Tackling anxiety through innovation: Development and pilot study of an in-the-moment messaging intervention for young adults

Objective: Anxiety disorders are highly prevalent around the world and are associated with significant disability, comorbidity and costs to society. Digital tools have the potential to deliver equitable, convenient and sustainable interventions for anxiety. We aimed to co-design and pilot-test an in-the-moment intervention to help young people manage anxiety. Young people with lived experience of anxiety were recruited to participate in co-design workshops with the results informing the development of the Tackling Anxiety through Innovation (TAI) intervention. TAI delivers personally tailored messaging prompting engagement in self-care behaviours at times of high anxiety/stress.

Methods: Young people aged 16 to 24 years were recruited into a four-week pilot study. Participants completed the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale - 21 Items (DASS-21) at baseline and four-week follow up, as well as a survey to assess the acceptability of the intervention and its components.

Results: Participants (n = 24) reported the intervention to be highly acceptable and useful. Participants scheduled an average of eight events over the 4 weeks. DASS-21 scores improved significantly from baseline to follow up: anxiety (mean difference 2.42 (SD = 3.65), p = 0.004), depression (3.79 (SD = 3.65), p < 0.001) and stress (3.50 (SD = 3.30), p < 0.001). Participants particularly liked the ability to personalise the messages, the timing and format of the messages, and the reminders to engage in helpful behaviours.

Conclusions: This study adds to the evidence for the use of digital tools in delivering tailored anxiety self-management support to young people. Further refinement and expansion of the intervention are needed to determine its efficacy on a larger scale.