Peer + Text Message Support for Mental Illness

Recruiting in Palo Alto (17 mi)

+6 other locations

Overseen byVincent Agyapong, MD,PhD

Age: 18+

Sex: Any

Travel: May Be Covered

Time Reimbursement: Varies

Trial Phase: Academic

Waitlist Available

Sponsor: University of Alberta

No Placebo Group

Trial Summary

What is the purpose of this trial?Avoidable hospital readmissions are a pressing problem for our healthcare system. They lead to substantial human suffering and higher financial costs. Most discharged psychiatric inpatients in Alberta are offered follow-up appointments with Alberta Health Services (AHS) Addiction and Mental Health (AMH) community providers. Patients often wait 28-38 weeks for their first appointment, which leads many to miss their first appointments, and increases the likelihood of relapse. As a result, patients discharged into the community are readmitted to the Emergency Department (ED). To address this significant revolving door, the investigators will implement a low-cost, evidence-based system that delivers daily supportive texts to patients' mobile phones. The text messages developed by experts and service users, based on cognitive behavioral therapy principles. Our proposed program also includes peer support from previous mental health patients who have had similar challenges as participants, but are now in recovery. In this way, the investigators aim to reduce the psychological treatment and support gap for AMH patients who have been discharged from acute care and are scheduled to receive mental health and psychiatric treatment from A\&MH services after a long wait. Our pilot test of these interventions provide evidence that psychiatric readmissions, and emergency department visits can be reduced by 10-25% if implemented at scale in Alberta, thus resulting in cost-savings for individuals and the province.

Eligibility Criteria

This trial is for adults aged 18 to 65 who are being discharged from acute psychiatric care, have a mental health diagnosis, can consent to participate, and own a mobile device that can receive texts. It's not for those with addiction disorders without a mental health diagnosis or who cannot read texts.

Inclusion Criteria

Patients should have a mobile device capable of receiving text messages

I can sign consent, have a mental health diagnosis, and am ready to leave the hospital.

I am between 18 and 65 years old.

+1 more

Exclusion Criteria

Patients will be ineligible if they do not meet the above inclusion criteria

Patients are also ineligible if they do not consent to take part in the study

Are not capable of reading text messages from a mobile device or if they know they will be out of town during the 12-month follow-up period

+1 more

Participant Groups

The study tests whether daily supportive text messages based on cognitive behavioral therapy principles and peer support by recovered patients can reduce hospital readmissions among recently discharged psychiatric patients awaiting follow-up treatment.

3Treatment groups

Experimental Treatment

Active Control

Group I: Text message with or without peer supportExperimental Treatment2 Interventions

All individuals in this cluster will receive daily text message support for six months plus weekly text message over 6 weeks (six information text messages all together) with some selected members also receiving peer support for six months

Group II: Text Message clusterExperimental Treatment1 Intervention

This arm will receive only daily text message support for six months plus weekly text message over 6 weeks (six information text messages all together)

Group III: Control groupActive Control1 Intervention

This group will only receive usual care plus weekly text message over 6 weeks (six information text messages all together) with provides information about community services