4 - (SYM 123) Dissemination of a Self-management Sleep App into Canadian High Schools: Reflections on Best Practices for Community Engagement and Supporting Adolescent Sleep Health

High school students suffer from mental health challenges and poorer academic performance resulting from sleep disturbances. There are many interventions that are evidence-based; however, implementing and disseminating these services to adolescents is challenging. Consequently, we need to better understand the process of bridging evidence-based sleep solutions with the community to offer a scalable and accessible solution to the sleep health crisis. In support of this broader goal, the researchers reached out to stakeholders (social workers, teachers) in high schools across British Columbia and Ontario to collaborate on the implementation of DOZE (Delivering Online Zzz’s with Empirical Support), a self-management sleep app for teens. First, current sleep needs of the students were assessed using a mixed methods approach. In total, six schools participated in the study and 223 students downloaded the app. Students completed sleep monitoring diaries over four weeks and received expert feedback based on personalized goals. Students reported more regularized bed times, M_diff = -.43 hrs, p < .001, 95% CI [-.65, -.21], and rise times, M_diff = -.61 hrs, p < .001, 95% CI [-.84, -.38], in addition to greater sleep duration, M_diff = .18 hrs, p < .008, 95% CI [.05, .31]. Students also rated DOZE as acceptable and credible. After the initial trial period, the researchers engaged in qualitative follow-up interviews with stakeholders to identify facilitators and barriers of implementation and engagement. This work offers a nuanced perspective regarding the process of working with stakeholders in the high school community and reflections to facilitate implementation and dissemination of behavioural sleep science into the public.