@article{ref1,
title="Feasibility of a web-accessible game-based intervention aimed at improving help seeking and coping among sexual and gender minority youth: results from a randomized controlled trial",
journal="Journal of Adolescent Health",
year="2021",
author="Egan, James E. and Corey, Stephanie L. and Henderson, Emmett R. and Abebe, Kaleab Z. and Louth-Marquez, William and Espelage, Dorothy L. and Hunter, Simon C. and DeLucas, Matthew and Miller, Elizabeth and Morrill, Brooke A. and Hieftje, Kimberly and Sang, Jordan M. and Friedman, Mark S. and Coulter, Robert W. S.",
volume="ePub",
number="ePub",
pages="ePub-ePub",
abstract="PURPOSE: To address the gap in interventions for improving sexual and gender minority youth (SGMY; e.g., lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth) health, we tested the feasibility of a game-based intervention for increasing help-seeking, productive coping skills, resource knowledge/use, and well-being. <br><br>METHODS: We conducted a 2-arm randomized controlled trial testing a theory-based, community-informed, Web-accessible computer role-playing game intervention. Control condition received a list of resources. Primary hypotheses were high levels of implementation success, game demand, and game acceptability. <br><br>RESULTS: We randomized 240 SGMYs aged 14-18 years into the intervention (n = 120) or control (n = 120) conditions. Participants completed baseline (100%), 1-month follow-up (T2; 73.3%), and 2-month follow-up (T3; 64.4%) surveys. Among intervention participants, 55.8% downloaded and played the game. Of those who played, 46.2% reported a desire to play it again, and 50.8% would recommend it. Game acceptability exceeded hypothesized benchmarks, wherein participants reported high positive affect (M = 2.36; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.13, 2.58), low negative affect (M = 2.75; 95% CI: 2.55, 2.95), low tension/annoyance (M = 3.18; 95% CI: 2.98, 3.39), and high competence (M = 2.23; 95% CI: 2.04, 2.43) while playing the game. In multivariable intent-to-treat analyses of 38 secondary/tertiary outcomes, intervention participants reported significantly larger reductions than control participants in cyberbullying victimization (T2 b = -.28; 95% CI: -.56, -.01), binge drinking frequency (T2 b = -.39; 95% CI: -.71, -.06), and marijuana use frequency (T3 b = -2.78; 95% CI: -4.49, -1.08). <br><br>CONCLUSIONS: We successfully implemented a Web-accessible game trial with SGMY. The game-based intervention was feasible and acceptable to SGMY, and preliminary results show it improved several health-related behaviors. A larger scale trial is needed to test whether the game-based intervention can reduce health inequities for SGMY.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="1054-139X",
doi="10.1016/j.jadohealth.2021.03.027",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2021.03.027"
}