Paper Session 06: Mental Health

Chronic physical health conditions and mental health symptoms are often bidirectional, such that poorer psychological functioning predicts worse physical health management and vice-versa. Despite this, psychological needs continue to remain over-generalized and under-addressed. More work is needed to understand specific mental health experiences among individuals with chronic health conditions. Latent profile analysis (LPA), a person-centered statistical approach can be used to identify meaningful subgroups of a population based on related, but distinct, variables. As such, we used LPA to identify subgroups of mental health symptoms (depression, generalized anxiety, social anxiety, perceived stress, and mental health-related quality of life) among a sample of adults who reported living with at least one chronic physical health condition. Participants (N = 300, females = 198; Mage = 52.20) with obesity, type 1 or type 2 diabetes, skin diseases, HIV, chronic pain, and/or cancers were recruited from ResearchMatch to complete a battery of validated measures online assessing mental health constructs, sociodemographics, internalized health-related stigma, and disease-related characteristics. We estimated between a 2- and 8-profile solution. Based on model fit statistics (AIC = 8754.13, BIC = 8880.06, ssBIC = 8772.24, Entropy = 0.91, BLRT p < .001) and theoretical interpretability, a 5-profile solution best characterized the sample. Profiles varied meaningfully across all mental health indicator variables (η² range = .35 - .83). Notably, three ‘higher risk’ mental health symptoms profiles emerged: one marked by severe depressive symptoms, one marked by severe generalized and social anxiety, and another characterized by uniformly severe symptoms across all mental health domains. Compared to lower and moderate symptom subgroups, individuals in these profiles were more likely to be younger, have lower household income, report greater internalized health stigma, endorse having multiple chronic physical health conditions, and experience more health impairment. Findings underscore that psychological distress in chronic health populations is not uniform but can be classified into distinct patterns with unique correlates. Identifying heterogeneity is a step toward developing person-centered care in integrated healthcare settings to tailor treatment to diverse patient needs that improves mental health and socio-contextual barriers impacting health.

Co-Author - Taylor Stanley, MA, University of Florida
Co-Author - Rebecca Pearl, PhD, University of Florida

Background: Internet addiction (IA) is characterized by excessive use that a person is unable to regulate despite negative consequences such as failing to meet responsibilities and diminished quality of relationships. Currently, nearly all US teens (96%) use the Internet every day and nearly half (46%) report being online ‘almost constantly.’Considerable evidence suggests that IA has negative effects on students’ academic performance, peer relationships, and mental health. However, almost no research has investigated whether parent-adolescent communication can offset the risk of IA for depression and anxiety after accounting for early life adversity and neighborhood characteristics. Methods: Data are survey responses (N=2,824) of high school students participating in the SHARE project across three states. Ordered logistic regression models tested the hypothesized relationships between IA (Internet Addiction Test) and depression (CESD) and anxiety (GAD-7), adjusting for age, sex, ethnicity, adverse childhood experiences, neighborhood disadvantage, and urbanicity. We also assessed whether parent-adolescent communication (PACS) moderated the relationship between IA and depression and anxiety. Results: On average, students were 15.6 (SD=2.0) years old, 48% were male, and 31% identified as non-Hispanic White, followed by African American (28%), Hispanic (17%), Multiethnic (17%), and Asian (7%). About 1 in 3 students (27%) reported moderate to severe IA and over half (51%) screened positive for moderate to severe depression and 35% for moderate to severe anxiety. IA was associated with higher odds of moderate to severe depression (AOR:3.5, 95%CI:2.80, 4.32) and moderate to severe anxiety (AOR:3.1, 95%CI:2.57, 3.78), while higher parent-adolescent communication scores were associated with lower odds of depression (AOR:0.9, 95%CI:0.93, 0.96) and anxiety (AOR:0.9, 95%CI:0.93, 0.96). Importantly, higher parent-adolescent communication offset the negative effects of IA for depression (p<0.05) but not anxiety. Discussion: Our results provide compelling evidence that symptoms of compulsive Internet use increase risk for depression and anxiety although meaningful and positive communication between parents and adolescents can act as a potent protective factor. Community and school-based programs that foster parent-child communication and teach active listening to family members may be promising approaches to reduce both high levels of IA and mental health symptoms.

Author - Xiao Zhang, California State University Northridge
Co-Author - , California State University Northridge
Co-Author - Mikaela Rojas, MPH (c), Project Share
Co-Author - , California State University Northridge
Co-Author - Myriam Forster, PhD, MPH, California State University, Northridge

Background: Virtual reality (VR) exercise represents one mode of physical activity that may be particularly beneficial for promoting mental health outcomes. However, there is a paucity of research examining the long-term mental health benefits of VR exercise. Therefore, the primary purpose of this investigation was to examine the efficacy of a 10-week home-based VR exercise (i.e., Supernatural exergaming via Meta Platforms Technologies, LLC) program for improving well-being (i.e., subjective vitality). Secondary outcomes included self-reported depression, anxiety, and cognitive functioning (i.e., organization and strategic planning).

Methods: A two-arm, non-blinded, randomized controlled trial design was utilized. Community-based adults (ages 19-64) participating in less than 75 minutes of vigorous PA per week were randomized to either the home-based VR exercise intervention (n = 73) or a waitlist control (WLC) condition (n = 81). After baseline assessments, the VR exercise condition completed an in-lab VR and Supernatural (VR exercise game) tutorial. After the tutorial, participants were provided a Meta Quest 3 VR headset and a Supernatural VR exercise subscription and were instructed to participate in 75 minutes of VR Supernatural exercise (i.e., vigorous aerobic activity) per week, for 10 weeks at home. Participants completed self-report measures of vitality, depression, anxiety, organization, and strategic planning at baseline, week 5, and week 10 (post-study). Analyses included mixed effects regression models with random intercepts.

Results: A total of 154 participants were enrolled in the study (Mage = 42; 62% women). There was significant condition by time interaction effects for vitality (b = 0.38, p < 0.001), depression (b = -0.13, p < 0.01), and anxiety (b = -0.11, p < 0.01), suggesting that the intervention condition increased participant vitality and decreased their depression and anxiety across the 10-week study, relative to the WLC condition. The condition by time interaction effects were non-significant for organization (b = 0.08, p > 0.05) and strategic planning (b = 0.04, p > 0.05).

Conclusion: The findings of this investigation demonstrate the initial efficacy of Supernatural VR exercise in promoting mental health benefits among adults not participating in regular vigorous PA. Further, VR exercise may present a feasible and alternative mode of vigorous PA.

Trial Registration: Clinical trials (NCT06367439).

Presenter - Colin Wierts, PhD, Louisiana State University
Co-Author - Carol Brennan, PhD, University of Victoria
Co-Author - Tami F. D. Mann, BSc, University of Victoria
Co-Author - Ryan Rhodes, PhD, FSBM, University of Victoria

BACKGROUND: Youth suicide has been, and continues to be a major problem across the globe. Several reports highlight that Black youth in the U.S., however, have experienced some of the most startling growths in suicide rates over the past decade. Existing interventions may include Black youth but do not uniquely account for how and why suicide risk may develop among this particular population. Moreover, few suicide prevention studies identify culturally responsive mechanisms that can be leveraged to mitigate future suicide risk and promote wellbeing overtime. This study, therefore, presents preliminary findings from a pilot video-based suicide prevention intervention designed for Black middle school students in Chicago.

METHOD: We are currently enrolling youth participants across four local schools in Chicago. All participants are current 6th - 8th grade students enrolled at one of four participating schools. This is a universal intervention, so all enrolled 6th - 8th grade students are eligible to enroll in the study. Recruitment techniques include distributing flyers at parent-teacher conferences, visiting classrooms, asking school administrators to send messages or emails on our behalf, and tabling at school events. Two schools will be randomly assigned to receive the existing/standard intervention videos, while the two remaining schools will receive the culturally adapted intervention videos. Students in both conditions will view the videos and will complete pre and post-test measures at T1: pre-test; T2:post-test; T3: 3-months post-test. Survey data will be collected and the intervention will be implemented in the fall of 2025.

RESULTS: Pre and post-test measures of suicidal ideation and attempts will be evaluated within and across both groups. Students’ experiences of positive psychological outcomes, racial identity, racial socialization, knowledge, and attitudes towards depression and suicide will also be assessed using t-tests, linear or logistic regression analyses.

CONCLUSION: Our results will offer insight regarding the feasibility and preliminary effectiveness of a culturally adapted suicide prevention designed for Black middle school students in Chicago. Alongside reporting intervention findings, we will also discuss our experience in working with a video production company to create new intervention videos that feature all Black casts and integrate topics pertinent to the experiences of Black adolescents.

Presenter - Janelle Goodwill, PhD, MSW, University of Chicago
Co-Author - Miwa Yasui, PhD, University of Chicago
Co-Author - Ashley Vuletíc, MPP, University of Chicago
Co-Author - Dayhana Joseph, University of Chicago
Co-Author - Destiny Jenkins, University of Chicago
Co-Author - Kunashe Rwizi , University of Chicago