Randomized Controlled Trial of a Behavioral Training App

Launched by NEW YORK UNIVERSITY · Jun 3, 2024

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is studying a special app designed to help children aged 6-12 who struggle with behavior issues, such as attention problems, anxiety, or stress. The app uses a rewards system where parents can give their children tokens for completing everyday tasks like cleaning their room or doing homework. Some families will use the real app, while others will use a similar app that gives tokens regardless of task completion, allowing researchers to see how effective the rewards system really is.

To participate, children must be between 6-12 years old and show signs of behavioral difficulties. Parents need to be fluent in English, have full-time custody of the child, and have reliable internet access using an Apple device. Over the course of 8 weeks, families will be asked to use the app daily and complete assessments to track progress. It's important to note that if a child's behavior worsens or if they need more intense help, they may be removed from the study. This trial aims to understand whether this app can be a useful tool for families facing these challenges.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • the child must be between the ages of 6-12 at the time of baseline/pre-intervention data collection
• • the child must have an elevated score based on the strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ)
• • the parent/caregiver must be a fluent English speaker
• • the parent/caregiver must be the legal guardians of and have full-time custody/child care responsibilities for their child (parents/caregiver with limited contact with their child will not have the opportunity to sufficiently use the app with their child)
• • the parent/caregiver must have reliable and stable mobile internet access
• • the parent/caregiver must use an Apple iOS operating system (the research version of the app will only be available in iOS) on their phone
• • the parent/caregiver and their child must reside in the United States.
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • the child or parent/caregiver presents with emergency psychiatric needs that require services beyond those that can be managed within this intervention format (e.g., hospitalization, specialized placement outside the home); In this case, an active intervention by research staff to secure what is needed will be made
• • if the child has an elevated score for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) on the Developmental Behavior Checklist-Autism Screening Algorithm and the parent indicates that their child was diagnosed with autism or another pervasive developmental disorder;
• • if the parent/caregiver is currently enrolled or has recently enrolled in any type of behavioral therapy program (i.e., within the past six months)
• • the caregiver has used the Joon app in the past. If the child is currently taking medication, families that participate in the study will be asked to keep their child's medication status stable and report changes immediately to the project director.
• • Additionally, participants may be removed from the study if their child's symptoms worsen considerably such that the child requires more immediate professional intervention.