The Design of a Digital Behaviour Change Intervention for Third-Level Student Illicit Substance Use: A Persona Building Approach

Illicit substance use among third-level students is an issue of increasing concern. Digital behavioural change interventions have been developed to target this population, but reports of their effectiveness are mixed. The importance of end-user involvement in digital intervention development has been well established, but it appears that many interventions in this area did not engage end-users during development. This absence may have affected engagement, undermining their potential effectiveness. This paper describes the process and contributions of a persona-building approach in the development of a digital behaviour change intervention tailored to the needs of third-level students. Nine exploratory persona-building workshops were carried out with 31 students, and 7 project team members to develop personas for heavy, occasional and non-substance using third-level students. Early analysis has identified five archetypes which will contribute to the design of an acceptable and user-friendly intervention, and to the identification of targeted behavioural change techniques

A new clinical algorithm embedded in a contextual behavior change intervention for higher education student drug use

Illicit drug use among higher education populations is a recognized public health issue. Brief personalized digital behavior change interventions with targeted harm-reduction can facilitate immediate support for this population. To make the intervention tailored to students’ needs, we built a clinical algorithm, informed by relevant behavior change theories and with system design features. Given the lack of previously relevant harm-reduction at student population level, functioning with the use of an algorithm, the aim of this work is twofold. We firstly explain how we developed the clinical algorithm using an empirical data synthesis approach. Secondly, we illustrate how the algorithm is implemented within the first prototype of an intervention named MyUSE, by providing an example on how the clinical algorithm is used to allocate users into different personalized intervention components. The prototype is currently in its final development phase and subsequent work will focus on examining its usability, feasibility, and effectiveness

New ways of working in acute inpatient care: a case for change

This position paper focuses on the current tensions and challenges of aligning inpatient care with innovations in mental health services. It argues that a cultural shift is required within inpatient services. Obstacles to change including traditional perceptions of the role and responsibilities of the psychiatrist are discussed. The paper urges all staff working in acute care to reflect on the service that they provide, and to consider how the adoption of new ways of working might revolutionise the organisational culture. This cultural shift offers inpatient staff the opportunity to fully utilise their expertise. New ways of working may be perceived as a threat to existing roles and responsibilities or as an exciting opportunity for professional development with increased job satisfaction. Above all, the move to new ways of working, which is gathering pace throughout the UK, could offer service users1 a quality of care that meets their needs and expectations

Injecting equipment schemes for injecting drug users : qualitative evidence review

This review of the qualitative literature about needle and syringe programmes (NSPs) for injecting drug users (IDUs) complements the review of effectiveness and cost-effectiveness. It aims to provide a more situated narrative perspective on the overall guidance questions

Reducing the Individual, Institutional and Societal Harms from Student Drug Use

[EN] Drug use among higher education students can cause harm to the individual, their institution, and the wider society. Academic performance, physical and mental health, institutional reputation, crime and unemployment can all be impacted by student drug use. Tackling this is a challenge, and is often compounded by limited student health and counselling capacity and the student’s reluctance or unwillingness to seek support. Digital brief interventions have shown promise in reducing harm from substance use, and provide an opportunity to meet students where they are, delivering always-on, confidential support and intervention. However, limited interventions for drug use are available for students, and many struggle with engagement and retention. Our team have developed a novel brief intervention, using best practices in digital intervention development, and behavioural change to overcome some of these challenges. We describe the development of our intervention and discuss how implementation could result in tangible benefits to the individual, institution, and society.Dick, S.; Dillon, B.; Vasiliou, V.; Davoren, M.; Dockray, S.; Heavin, C.; Linehan, C.... (2021). Reducing the Individual, Institutional and Societal Harms from Student Drug Use. En 7th International Conference on Higher Education Advances (HEAd'21). Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 465-472. https://doi.org/10.4995/HEAd21.2021.13060OCS46547

A systematic review of the effectiveness of digital interventions for illicit substance misuse harm reduction in third-level students

Background: Illicit substance misuse is a growing public health problem, with misuse peaking among 18–25 year-olds, and attendance at third-level education identified as a risk factor. Illicit substance misuse has the potential to harm mental and physical health, social relationships, and impact on academic achievements and future career prospects. Digital interventions have been identified as a vehicle for reaching large student populations and circumventing the limited capacity of student health services for delivering face-to-face interventions. Digital interventions have been developed in the area of alcohol and tobacco harm reduction, reporting some effectiveness, but the evidence for the effectiveness of digital interventions targeting illicit substance misuse is lacking. This review aims to systematically identify and critically appraise studies examining the effectiveness of digital interventions for illicit substance misuse harm reduction in third-level students. Methods: We systematically searched ten databases in April 2018 using keywords and database specific terms under the pillars of “mHealth,” “substance misuse,” and “student.” To be eligible for inclusion, papers had to present a measure of illicit substance misuse harm reduction. Included articles were critically appraised and included in the qualitative synthesis regardless of quality. Results: A total of eight studies were included in the qualitative synthesis. Studies reported harm reduction in terms of substance misuse or initiation, as consequences or problems associated with substance misuse, or as correction of perceived social norms. Overall, five out of the eight studies reported at least one positive outcome for harm reduction. The critical appraisal indicated that the study quality was generally weak, predominantly due to a lack of blinding of study participants, and the use of self-reported substance misuse measures. However, results suggest that digital interventions may produce a modest reduction in harm from illicit substance misuse. Conclusions: The results of this review are positive, and support the need for further high-quality research in this area, particularly given the success of digital interventions for alcohol and tobacco harm reduction. However, very few studies focused solely on illicit substances, and those that did targeted only marijuana. This suggests the need for further research on the effectiveness of this type of intervention for other illicit substances. Trial registration: This review is registered on PROSPERO, ID number: CRD42018097203