Resilience Empowered Adolescents Learning Emotional Self-regulation Together
This Exploratory Project’s (EP) goal is to partner with youth researchers to co-develop the REALEST intervention using human-centered design (HCD), delivered on social media, informed by the HOPE delivery model (P50 signature project). We propose to test the intervention’s preliminary effectiveness in a Type 1 Effectiveness-Implementation Hybrid Design. This Hybrid Design will simultaneously allow us to evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention on emotional regulation, internalizing symptoms, social connectedness, and mental health care seeking skills, while exploring critical questions that could inform subsequent implementation. The study is driven by a community-engaged framework with a youth action research team (YART; n = 6) to serve as researchers and experts to co-lead the development of REALEST using human-centered design (HCD). The specific aims for this project are to:
Aim 1: Develop the REALEST Intervention using a peer-led social media delivery model. We will work with the YART in an iterative co-design approach (YART+HCD) to: 1) translate evidence-based psychoeducational self-regulation strategies into social media content (e.g., short videos, discussion posts), and 2) map mental health navigation pathways from social media to offline mental health support.
Aim 2: Pilot-test REALEST for preliminary effectiveness along youth and implementation outcomes.
2A: We will implement a pilot of the intervention over a 3-month period, using baseline, mid-intervention (week 6), and immediate post-test (week 12) assessments (n = 60). We expect participants to report increased levels of emotional regulation and social connection, decreased internalizing symptoms (i.e., depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation), and increased mental health care seeking behaviors.
2B: Assess potential for REALEST implementation along four implementation domains: feasibility, acceptability, fidelity, and appropriateness12 We will assess feasibility (e.g. retention, engagement; n=60), measure acceptability using qualitative interviews with participants (n=10) and brief surveys (n=60), evaluate fidelity via fidelity checks,18 and assess appropriateness via provider interviews (n=6).