A digital training platform aims to help improve the mental health and well-being of young people. The eHealth platform was developed as part of the international EU project IMPROVA, with the University of Ulm playing a key role. An 18-month field study, which will start at the end of November, will now test how effective the platform is. Pupils, parents and teachers in four countries will be surveyed for the evaluation. Numerous schools from the Ulm area are also involved.
Depression and anxiety disorders are widespread among young people, and the trend is rising. An international research project, which is being funded by the EU as part of Horizon Europe with a total of seven million euros, aims to counteract this. The joint project is being led by the non-profit research organization FSJD-CERCA from Barcelona. “The heart of IMPROVA is our eHealth platform with a wide range of interactive modules, tools and information on the topic of mental health,” explains Professor Harald Baumeister. The head of the Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy at the University of Ulm leads the working group developing the eHealth platform. His department is also responsible for conducting the field study at the German site. This includes student surveys at secondary schools in Ulm and the surrounding area. Parents and teachers are also surveyed. The researchers of the IMPROVA project want to investigate whether the use of the platform improves the mental health and well-being of young people. The scientific field studies in Spain, France, Romania and Germany will start in November.
Around 3,000 pupils in years 7 to 13 are to be surveyed in each state. In Ulm and the surrounding area, 13 secondary schools are already involved and 16 are to be included. Over the next few weeks, parents will be informed and asked for their consent. Four dates are planned for the student surveys over a period of one and a half years. “To evaluate the effectiveness, we are comparing an intervention group with a waiting list group that will receive access to the IMPROVA platform one school year later,” explains Dr. Ann-Marie Küchler. The scientist from the Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy is coordinating the German field study.
The IMPROVA approach focuses on health literacy, prevention and destigmatization
The special feature: "IMPROVA offers a health tool that can be integrated into the education system. There are specially tailored offers for young people, their parents and teachers," says Dr. Rodrigo Antunes Lima, scientific coordinator of IMPROVA in Barcelona. The focus is on improving mental health through health literacy, prevention and destigmatization. Young people and teachers are given access to the digital training platform, which is available as an app or browser version and contains interactive modules adapted to the target groups. In addition, a website offers young people, teachers and parents comprehensive information on the topic of mental health. For school lessons, there are prepared teaching units on a wide range of questions: How do I recognize my strengths? How do I regulate my emotions? What helps me in conflicts or crises?
The eHealth platform is the interdisciplinary result of collaboration between international scientists from the fields of psychology, epidemiology, health research and computer science. Küchler and Baumeister's team worked closely with Professor Manfred Reichert's Institute for Databases and Information Systems in Ulm, Würzburg medical informatics professor Rüdiger Pryss and Dr. Rodrigo Antunes Lima from the Fundació privada per a la recerca i la docència Sant Joan de Déu (FSJD-CERCA) in Barcelona.
The schools also benefit directly from participating: teachers and school staff have access to comprehensive resources to support the mental well-being of their pupils and to help them deal with crises. The schools also receive an anonymized report on the development of their students' mental health over the course of the school year. Other support options are also available on request, such as scientific presentations on the topic of mental health or specially tailored offers for project weeks. “Each school also receives individual support from a dedicated IMPROVA team member,” adds Dr. Ann-Marie Küchler.
Further Information:
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Prof. Dr. Harald Baumeister, Head of the Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Ulm, E-Mail: harald.baumeister(at)uni-ulm.de
Dr. Ann-Marie Küchler, E-Mail: improva(at)uni-ulm.de
Information online: https://www.improva-project.eu/de/