Expanding our understanding of digital mental health interventions for Indigenous youth: An updated systematic review.

Past research has examined available literature on electronic mental health interventions for Indigenous youth with mental health concerns. However, as there have recently been increases in both the number of studies examining electronic mental health interventions and the need for such interventions (i.e. during periods of pandemic isolation), the present systematic review aims to provide an updated summary of the available peer-reviewed and grey literature on electronic mental health interventions applicable to Indigenous youth. The purpose of this review is to better understand the processes used for electronic mental health intervention development. Among the 48 studies discussed, smoking cessation and suicide were the most commonly targeted mental health concerns in interventions. Text message and smartphone application (app) interventions were the most frequently used delivery methods. Qualitative, quantitative, and/or mixed outcomes were presented in several studies, while other studies outlined intervention development processes or study protocols, indicating high activity in future electronic mental health intervention research. Among the findings, common facilitators included the use of community-based participatory research approaches, representation of culture, and various methods of motivating participant engagement. Meanwhile, common barriers included the lack of necessary resources and limits on the amount of support that online interventions can provide. Considerations regarding the standards and criteria for the development of future electronic mental health interventions for Indigenous youth are offered and future research directions are discussed.

Affective impulsivity moderates the relationship between disordered gambling severity and attentional bias in electronic gaming machine (EGM) players.

Background and aims: Attentional bias to gambling-related stimuli is associated with increased severity of gambling disorder. However, the addiction-related moderators of attentional bias among those who gamble are largely unknown. Impulsivity is associated with attentional bias among those who abuse substances, and we hypothesized that impulsivity would moderate the relationship between disordered electronic gaming machine (EGM) gambling and attentional bias. Methods: We tested whether facets of impulsivity, as measured by the UPPS-P (positive urgency, negative urgency, sensation seeking, lack of perseverance, lack of premeditation) and the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale-11 (cognitive, motor, non-planning) moderated the relationship between increased severity of gambling disorder, as measured by the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI), and attentional bias. Seventy-five EGM players participated in a free-viewing eye-tracking paradigm to measure attentional bias to EGM images. Results: Attentional bias was significantly correlated with Barratt Impulsiveness Scale-11 (BIS-11) motor, positive urgency, and negative urgency. Only positive and negative urgency moderated the relationship between PGSI scores and attentional bias. For participants with high PGSI scores, higher positive and negative urgency were associated with larger attentional biases to EGM stimuli. Discussion: The results indicate that affective impulsivity is an important contributor to the association between gambling disorder and attentional bias.

Gambling-related psychological predictors and moderators of attentional bias among electronic gaming machine players.

Objective: Attentional biases (ABs) have been shown to develop in the context of substance use disorders. Relatively less focus has been paid toward the development of ABs in behavioral addictions such as gambling disorder (GD). Furthermore, the psychological predictors and moderators of AB in GD remain unknown. The present study addressed these empirical gaps. Methods: Fifty-two non-GD electronic gaming machine (EGM) players, 25 GD-EGM players, and 61 non-gamblers completed measures of gambling-related behaviors and cognitions (problem gambling severity, cravings, expectancies, motives) and substance use and mental health (alcohol use severity, depression symptoms). The relationships between these constructs and AB for EGM images were then assessed using a free-viewing eye-tracking paradigm. Results: Non-GD EGM players and GD-EGM players attended to EGM images significantly more than neutral images (with the largest AB for the EGM players with GD). For all EGM players, gambling expectancies regarding the negative emotional impact of gambling and alcohol use severity were associated with greater AB. For non-GD EGM players only, AB was moderated by the anticipation aspect of gambling craving and the self-enhancement aspect of gambling expectancies. Conclusion: The results provide further evidence that ABs develop in the context of excessive gambling and are associated with gambling and psychological variables. The findings support the incentive-salience theory of ABs in gambling and provide a rationale for the development of AB modification programs in the treatment of gambling disorder. Given the predominantly white sample, our results may not generalize to individuals of other ethnicities. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

A systematic review of electronic mental health interventions for Indigenous youth: Results and recommendations.

Electronic health interventions involve health services delivered using the Internet and related communication technologies. These services can be particularly relevant for Indigenous populations who often have differential access to health-care services compared to general populations, especially within rural and remote areas. As the popularity of electronic health interventions grows, there is an increased need for evidence-based recommendations for the effective use of these technologies. The current study is a systematic review of peer-reviewed and available grey literature with the aim of understanding outcomes of electronic health interventions for mental health concerns among Indigenous people. Studies used electronic health technologies for substance use treatment or prevention, suicide prevention, parenting supports, goal setting and behaviour change and consultation services. Various technological platforms were used across interventions, with both novel and adapted intervention development. Most studies provided qualitative results, with fewer studies focusing on quantitative outcomes. Some preliminary results from the engagement of Indigenous individuals with electronic health services has been demonstrated, but further research is needed to confirm these results. Identified barriers and facilitators are identified from the reviewed literature. Recommendations for future development of electronic health interventions for Indigenous youth are provided.