The Effectiveness of a Teen Outreach Pregnancy Prevention Program: Results From Youth After-School Clubs.

BACKGROUND: Teen pregnancy continues to burden families, communities, and society. Programs continue to educate and impower youth and young adults to make positive behavioral decisions. METHODS: We evaluated a program aimed at high-risk youth in after-school programs. The goal of the program was to instill a sense of community and empathy, as well as sexual health decision-making. The evaluation was a multiyear evaluation from external evaluators. RESULTS: There were statistically significant changes in empathy toward others in the community and a feeling of safety at school. Other positive changes noted were that students felt empowered to use condoms, other barriers, or birth control in the future when having sexual relations. The program noted a positive direction in students feeling they develop plans or goals and stick to them. CONCLUSIONS: These programs serve to instill a sense of empowerment, community, and responsibility in students. Evaluation data can serve as a metric of the merit of these programs and the impact on school health programs and communities.

A Novel Artificial Intelligence-Powered Emotional Intelligence and Mindfulness App (Ajivar) for the College Student Population During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Quantitative Questionnaire Study.

BACKGROUND: Emotional intelligence (EI) and mindfulness can impact the level of anxiety and depression that an individual experiences. These symptoms have been exacerbated among college students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Ajivar is an app that utilizes artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning to deliver personalized mindfulness and EI training. OBJECTIVE: The main objective of this research study was to determine the effectiveness of delivering an EI curriculum and mindfulness techniques using an AI conversation platform, Ajivar, to improve symptoms of anxiety and depression during this pandemic. METHODS: A total of 99 subjects, aged 18 to 29 years, were recruited from a second-semester group of freshmen students. All participants completed the online TestWell Wellness Inventory at the start and end of the 14-week semester. The comparison group members (49/99, 49%) were given routine mental wellness instruction. The intervention group members (50/99, 51%) were required to complete Ajivar activities in addition to routine mental wellness instruction during the semester, which coincided with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. This group also completed assessments to evaluate for anxiety, using the 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) scale, and depression, using the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). RESULTS: Study participants reported a mean age of 19.9 (SD 1.94) years; 27% (27/99) of the group were male and 60% (59/99) identified as Caucasian. No significant demographic differences existed between the comparison and intervention groups. Subjects in the intervention group interacted with Ajivar for a mean time of 1424 (SD 1168) minutes. There was a significant decrease in anxiety, as measured by the GAD-7: the mean score was 11.47 (SD 1.85) at the start of the study compared to 6.27 (SD 1.44) at the end (P<.001). There was a significant reduction in the symptoms of depression measured by the PHQ-9: the mean score was 10.69 (SD 2.04) at the start of the study compared to 6.69 (SD 2.41) at the end (P=.001). Both the intervention and comparison groups independently had significant improvements in the TestWell Wellness Inventory from pretest to posttest. The subgroups in the social awareness and spirituality inventories showed significant improvement in the intervention group. In a subgroup of participants (11/49, 22%) where the GAD-7 was available during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, there was an increase in anxiety from the start of the study (mean score 11.63, SD 2.16) to mid-March (ie, onset of the pandemic) (mean score 13.03, SD 1.48; P=.23), followed by a significant decrease at the end of the study period (mean score 5.9, SD 1.44; P=.001). CONCLUSIONS: It is possible to deliver EI and mindfulness training in a scalable way using the Ajivar app during the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in improvements in anxiety, depression, and EI in the college student population.