Clinical Takeaway
A randomized controlled trial tested the Minder mobile app, co-developed with university students, for improving mental health and substance use outcomes in a general college population. The study evaluated whether this scalable digital tool could address the well-documented surge in mental health challenges that often emerges during the university transition period. Results from this trial provide direct evidence on whether app-based interventions can meaningfully move the needle on both mental health and substance use in young adults.
#4 Effectiveness of the Minder Mobile Mental Health and Substance Use Intervention for University Students: Randomized Controlled Trial.
Citation: Vereschagin Melissa et al.. Effectiveness of the Minder Mobile Mental Health and Substance Use Intervention for University Students: Randomized Controlled Trial.. Journal of medical Internet research. 2024. PMID: 38536225.
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This RCT evaluates a scalable digital intervention specifically designed for a high-risk population during a critical developmental period when mental health and substance use disorders frequently emerge, addressing a significant treatment gap in university settings. The study’s findings on Minder’s effectiveness could inform implementation of evidence-based mobile interventions as adjunctive tools or stepped-care options for students with comorbid mental health and substance use conditions. Given the documented barriers to traditional mental health service access in university populations, positive results would support integration of user-centered digital tools into institutional mental health infrastructure.
Abstract: BACKGROUND: University attendance represents a transition period for students that often coincides with the emergence of mental health and substance use challenges. Digital interventions have been identified as a promising means of supporting students due to their scalability, adaptability, and acceptability. Minder is a mental health and substance use mobile app that was codeveloped with university students. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to examine the effectiveness of the Minder mobile app in improving mental health and substance use outcomes in a general population of university students. METHODS: A 2-arm, parallel-assignment, single-blinded, 30-day randomized controlled trial was used to evaluate Minder using intention-to-treat analysis. In total, 1489 participants were recruited and randomly assigned to the intervention (n=743, 49.9%) or waitlist control (n=746, 50.1%) condition. The Minder app delivers evidence-based content through an automated chatbot and connects participants with services and university social groups. Participants are also assigned a trained peer coach to support them. The primary outcomes were measured through in-app self-assessments and included changes in general anxiety symptomology, depressive symptomology, and alcohol consumption risk measured using the 7-item General Anxiety Disorder scale, 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire, and US Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-Consumption Scale, respectively, from baseline to 30-day follow-up. Secondary outcomes included measures related to changes in the frequency of substance use (cannabis, alcohol, opioids, and nonmedical stimulants) and mental well-being. Generalized linear mixed-effects models were used to examine each outcome. RESULTS: In total, 79.3% (589/743) of participants in the intervention group and 83% (619/746) of participants in the control group completed the follow-up survey. The intervention group had significantly greater average reductions in anxiety symptoms measure
? This randomized controlled trial of the Minder mobile app offers encouraging evidence that digital interventions can meaningfully support university students struggling with mental health and substance use, which is clinically relevant given the high prevalence of these issues during this vulnerable developmental period. However, several important caveats warrant consideration: the study population appears limited to university-attending young adults, which may not generalize to other age groups or non-student populations; digital interventions typically show stronger efficacy in motivated, tech-literate participants who may differ systematically from those with greater severity or engagement barriers; and the mechanism by which a mobile app produces benefit remains unclear, making it difficult to identify which patients might benefit most. Additionally, long-term sustainability of app engagement and behavioral change beyond the trial period remains an open question in digital health research. For clinical practice, this study suggests that recommending evidence-based mental health and substance use apps like Minder to university-aged patients may serve as a useful adjunct to standard care, particularly for those receptive to digital tools,
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