Addressing Youth Mental Health Through Schools and Primary Care Clinics Using the Connected for Wellness Mobile App: Protocol for a Stepped-Wedge Trial.

Journal: JMIR research protocols
Published Date: Aug 26, 2025

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Youth in the United States are experiencing rising rates of anxiety, depression, and other mental health challenges, yet many remain underserved due to systemic barriers such as poverty, limited access to care, and shortages in the mental health workforce. Schools and primary care clinics are trusted, community-based settings that offer strategic opportunities for early identification, prevention, and intervention. As part of a public health approach, integrating digital mental health tools into these settings can support broad access, enhance mental health literacy, and promote help-seeking behaviors among all students. When co-designed with youth and embedded within existing care systems, these tools offer a scalable, proactive solution to support well-being across diverse school-aged populations.

Authors

  • Lisa R Fortuna
    Psychiatry and Neurosciences, School of Medicine, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, United States.
  • Michelle V Porche
    Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, United States.
  • Martha Shumway
    Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States.
  • Roya Ijadi-Maghsoodi
    Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States.
  • Hilary Aralis
    Public Health Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States.
  • Johanna B Folk
    Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States.
  • Marina Tolou-Shams
    Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States.
  • Greg Barish
    Allyance Logic, Danville, CA, United States.
  • Juan Carlos Gonzalez
    Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States.
  • Sheryl Kataoka
    Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States.

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