Date of Award

8-2024

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

College/School

College of Humanities and Social Sciences

Department/Program

Psychology

Thesis Sponsor/Dissertation Chair/Project Chair

Carrie Masia

Committee Member

Jazmin Reyes-Portillo

Committee Member

Jude Uy

Abstract

Digital mental health interventions (DMHIs) show promise in improving access to mental health care for college students suffering from depression and anxiety symptoms. Nonetheless, the usefulness of DMHIs is limited by high user attrition. Leveraging peer support among college populations may be a feasible and cost-effective option to improve DMHI engagement and improve mental health outcomes. This open pilot study evaluated the feasibility, acceptability, and initial efficacy of a skill-based peer support group in enhancing user engagement in a DMHI for depression and anxiety symptoms. Participants were 20 undergraduate students at a university in New Jersey with elevated depression and anxiety levels. Each week, they were asked to attend a peer support group and complete one to three modules of Therapy Assistance Online (TAO), a DMHI providing psychoeducation and coping strategies for depression and anxiety. Of the 233 students deemed eligible by the screening survey, 20 participants enrolled in the program and attended at least one group meeting. Nineteen participants completed at least 50% of the TAO modules, with an overall adherence rate of 87%. The average attendance rate of peer support groups was 83%. Participants were relatively satisfied with the program, and anxiety and depression symptoms significantly decreased from baseline to seven weeks. The integration of a peer support group fostered a sense of accountability and solidarity among participants, while also serving as a platform for addressing questions and sharing insights. Future research can focus on efforts to improve scalability of TAO with peer support by evaluating the feasibility of recruiting and training undergraduate students to assume the role of peer leaders for the support groups.

File Format

PDF

Download

Share

COinS