Millings, A., Morris, J., Rowe, A. et al. (4 more authors) (2015) Can the effectiveness of an online stress management program be augmented by wearable sensor technology? Internet Interventions.
Abstract
Objectives
This mixed-methods pilot study sought to examine whether the effectiveness of an online intervention for stress in students could be augmented by the use of prototype wearable sensors.
Methods
Students who were stressed, but not depressed, were allocated to a stress management program alone (n = 34), with sensors (n = 29), or to no intervention (n = 35). Interventions lasted 4 weeks. Outcome measures included measures of stress, anxious, and depressive symptoms, and were measured immediately after the interventions and 4 weeks later. Participants in the two program groups were interviewed to gain feedback about the program and the sensors.
Results
Significant pre-post reductions in stress (p = .019) were observed for those in the program alone group. Significant reductions in depressive symptoms were observed among postgraduates (p = .006), but not undergraduates, in the program only group. The program plus sensors group had a broadly similar, but weaker set of results, indicating that the sensors impeded, rather than augmented, the effectiveness of the program. Qualitative data explicate this finding, highlighting participation burden as a key issue. Participants provided detailed feedback about the program, the sensors, and biofeedback exercises, which are summarised and discussed with reference to the quantitative findings.
Conclusions
The newly developed stress management program could be an effective way to improve student mental health. Wearable sensor technology, particularly biofeedback exercises, may be a useful contribution for the next generation of e-therapies, but further development of the prototypes is needed and their reliability and usability will likely affect user responses to them.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). |
Keywords: | Biofeedback; Stress management; Psychoeducation; CCBT; Quantified self |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Sheffield |
Academic Units: | The University of Sheffield > Faculty of Science (Sheffield) > Department of Psychology (Sheffield) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Sheffield |
Date Deposited: | 28 Sep 2015 14:25 |
Last Modified: | 03 Nov 2016 02:16 |
Published Version: | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.invent.2015.04.005 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Elsevier |
Refereed: | Yes |
Identification Number: | 10.1016/j.invent.2015.04.005 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:89163 |