimed at testing the efficacy of the multicomponent digital preventive intervention for anxiety among youth within community settings. Consistent with the goals of the K01 Award, the research opportunities as well as mentorship on conducting digital mental health research with youth populations from underserved communities will help the PI become a successful independent research scientist in the field of digital mental health.