Background Self-guided Digital Mental Health Interventions (DMHIs) are increasingly being utilised to increase care provision for young people who are unable to access the care they need. Self-guided single-session DMHIs, which have been trialled in the US, are scalable and may increase access to mental healthcare for young people in the UK. Objective We aimed to assess the acceptability, feasibility, utility and immediate effects of the Project ABC-UK, a single-session behavioural activation DMHI for young people in theUK.Methods12A single-group pre-post design was used to evaluate the intervention for participants aged 13-18 (n=799). Participants provided demographic information, psychometric outcomes of hope and self-agency, hopelessness, and perceived self-control immediately before and after the intervention, and immediate feedback on the experience of the intervention. The intervention was completed online, in one sitting. T and chi-square tests were used to identify difference in completing and non-completing participants. Pre-post intervention effects were computed using paired t-tests with effect sizes (Cohen’s D). Thematic analysis was used to explore participants’ intervention feedback. Results Of 799 consenting participants, 401 (50.1%) completed the intervention, 356 (88%) of whom completed at least one post-intervention measure. Younger age, higher baseline hope and self-agency scores, and identifying with a sexual minority status (LGBTQ+),was associated with higher likelihood of completing the intervention. There were statistically significant improvements in hope and self-agency (d=-0.41), hopelessness(d=0.52), and perceived control (d=0.45). Most participants found the intervention to be enjoyable, useful, acceptable, and feasible. Conclusion Our findings support the acceptability and feasibility of Project ABC-UK. This intervention had immediate effects on enhancing hope, self-agency and perceived control, and decreasing hopelessness. It could particularly be valuable for younger adolescents and LGBTQ+ individuals.
Research Portfolio Submitted in Part Fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctorate in Clinical Psychology : Main Portfolio: 1) How have Contemporary Self-help Digital Mental Health Interventions for young People monitored and Reported on Adverse Events and Harms? A systematic scoping Review; 2) “I need equal opportunities to work”: Women of Colour working in an NHS Mental Health Service and their Reproductive Health Experiences; 3)Immediate Effects and Experiences of a Digital Single-session Behavioural Activation based Intervention for Adolescents: a Pilot Study of Project ABC-UK.
Munir, S. (Author). 10 Sept 2025
Student thesis: Doctoral Thesis › Doctor of Clinical Psychology (DClinPsy)