Health Technology/clinical-trials

Pilot RCT Targets Adolescent Anxiety via Library-Integrated Digital Mental Health Program — Early Findings Signal a Scalable Community Model

247 Health News Editorial

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8 July 2026

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4 min read

·clinical-trials

A completed randomised pilot trial from Northwestern University has tested a co-created digital mental health program for anxious adolescents, delivered through public libraries rather than clinical settings. With 66 participants screened using the GAD-7, the study assessed feasibility, acceptability, and usability — laying the groundwork for a fully powered efficacy trial. The library-as-delivery-platform model could offer a scalable, stigma-reduced pathway for youth mental health prevention.

Originally reported by ClinicalTrials.gov

References

  1. 1.Northwestern University. (2024). Technology-enabled prevention services for at-risk youth (NCT07660133). ClinicalTrials.gov. https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT07660133
  2. 2.Merikangas, K. R., He, J. P., Burstein, M., Swanson, S. A., Avenevoli, S., Cui, L., Benjet, C., Georgiades, K., & Swendsen, J. (2010). Lifetime prevalence of mental disorders in U.S. adolescents: Results from the National Comorbidity Survey Replication–Adolescent Supplement (NCS-A). Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 49(10), 980–989. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaac.2010.05.017
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  4. 4.Grist, R., Porter, J., & Stallard, P. (2017). Mental health mobile apps for preadolescents and adolescents: A systematic review. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 19(5), e176. https://doi.org/10.2196/jmir.7332
  5. 5.Spitzer, R. L., Kroenke, K., Williams, J. B. W., & Löwe, B. (2006). A brief measure for assessing generalized anxiety disorder: The GAD-7. Archives of Internal Medicine, 166(10), 1092–1097. https://doi.org/10.1001/archinte.166.10.1092
  6. 6.Australian Government Department of Health. (2021). National children's mental health and wellbeing strategy. Australian Government. https://www.health.gov.au/resources/publications/national-childrens-mental-health-and-wellbeing-strategy
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247 Health News Editorial

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