Addressing Anxiety in Emerging Adults with Problematic Social Media Use through Just-In-Time delivery of a Digital Mindfulness intervention

About This Grant

Project Summary Problematic social media use (PSMU) is a generation-defining public health concern for emerging adults. PSMU is associated with anxious symptoms and may operate through mechanisms such as social media rumination and depersonalization. Mindfulness based interventions are efficacious for reducing anxious symptoms, experiences of rumination, and potentially depersonalization. Despite this, challenges persist in engaging and sustaining mindfulness practices among emerging adults. Digital mindfulness interventions (DMIs), such as the Healthy Minds Program (HMP), which trains mindfulness skills through educational and guided mindfulness practice modules, may be a viable solution to this problem. HMP has been shown to reduce anxious symptoms among adults and may be uniquely primed to address anxious symptoms and PSMU among emerging adults, as reductions in anxious symptoms in HMP were mediated by changes in rumination. The overall goal of this K01 is to develop the HMP for Emerging Adults (HMP-EA), based on the existing HMP, by tailoring it to the specific needs of emerging adults with PSMU and anxious symptoms and integrating just-in-time (JIT) technology to curb social media exposure directly. First, HMP-EA will tailor app content to relevant examples and preferences of emerging adults with PSMU. Previous work led by Dr. Vranceanu (Primary Mentor) has shown that tailoring led to high engagement and retention in a different study using HMP with dementia caregivers. Second, HMP-EA will use JIT intervention delivery to interrupt periods of social media binging, which are associated with anxious symptoms and key mechanisms, with nudges to engage with mindfulness practices, which have been shown in other contexts to interrupt maladaptive behaviors and improve mental well-being. The proposed research has three specific aims. Aim 1: Refine HMP-EA using a user-centered design framework and qualitative interviews with emerging adults with PSMU and have elevated anxious symptoms (N=12-20) to identify user needs, preferences, contextual factors influencing engagement, and inform the development of the JIT component designed to prompt mindfulness practice following during social media binges. Aim 2: Conduct a beta test and single-arm feasibility pilot of HMP-EA (N=10) to evaluate feasibility, acceptability, usability, and adherence, using mixed methods. Aim 3: Conduct a 12-week single-blind feasibility randomized controlled trial (n=50) comparing HMP-EA to a wellness podcast control matched on time and attention. Feasibility metrics (e.g., recruitment, retention, adherence, engagement), anxious symptoms, social media usage, and theory-driven mechanisms (e.g., rumination, depersonalization) will be assessed at baseline, post-intervention, and 3-month follow-up. The completion of the proposed research aims will be facilitated by the following 3 training aims: 1) User-centered design informed qualitative methods for JIT mindfulness DHI development, 2) Mixed methods approaches for mindfulness intervention refinement, and 3) Lead health-related clinical research teams and quantitatively analyze feasibility RCTs. I was also engage with several professional development activities to scaffold my transition from K awardee to independent investigator. This research follows NCCIH’s priorities for multicomponent, whole-person digital interventions and represents a critical step toward addressing mental health challenges faced by emerging adults.