title: Bounce Back Now! Protocol of a population-based randomized controlled trial to examine the efficacy of a Web-based intervention with disaster-affected families.
abstract: Disasters have far-reaching and potentially long-lasting effects on youth and families. Research has consistently shown a clear increase in the prevalence of several mental health disorders after disasters, including depression and posttraumatic stress disorder. Widely accessible evidence-based interventions are needed to address this unmet need for youth and families, who are underrepresented in disaster research. Rapid growth in Internet and Smartphone access, as well as several Web based evaluation studies with various adult populations has shown that Web-based interventions are likely to be feasible in this context and can improve clinical outcomes. Such interventions also are generally cost-effective, can be targeted or personalized, and can easily be integrated in a stepped care approach to screening and intervention delivery. This is a protocol paper that describes an innovative study design in which we evaluate a self-help Web-based resource, Bounce Back Now, with a population-based sample of disaster affected adolescents and families. The paper includes description and justification for sampling selection and procedures, selection of assessment measures and methods, design of the intervention, and statistical evaluation of critical outcomes. Unique features of this study design include the use of address-based sampling to recruit a population-based sample of disaster-affected adolescents and parents, telephone and Web-based assessments, and development and evaluation of a highly individualized Web intervention for adolescents. Challenges related to large-scale evaluation of technology-delivered interventions with high-risk samples in time-sensitive research are discussed, as well as implications for future research and practice.
authors.affiliation: Technology Applications Center for Healthful Lifestyles, College of Nursing, Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC), Charleston, SC, United States; Ralph H. Johnson Veterans Affairs Medical Center, 109 Bee Street, Charleston, SC, 29401, United States. Electronic address: ruggierk@musc.edu.
authors.forename: Kenneth J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Ruggiero
authors.affiliation: Technology Applications Center for Healthful Lifestyles, College of Nursing, Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC), Charleston, SC, United States; National Crime Victims Research and Treatment Center, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, MUSC, Charleston, SC, United States.
authors.forename: Tatiana M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Davidson
authors.affiliation: Clinical Neuroscience Division, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, MUSC, Charleston, SC, United States.
authors.forename: Jenna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: McCauley
authors.affiliation: Ralph H. Johnson Veterans Affairs Medical Center, 109 Bee Street, Charleston, SC, 29401, United States.
authors.forename: Kirstin Stauffacher
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Gros
authors.affiliation: Ralph H. Johnson Veterans Affairs Medical Center, 109 Bee Street, Charleston, SC, 29401, United States; National Crime Victims Research and Treatment Center, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, MUSC, Charleston, SC, United States.
authors.forename: Kyleen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Welsh
authors.affiliation: Center for Research on Emotion, Stress, and Technology, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, United States.
authors.forename: Matthew
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Price
authors.affiliation: National Crime Victims Research and Treatment Center, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, MUSC, Charleston, SC, United States.
authors.forename: Heidi S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Resnick
authors.affiliation: National Crime Victims Research and Treatment Center, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, MUSC, Charleston, SC, United States.
authors.forename: Carla Kmett
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Danielson
authors.affiliation: Technology Applications Center for Healthful Lifestyles, College of Nursing, Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC), Charleston, SC, United States; National Crime Victims Research and Treatment Center, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, MUSC, Charleston, SC, United States.
authors.forename: Kathryn
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Soltis
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States.
authors.forename: Sandro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Galea
authors.affiliation: National Crime Victims Research and Treatment Center, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, MUSC, Charleston, SC, United States.
authors.forename: Dean G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Kilpatrick
authors.affiliation: National Crime Victims Research and Treatment Center, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, MUSC, Charleston, SC, United States.
authors.forename: Benjamin E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Saunders
authors.affiliation: Fuzzco, Inc., 95 Cannon Street, Charleston, SC, United States.
authors.forename: Josh
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nissenboim
authors.affiliation: Technology Applications Center for Healthful Lifestyles, College of Nursing, Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC), Charleston, SC, United States; Ralph H. Johnson Veterans Affairs Medical Center, 109 Bee Street, Charleston, SC, 29401, United States.
authors.forename: Wendy
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Muzzy
authors.affiliation: Abt SRBI, 275 Seventh Avenue, Ste. 2700, New York, NY, United States.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fleeman
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Human and Molecular Genetics, Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States.
authors.forename: Ananda B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Amstadter
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000235:genetics; D002648:Child; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology; D004190:Disasters; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D008875:Middle Aged; D016487:Parenting / Q000523:psychology; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D012107:Research Design; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000628:therapy*; D055869:Tornadoes
chemical_list: D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; C493230:SLC6A4 protein, human; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins; C579455:BDNF protein, human
keywords: Adolescents; Disaster mental health; Population-based research; Web intervention