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ViewAttendees 4

Symposia

Suicide and Self-Injury

Developing and Adapting Technological Interventions to Prevent Youth Suicide in Primary Care

2 - (SYM 34) Technology as Both a Barrier and Facilitator in Addressing Sleep Disturbances Among Adolescents At-risk for Suicide

Friday, November 15, 2024
12:30 PM – 2:00 PM EST
Location: Grand Ballroom F, Level 5, Downtown Marriott
Abstract Body



Objective: Sleep disturbances are a proximal, modifiable risk factor for youth suicide and depression. We characterized youth, caregiver, and clinician perceptions about technology use (e.g., smartphones, social media) and youth sleep disturbances, and technologically-enhanced aspects of sleep intervention delivery (i.e., tracking sleep with daily diaries and wrist actigraphy, telehealth) for depressed and suicidal teens in primary care.



Method: Ten teens with depression (Mage = 14.6 years, 60% female-identified 60% Black, 40% White), 12 caregivers (100% mothers), and 19 primary care clinicians (PCCs, 87% White) completed semi-structured interviews informed by the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research focused on adapting a transdiagnostic sleep and circadian intervention (TSC) for depressed and suicidal youth in primary care. Questions focused on factors linked to sleep disturbances and barriers to and facilitators of TSC strategies and delivery methods, including technology-related aspects such as a sleep tracker and telehealth and broader social determinants of sleep health. We used Rapid Qualitative Inquiry to summarize interview content into a standard template for rapid return of results to inform iterative intervention adaptation.



Results: Teens and caregivers identified technology use before or while in bed (e.g., video games, social media use, streaming shows) as a top contributor to sleep disturbances. All participant groups converged in their positive views of TSC’s technological aspects (e.g., sleep tracker) and telehealth delivery. Teens and PCCs found the sleep tracker to be one of the most appealing parts of TSC. Caregivers agreed that technological components may enhance teen motivation and engagement. All participant groups identified lack of internet access and/or electronic devices as potential barriers to TSC implementation.



Conclusions: While technology is a top-identified barrier to healthy teen sleep, it is also perceived as a facilitator of intervention access and engagement. Future work should examine the impact of teen technology use and technologically-enhanced delivery on sleep intervention engagement and efficacy.