PURSUIT: A Technologically Augmented School-based Program to Improve Child Coping and Prevent Substance Use.

Description

Our aims are to:

1. Evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of the PURSUIT online support platform using mixed methods.
2. Explore the impact of PURSUIT on youth’s physical (pain) and mental health (stress, anxiety, mood, perceived risk of substance use) symptoms at post assessment.

Consented youth will complete a baseline assessment (week 1), and then will use the PURSUIT online platform (expected duration is 6 week), and complete a post assessment (week 8).

Within the PURSUIT platform, all youth will have access to tools teaching cognitive-behavioral strategies for managing mood, anxiety, stress, and physical pain. Youth aged 12 and older will have access to additional content presenting cognitive-behavioral strategies for reducing the risk of substance use.

Youth will provide data on their symptoms (e.g thoughts, mood, behaviors, sleep, pain, and stress) at baseline and post assessment. A caregiver will report on the child’s demographics, adverse childhood experience (ACE) exposure, school performance/attendance and their own mood. At post-assessment, the youth will also be asked to take part in a brief, semi-structured interview regarding their experiences with PURSUIT.