PsYoungSupport - Web-based Support to Young Careers to Persons With Mental Illness
Condition: Mental Illness; Web
MeSH terms: Mental Disorders
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      The overall aim with the project PsYoungSupport is to evaluate Internet and communication
      technology (ICT) health efforts, i.e. information, education and support for young adults
      (16-25 years) who are first degree relatives or represent the close social network (relative
      or close friend) of individuals with mental illness, with regard to the process (the quality
      and usefulness of the support) and the effect (on health and quality of life, situation as
      relative or part of close social network and consumption of other support/care) of the
      intervention.

      The participatory design is one of the foundations of this project, and young adult
      participants will be consulted through out the research project. PsYoungSupport is a research
      program comprising three phases, Phase I is a survey of young relatives' and close friends'
      needs for internet based information, education and support, Phase II is the development of a
      website, and Phase III is an intervention based on the previous phases. The aim of phase III
      is to evaluate the effect of an internet based intervention containing information, education
      and support for young adults in families where a family member suffers from mental illness or
      functional disability. The participants (N=400) will be randomised to two groups with
      different kinds of support. The participants will be evaluated using self-questionnaires and
      web interviews at the following occasions: baseline at the start of the intervention, after 4
      months and after 8 months. This project will have implications for persons suffering from
      mental illness as well as for their relatives and close friends.
    

Detailed description: 
      In the last decades it has been stated that the mental health of young people has
      deteriorated. Nowadays, the main part of the psychiatric care are out-patient care, family,
      relatives and close friends get involved and needs to take large responsibility for their
      relative or friend with mental illness. Therefore it is important to acquire knowledge that
      could benefit the patients and their families. There is still a gap in the knowledge as to
      which social support, such as information and education processes, are of value to the
      patient and family struggling with depression, and as to how individuals benefits from these
      components in their functional recovery from depression. Accordingly, pedagogic processes as
      an integrated part of patient-centred care and treatment may be increasingly important to
      study.

      The overall aim is to evaluate internet and communication technology (ICT) health efforts,
      i.e. information, education and support for young adults who are first degree relatives or
      represent the close social network (relative or close friend) of individuals with mental
      illness, with regard to the process (the quality and usefulness of the support) and the
      effect (on health and quality of life, situation as relative or part of close social network
      and consumption of other support/care) of the intervention.

      PsYoungSupport is a research program comprising three phases, Phase I is a survey of young
      relatives' and close friends' needs for internet based information, education and support,
      Phase II is the development of a website, and Phase III is an intervention based on the
      previous phases. The investigators have a participatory design, including young persons in
      the whole research process. Primary outcome measures are social interaction, the degree of
      subjective and objective burden, stigmatisation and illness. Data are going to be based on
      both qualitative and quantitative approaches. The results are also going to evaluate cost
      effectiveness and the process of learning.

      Within three years this project will describe different kind of implications for relatives
      and close friends who are caring for persons suffering from mental illness. Increased
      accessibility to knowledge about how mental health can benefit them and their relatives and
      close friends will facilitate for and empower these persons, and also increase their
      participation in society and with that increase the democracy for these persons in the
      society. Within five years this study can be integrated within the Swedish national website
      Care on line.
    

Intervention name(s): Web-based support
Intervention type(s): Other
Intervention description(s): Comparison between the efficacy between webb-based support and informational support
Other intervention name(s): website: www.molnhopp.nu
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)
Primary purpose: Prevention
Keywords: Burden; Mental illness; Stress; Social support