(PS5-98) Digital Intervention Targeting Emotion Regulation for Middle Schoolers: Mixed Method Evaluation of In-program Data

Abstract Text:

Introduction: Managing strong emotions is critical to healthy adolescent development, including risk behavior decision making. The internet-based Talking About Risk and Adolescent Choices (iTRAC) intervention was designed to improve the emotion regulation (ER) skills of early adolescents. Prior examination of self-report surveys and performance on distress tolerance tasks showed that iTRAC was effective in enhancing emotional competence skills in middle schoolers relative to teens randomized to a waitlist control condition (Houck et al., 2022). The current study examined in-program data collected during students’ use of the iTRAC intervention to further assess program efficacy and self-reported ER learning.


Methods: The sample included adolescents in grade 7 who completed iTRAC as part of a small, randomized trial (n=53). The sample was diverse with 42% Black or African American and 32% White. Thirty percent identified as Hispanic/Latino and 55% were female. The intervention consisted of instructional videos and interactive activities which targeted building emotional awareness, connecting emotions to behavior, and learning and increasing the use of emotion regulation strategies. There were a total of 4 modules that each took 30 to 45 minutes to complete. Most modules were completed in a classroom after school over the course of 4 weeks (1 module per week). Two domains were examined. First, a quantitative comparison was made using pre-post performance data on an emotionally dysregulating timed computer game (Shapematch) in which adolescents attempt to match shapes while emotional distractors are presented. Adolescents completed this at the beginning of the program (Module 1) and again at the end (Module 4). Performance was assessed by the number of matches made in the game. Second, qualitative data were assessed from the final module (Module 4) in which adolescents provided a response to the prompt, “Share the most important thing that you learned in Project TRAC.” Themes were identified prior to coding and data were compared across coders for agreements and disagreements.


Results: A within subjects t-test was conducted to compare baseline performance on the Shapematch game to performance after completing the intervention (t = 5.65, p < .001). The average number of shapes matched increased by nearly one standard deviation (d = .85, SD = 3.07). Qualitative coding revealed that 57% of adolescents reported learning ER (e.g., “how to control my inner feelings,” “you can control feeling if you talk about it,” “how to control my loud feelings much better”).

Discussion: Increased performance on the Shapematch game may indicate an increase in ER abilities as a result of engaging with the program. Qualitative analysis further supports that adolescents perceived that they had learned ER concepts from iTRAC. Given that learning to regulate emotions during adolescence may lead to reduced risk taking (Houck et al., 2018), these findings provide both quantitative and qualitative evidence that iTRAC may be one way to promote this learning. Future research should include larger samples to explore whether this new digital program can enhance delivery of interventions intended to reduce risk taking through improved ER skills.