Daily Text Research Articles

Communication Strategies Employed By 103.9 MMUST Fm to Capture Listeners’ Attention Regarding COVID-19 Pandemic in Lurambi Sub-County, Kenya

The COVID-19 pandemic occurred so unexpectedly and spread so fast that the media had to play its role of informing and educating the public about it. The people were in panic and the Kenyan government invested in strategies to address this like the daily speeches and text statements on COVID-19 through the available media for the masses. This saw media stations such as MMUST FM change tact to improve on their efficiency and thus new strategies of communication were adopted alongside the existing ones. The current study seeks to investigate the communication strategies adopted by MMUST FM from 2020 to 2021 to capture the attention of residents of Lurambi Sub-County regarding COVID-19 messages. The study was guided by the Framing Theory of mass communication. It adopted the descriptive survey research design where a mixed-method approach was utilized to collect, analyze and present data. The participants were 115 residents of Lurambi Sub-County as selected using Krejcie and Morgan’s formula with a confidence level of 95% for a population of 188,212 people. In addition, 6 key informants comprising 4 MMUST FM producers and 2 COVID-19 health experts interviewed by the station at the time were purposively selected for in-depth interviews. Data was collected using questionnaires from the residents and interview guides from the MMUST FM producers and the COVID-19 health experts. The validity of the qualitative data was achieved by establishing trustworthiness while the validity of the quantitative data was calculated using Cronbach Alpha Co-efficient calculations. A descriptive analysis of the quantitative data while a thematic analysis of the qualitative data was presented. From the study, we also realize that the station used communication strategies similar to the other media stations during other pandemics such as message consistency, honesty, the language used and how humanity and empathy were communicated while advocating for behavior change. However, the study reveals that the strategy that stood out with 103.9 MMUST FM is the radio program that was slotted to address the issues about COVID-19 when the pandemic was at its peak. This among the existing strategies helped the station successfully broadcast on the COVID-19 pandemic.

Safety behavior reduction for appearance concerns: A randomized controlled trial of a smartphone-based intervention.

Appearance concerns are a core feature of multiple psychiatric disorders (i.e., body dysmorphic disorder, eating disorders, and social anxiety disorders). Individuals with these concerns commonly engage in appearance-related safety behaviors (ARSB), behaviors intended to avoid, prevent, or manage the negative evaluation of one's physical appearance. The present study evaluated a brief ARSB reduction intervention for appearance concerns. Women with elevated appearance concerns (N = 203) were recruited from across the United States and randomized to receive one of two 1-month smartphone-based interventions targeting ARSBs or unhealthy behaviors (UHBs). Both consisted of daily text messages with links to behavior checklists and reminders to avoid the respective behaviors. Participants in both treatments saw substantial reductions in symptoms. Though the UHB fading condition showed significantly better treatment adherence than ARSB fading, ARSB fading led to significantly lower appearance concerns (sr² = .028, p = .014) and eating disorder symptoms (sr² = .024, p = .020) at posttreatment, and lower appearance concerns (sr² = .041, p = .004), eating disorder symptoms (sr² = .029, p = .006), social anxiety (sr² = .048, p = .005), and appearance importance at 1-month follow-up (sr² = .042, p = .011), relative to UHB fading. Changes in ARSBs were found to partially mediate the effect of treatment on appearance concerns. These preliminary findings provide novel evidence for the efficacy of targeting ARSBs and suggest that this text-based intervention may be an efficacious and accessible intervention for women with elevated appearance concerns. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

A Stepped-Wedge, Cluster-Randomized, Multisite Study of Text Messaging Plus Peer Navigation to Improve Adherence and Viral Suppression Among Youth on Antiretroviral Therapy.

To address the need for improved virologic suppression among youth living with HIV (YLH) on antiretroviral treatment (ART), we evaluated peer navigation plus TXTXT daily text message ART reminders. YLH aged 15-24 on ART for at least 3 months at six research sites in four Nigerian cities. Using a stepped-wedge design, Cluster 1 was non-randomized, while Clusters 2 and 3 were randomized to sequences of routine care (control period) and 48 weeks of the combination intervention (intervention period). The primary endpoint was viral suppression (HIV-1 RNA <200 copies/mL) at week 48 of the intervention. Secondary endpoints included adherence measured by self-report (90% considered adherent). Post-hoc analysis assessed virologic control at <50 copies/mL and <1000 copies/mL. Generalized estimating equations determined the difference between intervention and control periods in the intention-to-treat population. We enrolled 558 YLH and followed 541 over time, mean age 18 years, 53.8% female, 71.7% perinatally infected, and 38.6% virologically non-suppressed at enrollment. For the primary endpoint, the intervention periods displayed a small, non-significant increase in viral suppression < 200 copies/mL (OR = 1.16 [0.88, 1.54], p = 0.297). There was a significant effect of the combination intervention on virologic control <1000 copies/mL (OR = 1.42 [1.03, 1.94], p = 0.030). Self-reported adherence also improved (OR = 2.07 [1.46, 2.95], p < 0.001). Peer navigation plus daily text message ART reminders demonstrated limited benefit among ART-experienced, predominantly perinatally-infected YLH, with no significant effect on viral suppression below 200 copies/mL despite improvement in self-reported adherence.

Impact of text message reminders on immunosuppressive medication adherence among kidney transplant recipients: A randomized controlled study.

One of the most common problems encountered in transplant patients is nonadherence with immunosuppressive drugs, one of the most important reasons for graft rejection. The study aimed to assess the impact of text message reminders on medication adherence among kidney transplant recipients. A randomized controlled trial. The study was conducted from January to October 2021. This study included a total of 100 patients receiving a kidney transplant, 50 in the intervention group and 50 in the control group. Patients in the intervention group were sent text message reminders four times a day during the 6th-9th months after transplantation. Control patients received no such intervention. Tacrolimus concentrations in the bloodstream were monitored for all participants through measurements taken at Months 7, 8 and 9. Data collection tools included Sociodemographic Form and Immunosuppressive Medication Adherence Scale. Patients were homogeneously distributed among the groups. Sending daily text message reminders to transplant recipients caused an independent positive effect on medication adherence scale scores at the end of the study. Mean pretest medication adherence score of all patients was 45.18 ± 4.22 and posttest score was 47.4 ± 3.6. The intervention group exhibited a significantly higher mean posttest adherence score compared to controls, with values of 48.68 ± 2.58 and 45.62 ± 4.42, respectively (p < 0.001). Findings demonstrated a substantial improvement in the final medication adherence scores of transplant patients when they received daily Short Message Service reminders, acting as an independent factor (β = 0.356, p < 0.001). Sending text message reminders to kidney transplant recipients is a statistically and clinically effective intervention to improve immunosuppressive medication adherence.

Psychological Health and Wellness and the Impact of a Supportive Text Messaging Program (Wellness4MDs) Among Physicians and Medical Learners in Canada: Protocol for a Longitudinal Study.

Burnout, anxiety, and depression continue to affect physicians, postgraduate medical trainees, and medical students globally and in Canada particularly after the COVID-19 pandemic. The primary goal of this project is to design, implement, monitor, and evaluate a daily supportive SMS text messaging program (Wellness4MDs, Global Psychological e-Health Foundation). The program aims to reduce the prevalence and severity of burnout, anxiety, and depression symptoms among physicians, postgraduate medical trainees, and medical students in Canada. This longitudinal study represents a multistakeholder, mixed methods, multiyear implementation science project. Project evaluation will be conducted through a quantitative prospective longitudinal approach using a paired sample comparison, a naturalistic cross-sectional controlled design, and satisfaction surveys. Prevalence estimates for psychological problems would be based on baseline data from self-completed validated rating scales. Additional data will be collected at designated time points for paired comparison. Outcome measures will be assessed using standardized rating scales, including the Maslach Burnout Inventory for burnout symptoms, the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire for depression symptoms, the 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale for anxiety symptoms, and the World Health Organization-Five Well-Being Index. The project launched in the last quarter of 2023, and program evaluation results will become available within 36 months. The Wellness4MDs program is expected to reduce the prevalence and severity of psychological problems among physicians in Canada and achieve high subscriber satisfaction. The results from the Wellness4MDs project evaluation will provide key information regarding the effectiveness of daily supportive SMS text messages and links to mental health resources on these mental health parameters in Canadian physicians, postgraduate trainees, and medical students. Information will be useful for informing policy and decision-making concerning psychological interventions for physicians in Canada. PRR1-10.2196/44368.

Analysis of the intensity of engagement with CuidaTEXT, a text message intervention for dementia caregiver support among Latinos/as

ABSTRACT Objectives To examine the associations between participant intensity of engagement with a text message intervention, CuidaTEXT, and socio-demographic factors, acceptability measures, and clinical outcomes among Latino/a caregivers of individuals with dementia. Methods CuidaTEXT is a six-month, bilingual, and bidirectional intervention. We enrolled 24 Latino/a caregivers in a one-arm feasibility trial. Participants received approximately one automatic daily text message and could engage with the intervention by texting specific keywords (e.g. STRESS to receive messages about stress-coping), and by chat-texting with a live coach. We used metrics and psychometric scales to quantify variables. Results Participants sent a total of 1847 messages to CuidaTEXT. Higher intensity of engagement was associated with higher intervention satisfaction (r = 0.6, p = 0.007), as were several other acceptability outcomes. We found no associations between intensity of engagement with CuidaTEXT and sociodemographic or clinical outcomes (p > 0.05). Conclusion Encouraging more intense engagement with CuidaTEXT might lead to higher levels of satisfaction with the intervention. However, it is possible that those who are highly satisfied, engage more intensely with CuidaTEXT. Future research should determine the directionality of these associations to optimize text message interventions. Clinical Implications Creating more opportunities to increase the intensity of text message engagement with caregiver support interventions may improve caregiver satisfaction with them.

Feasibility and Preliminary Effects of a Social Media-Based Peer-Group Mobile Messaging Smoking Cessation Intervention Among Chinese Immigrants who Smoke: Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial.

Chinese immigrants experience significant disparities in tobacco use. Culturally adapted tobacco treatments targeting this population are sparse and the use is low. The low use of these treatment programs is attributed to their exclusive focus on individuals who are ready to quit and the wide range of barriers that Chinese immigrants face to access these programs. To support Chinese immigrant smokers at all levels of readiness to quit and address their access barriers, we developed the WeChat Quit Coach, a culturally and linguistically appropriate WeChat (Tencent Holdings Limited)-based peer group mobile messaging smoking cessation intervention. This study aims to assess the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effects of WeChat Quit Coach. We enrolled a total of 60 Chinese immigrant smokers in 2022 in New York City for a pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT) and a single-arm pilot test. The first 40 participants were randomized to either the intervention arm (WeChat Quit Coach) or the control arm (self-help print material) using 1:1 block randomization stratified by sex. WeChat Quit Coach lasted 6 weeks, featuring small peer groups moderated by a coach, daily text messages with text questions, and chat-based instant messaging support from the coach in response to peer questions. The next 20 participants were enrolled in the single-arm pilot test to further assess intervention feasibility and acceptability. All 60 participants were offered a 4-week supply of complimentary nicotine replacement therapy. Surveys were administered at baseline and 6 weeks, with participants in the pilot RCT completing an additional survey at 6 months and biochemical verification of abstinence at both follow-ups. Of 74 individuals screened, 68 (92%) were eligible and 60 (88%) were enrolled. The majority of participants, with a mean age of 42.5 (SD 13.8) years, were male (49/60, 82%) and not ready to quit, with 70% (42/60) in the precontemplation or contemplation stage at the time of enrollment. The pilot RCT had follow-up rates of 98% (39/40) at 6 weeks and 93% (37/40) at 6 months, while the single-arm test achieved 100% follow-up at 6 weeks. On average, participants responded to daily text questions for 25.1 days over the 42-day intervention period and 23% (9/40) used the chat-based instant messaging support. Most participants were satisfied with WeChat Quit Coach (36/39, 92%) and would recommend it to others (32/39, 82%). At 6 months, self-reported 7-day point prevalence abstinence rates were 25% (5/20) in the intervention arm and 15% (3/20) in the control arm, with biochemically verified abstinence rates of 25% (5/20) and 5% (1/20), respectively. WeChat Quit Coach was feasible and well-received by Chinese immigrants who smoke and produced promising effects on abstinence. Large trials are warranted to assess its efficacy in promoting abstinence in this underserved population. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05130788; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05130788.

On writing together with primarytexts

This paper is born of a now years-long text message conversation and commitment to social learning during an otherwise forced distance education. We thought we would write a paper about care, co-working, and carpool lanes. Instead, this is some writing about contingencies, COVID-19, crises, and the uncomfortable limits of critical theories. We invite readers into an otherwise private (and still ongoing) snippet of our primary texts: a stream-of-consciousness, erratic, always already temporally punctuated, and immediate-yet-delayed process of text messaging. Though our daily text message conversation has lasted years and spanned uncountable topics and immense word counts, the passage we share relates specifically to identity politics. If all objects are relational, we are still two people who share an interest in how to study the object.

Acceptability of a Digital Adherence Tool Among Patients With Tuberculosis and Tuberculosis Care Providers in Kilimanjaro Region, Tanzania: Mixed Methods Study.

The World Health Organization has recommended digital adherence tools (DATs) as a promising intervention to improve antituberculosis drug adherence. However, the acceptability of DATs in resource-limited settings is not adequately studied. We investigated the acceptability of a DAT among patients with tuberculosis (TB) and TB care providers in Kilimanjaro, Tanzania. We conducted a convergent parallel mixed methods study among patients with TB and TB care providers participating in our 2-arm cluster randomized trial (REMIND-TB). The trial aimed to investigate whether the evriMED pillbox with reminder cues and adherence feedback effectively improves adherence to anti-TB treatment among patients with TB in Kilimanjaro, Tanzania. We conducted exit and in-depth interviews among patients as well as in-depth interviews among TB care providers in the intervention arm. We conducted a descriptive analysis of the quantitative data from exit interviews. Translated transcripts and memos were organized using NVivo software. We employed inductive and deductive thematic framework analysis, guided by Sekhon's theoretical framework of acceptability. Out of the 245 patients who completed treatment, 100 (40.8%) were interviewed during exit interviews, and 18 patients and 15 TB care providers were interviewed in-depth. Our findings showed that the DAT was highly accepted: 83% (83/100) expressed satisfaction, 98% (98/100) reported positive experiences with DAT use, 78% (78/100) understood how the intervention works, and 92% (92/100) successfully used the pillbox. Good perceived effectiveness was reported by 84% (84/100) of the participants who noticed improved adherence, and many preferred continuing receiving reminders through SMS text messages, indicating high levels of self-efficacy. Ethical concerns were minimal, as 85 (85%) participants did not worry about remote monitoring. However, some participants felt burdened using DATs; 9 (9%) faced difficulties keeping the device at home, 12 (12%) were not pleased with receiving daily reminder SMS text messages, and 30 (30%) reported challenges related to mobile network connectivity issues. TB care providers accepted the intervention due to its perceived impact on treatment outcomes and behavior change in adherence counseling, and they demonstrated high level of intervention coherence. DATs are highly acceptable in Tanzania. However, some barriers such as TB-related stigma and mobile network connectivity issues may limit acceptance. RR2-10.1186/s13063-019-3483-4.

1103-P: The Mobile Insulin Titration Intervention to Transition from Basal Insulin to a GLP1-RA (MITI-GLP1)—Using Daily SMS Text Messages and Weekly Phone Calls to Transition Primary Care Patients with Well-Controlled Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus from Basal Insulin to a GLP1-RA at Bellevue Hospital

1103-P: The Mobile Insulin Titration Intervention to Transition from Basal Insulin to a GLP1-RA (MITI-GLP1)—Using Daily SMS Text Messages and Weekly Phone Calls to Transition Primary Care Patients with Well-Controlled Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus from Basal Insulin to a GLP1-RA at Bellevue Hospital

Things You Do: A randomized controlled trial of an unguided ultra-brief intervention to reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety

The ‘Things You Do’ encompass five types of actions that are strongly associated with good mental health: Healthy Thinking, Meaningful Activities, Goals and Plans, Healthy Habits, and Social Connections. Ultra-brief interventions which increase how often people perform these actions may decrease depression and anxiety. A two-arm randomized controlled trial (N = 349) compared an unguided ultra-brief intervention based on the ‘Things You Do’ against a waitlist control. The intervention included one online module, two practice guides, and four weeks of daily text messages. The primary timepoint was 5-weeks post-baseline. The intervention resulted in moderate reductions in depression (d = 0.51) and anxiety (d = 0.55) alongside moderate increases in the frequency of Things You Do actions (d = 0.54), compared to controls. No significant change in number of days out of role or life satisfaction were observed. Treatment completion was high (92 %), most participants reported being satisfied with the treatment (66 %), and improvements were maintained at 3-month follow-up. This study demonstrated that an automated ultra-brief ‘Things You Do’ intervention resulted in clinically significant reductions in depression and anxiety. Ultra-brief interventions may provide a scalable solution to support individuals who are unlikely to engage in longer forms of psychological treatment.

An Ensemble Keyword Extraction Model for News Texts with Statistical and Graphical Features

Keyword extraction is an essential tool for many text mining applications such as automatic indexing, summarizing, classification, clustering and automatic filtering. Automated keyword extraction is essential as the daily text data to be reached and processed have increased tremendously over the Internet, e.g. millions of news articles are published daily online. In this paper, a novel ensemble model for automatic extraction of keywords from news articles is proposed. The proposed model handles keyword extraction as a sequence labeling task. Two sub-modules representing the statistical and graphical features by their calculated scores for each input token were combined in the token classification module. The Ensemble Token Classification module was trained and tested separately with the ensemble algorithms Random Forest, XgBoost, Decision Tree and Voting Classification. For training, we collected two news datasets from Kazakh and Russian news sites published in Cyrillic alphabet. We also collected an Arabic news dataset, ArabianNews. The performance of the model was also compared with the widely used 500N-KPCrowd dataset in the literature, which consists of English news content in Latin alphabet. The proposed model achieved the best performance with an [Formula: see text]-score of 0.71 and 0.86 on the 500N-KPCrowd and Russian datasets, respectively. We attained the best [Formula: see text]-score (0.97) with the KazakhNews and ArabianNews datasets.

Refining Parent SMART: User feedback to optimize a multi-modal intervention

IntroductionThe continuing care period following residential substance use treatment is a time when adolescents are at especially high risk for relapse, yet few families engage in traditional office-based care. Parent SMART (Substance Misuse among Adolescents in Residential Treatment) is a multi-component continuing care intervention for parents that combines three digital health technologies – an “off the shelf” online parenting program, daily phone notifications, and an online parent networking forum – with support from a parent coach. The current study solicited both qualitative and quantitative user feedback about Parent SMART to ensure responsivity to user preferences, refinement, and continuous improvement of the intervention. MethodsExit interviews were conducted with 30 parents who received Parent SMART, which includes (1) a parent networking forum; (2) daily text messages reminders of skills, (3) an “off-the-shelf” online parenting program; and (4) in-person or telehealth parent coaching sessions. The study collected qualitative feedback using semi-structured interviews and obtained quantitative feedback via a series of ratings of each Parent SMART component on a 5-point Likert scale administered at each follow-up assessment. ResultsQuantitative feedback suggest that parents rated all four elements of Parent SMART as easy to use. Qualitative feedback revealed that parents valued several aspects of Parent SMART including the brevity and structure of the intervention elements, the reminders to use parenting skills, and the sense of social connectedness fostered by different components. Recommended refinements included a number of strategies to enhance personalization and ease of navigation. ConclusionsParent feedback informed enhancements to the Parent SMART intervention prior to implementation in a larger, ongoing pragmatic effectiveness trial. The current study serves as a model for applying a staged person-centered approach and eliciting both quantitative and qualitative feedback to refine digital health technologies.

Discharging Patients Home With a Chest Tube and Digital System After Robotic Lung Resection

BackgroundOur objective is to assess the feasibility, safety, and outcomes for patients discharged home with a chest tube connected to a digital drainage system after robotic pulmonary resection. MethodsThis was a retrospective analysis of a prospectively collected database as a quality improvement initiative. All patients had planned discharge on postoperative day one (POD1) after robotic pulmonary resection. Those with an air leak were discharge home with a chest tube connected to a digital drainage system with daily communication with the surgeon. ResultsFrom January 2019 to February 2023 there were 580 consecutive robotic resections, of which 69 (12%) patients had an air leak on POD1; 38 of 276 (14%) after lobectomy, 24 of 226 (11%) after segmentectomy, and 7 of 78 (9%) after wedge resection. Of these 69 patients, 52 patients (75%) were discharged on POD1, 15 patients (22%) on POD2, and 2 patients (3%) on POD3. Chest tubes were removed a median outpatient chest tube duration was 4 days (interquartile range, 3-5 days). Of the 69 patients sent home with a digital drainage system, there was 1 complication requiring readmission for increasing subcutaneous emphysema. Five patients (7%) had system malfunctions that required return to our clinic for problem-solving. There were no 30- or 90-day mortalities. ConclusionsPatients who undergo robotic pulmonary resection and have an air leak can be safely and effectively discharged on the first postoperative day and managed as an outpatient by using daily texts and or videos with pulse oximetry data on a digital drainage system with limited morbidity.

Impact of a daily supportive text message program (text4hope) on the stress, anxiety, and depression levels of elderly (60 years and above) subscribers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Alberta.

IntroductionOne of the biggest global crises in our generation is the COVID-19 pandemic. It has had a severe and far-reaching negative impact on our health systems, economies, and societies. Older adults were particularly at higher risk of severe illness, isolation from social distancing measures, and concerns about their health.ObjectivesThe objective of this study is to evaluate the impact of the daily supportive text message program (Text4Hope) on the levels of stress, anxiety, and depression experienced by elderly subscribers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Alberta six weeks after enrollment.MethodsAn online survey link was used to gather demographic and clinical information on several self-report scales, such as the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) ≥ 14 and Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item (GAD-7). Scale ≥ 10, and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) ≥ 10. Descriptive and inferential statistics were run using SPSS version 25.Results172 subscribers out of 1136 completed baseline and six weeks using an online questionnaire, giving a response rate of 15.1%. There were significant reductions in mean scores on the PSS-10 and GAD-7 scales at six weeks compared to baseline (P&gt;.05), but not on the PHQ-9 scale. There were also significant reductions in the prevalence of moderate or high stress (68.6% vs 60.5%, p=0.036) and likely GAD (14.9% vs 22.7%, p=0.029) from baseline to six weeks, with the highest reduction in stress (8.1%). A change (27.6% to 25.2%) in the prevalence of likely MDD from baseline to six weeks was insignificant. (P&gt;.05)ConclusionsThis study’s findings show a decrease in the prevalence rates and the mean scores for stress and anxiety on standardized scales, indicating an improvement from baseline to six weeks. This outcome has potential implications for planning an intervention to meet the mental health needs of the elderly in similar situations like the pandemicDisclosure of InterestNone Declared

Prevalence and predictors of Anxiety and Depression among Adolescents and Young Adults: Findings from the MoreGoodDays Support Program in Alberta, Canada

IntroductionThe COVID-19 pandemic has led to a rise in psychological disorders among adolescents and young adults. There is an increase in the prevalence of likely anxiety and likely depression among the subscribers of MoreGoodDays supportive text message program, reflecting the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on this cohort.ObjectivesTo assess the prevalence, severity, and correlates of likely generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and likely major depressive disorder (MDD) among subscribers of MoreGoodDays program.MethodsThis study used a cross-sectional design. An online survey questionnaire was used to collect sociodemographic and clinical information from subscribers of MoreGoodDays program, a daily supportive text message program co-designed with adolescents and young adults for their peers in Alberta. Validated instruments, the Generalized Anxiety Disorder GAD-7 and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 PHQ-9 were used to collect information on likely GAD and likely major depressive disorder (MDD), respectively. Data was analyzed with SPSS version 25 using chi-squared tests and binary logistic regression analysis.Results343 subscribers of MoreGoodDays participated in the survey. Overall, 117 (56.0%) respondents had a likely MDD and 97 (46.6%) had a likely GAD. Participants who would like to receive mental health counselling were 27 times more likely to experience GAD (OR = 27; 95% CI: 3.09–250.00) and 40 times more likely to experience MDD (OR = 40.03; 95% CI: 4.43–361.51) than those who did not. Respondents who had received mental health counselling in the past were 18.5 times more likely to experience MDD compared with those who had not (OR = 18.52; 95% CI: 1.55–200.00). Demographic variables, including age, education, employment, and relationship status, and clinical variables, such as history of anxiety, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, ADHD, and adverse childhood experience, did not independently the predict presence of likely GAD or MDD in subscribers of MoreGoodDays.ConclusionsThe prevalence of anxiety and depression was relatively high among subscribers of MoreGoodDays, indicating the long-term effect of the COVID-19 pandemic. This finding has significant implications in the broader context of mental health research and emphasizes the need for more research into innovative mental health support for this cohort. The desire to receive counselling was predictive of both anxiety and depression and is a positive sign of the openness of this cohort to receive psychological intervention. Since this group is mostly adapted to mobile text technology, government agencies and policymakers should prioritize and implement readily accessible interventions such as supportive text messages to support their psychological well-being.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared

Improving post-concussion discharge education for families seeking emergency department care: intervention development.

Pediatric emergency departments (ED) are where many families receive post-concussion medical care and thus an important context for helping parents build skills to support their child after discharge. Develop a strategy for increasing parent provision of emotional and instrumental support to their child after discharge and conduct a pilot test of this strategy's acceptability. In a large pediatric ED in the United States, we partnered with parents (n = 15) and clinicians (n = 15) to understand needs and constraints related to discharge education and to operationalize a strategy to feasibly address these needs. This produced a brief daily text message intervention for parents for 10 days post-discharge. We used a sequential cohort design to assess the acceptability this intervention and its efficacy in changing parenting practices in the 2-weeks post-discharge (n = 98 parents). Parents who received the messaging intervention rated it as highly acceptable and had meaningfully higher scores for emotionally supportive communication with their child in the two weeks post-discharge than parents in the control condition (Cohen's d = 0.65, p = 0.021). This brief messaging intervention is a promising strategy for enhancing discharge education post-concussion that warrants further evaluation.

Mobile App-Based Mindfulness Intervention for Addressing Psychological Distress Among Survivors of Hospitalization for COVID-19 Infection

ImportancePsychological distress symptoms are present and persistent among many patients who survive a critical illness like COVID-19. ObjectiveTo determine if a self-directed mobile app-delivered mindfulness intervention could be feasibly and rapidly implemented within a clinical trials network to reduce distress symptoms. DesignSetting, and Participants: Randomized clinical trial was conducted between January 2021 and May 2022 at 29 US sites and included survivors of hospitalization due to COVID-related illness with elevated symptoms of depression at discharge. InterventionsParticipants were randomized to intervention or usual care control. The intervention consisted of four themed weeks of daily audio, video, and text content. All study procedures were virtual. Main Outcomes and MeasuresThe primary outcome was depression symptoms assessed with the Patient Health Questionnaire 9-item scale (PHQ-9) at 3 months. Secondary outcomes included anxiety (Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item scale [GAD-7], quality of life (EuroQOL Five-Dimension Scale [EQ5D], and adherence. We used general linear models to estimate treatment arm differences in outcomes over time. ResultsAmong 56 randomized participants (mean age, 51.0 [SD 13.2], female, 38 [67.9%]; Black race, 14 [25%]), 45 (intervention 23 [79%] and control 22 [81%]) were retained at 6 months. There was no difference in mean improvement between intervention and control participants at 3 months in PHQ-9 (-0.5 vs. 0.1), GAD-7 (-0.3 vs. 0.1), or EQ5D (-0.03 vs. 0.02) scores; 6 month results were similar. Only 15 (51.7%) participants initiated the intervention while the mean number of the 56 prescribed intervention activities completed was 12.0 (SD 15.2). Regulatory approvals delayed trial initiation by nearly a year. Conclusions and RelevanceAmong survivors of COVID-19 hospitalization with elevated psychological distress symptoms, a self-directed mobile app-based mindfulness intervention had poor adherence. Future psychological distress interventions mobilized at broad scale should focus efforts on patient engagement and regulatory simplification to enhance success.

Feasibility of daily pain measurement using text messages in hidradenitis suppurativa clinical trials; data from the THESEUS study.

Treatment of Hidradenitis Suppurativa Evaluation Study (THESEUS) was an observational study involving 10 centres in the UK and one of its objectives was to optimize the outcome measure instruments for use in future hidradenitis suppurativa trials. Part of the study included sending daily text messages to patients for 12 weeks once the intervention had been started. Our study showed that the response rates to the text messages were 70%, 60%, 55% and 20% after 2, 4, 8 and 12 weeks, respectively.

Focusing on Positive Listening Experiences Improves Speech Intelligibility in Experienced Hearing Aid Users.

Negativity bias is a cognitive bias that results in negative events being perceptually more salient than positive ones. For hearing care, this means that hearing aid benefits can potentially be overshadowed by adverse experiences. Research has shown that sustaining focus on positive experiences has the potential to mitigate negativity bias. The purpose of the current study was to investigate whether a positive focus (PF) intervention can improve speech-in-noise abilities for experienced hearing aid users. Thirty participants were randomly allocated to a control or PF group (N = 2 × 15). Prior to hearing aid fitting, all participants filled out the short form of the Speech, Spatial and Qualities of Hearing scale (SSQ12) based on their own hearing aids. At the first visit, they were fitted with study hearing aids, and speech-in-noise testing was performed. Both groups then wore the study hearing aids for two weeks and sent daily text messages reporting hours of hearing aid use to an experimenter. In addition, the PF group was instructed to focus on positive listening experiences and to also report them in the daily text messages. After the 2-week trial, all participants filled out the SSQ12 questionnaire based on the study hearing aids and completed the speech-in-noise testing again. Speech-in-noise performance and SSQ12 Qualities score were improved for the PF group but not for the control group. This finding indicates that the PF intervention can improve subjective and objective hearing aid benefits.