Digital Strategies to Advance Help-Seeking in Youth at Clinical High Risk for Developing Psychosis

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are investigating digital strategies to improve early help-seeking and speed up treatment for youth aged 12 to 29 who are at Clinical High-Risk (CHR) for developing psychosis. This observational study aims to understand help-seeking behaviors in a large group of 25,000 young people who screen positive for psychosis risk using an online platform. The study will also determine the most accurate online screening threshold to identify those at high risk and connect them to clinical care through a national network of programs. The study involves analyzing data from youth who complete the Prodromal-Questionnaire (PQ-B) on Mental Health America's website. Participants will be categorized based on their help-seeking stages, ranging from initial engagement to clinical assessment and intake. Researchers will use various data types, including online behavior, self-reports, and natural language processing of interactions, to develop and test personalized strategies that encourage help-seeking. The study will also establish the best PQ-B distress score threshold to identify CHR youth online. Participants will complete the online PQ-B screening and may engage in further remote assessments and interactions depending on their help-seeking stage. Data collected will include demographic details, symptom severity, online activity, and communication patterns. The main outcomes measured are the proportion of participants in each help-seeking category and the PQ-B threshold score that accurately identifies CHR youth. The study is conducted over one year with ongoing monitoring and data analysis to improve early intervention approaches.

Digital Strategies to Advance Help-Seeking Aim 1 and 2