Digital Application of Clinical Staging to Support Stratification in Youth Mental Health Services: Validity and Reliability Study (Preprint)

• DOI: 10.2196/preprints.45161
• Publication Date: 2022-12-19T02:30:52Z
• Authors: Min K Chong; Ian B Hickie; Shane P Cross; Sarah McKenna; Mathew Varidel; William Capon; Tracey A Davenport; Haley M LaMonica; Vilas Sawrikar; Adam Guastella; Sharon L Naismith; Elizabeth M Scott; Frank Iorfino
• Keywords: Preprint

<sec> <title>BACKGROUND</title> As the demand for youth mental health care continues to rise, managing wait times and reducing treatment delays are key challenges delivering timely quality care. Clinical staging is a heuristic model that can stratify allocation according individuals’ risk of illness progression. The application has been traditionally limited trained clinicians yet leveraging digital technologies apply clinical could increase scalability usability this in services. </sec> <title>OBJECTIVE</title> aim study was validate algorithm accurately differentiate young people at lower higher developing disorders. <title>METHODS</title> We conducted with cohort comprising 131 people, aged between 16 25 years, who presented services Australia November 2018 March 2021. Expert psychiatrists independently assigned stages (either stage 1a or 1b+), which were then compared algorithm’s based on multidimensional self-report questionnaire. <title>RESULTS</title> Of participants, mean age 20.3 (SD 2.4) 72% (94/131) them female. Ninety-one percent ratings concordant experts’ ratings, substantial interrater agreement (κ=0.67; &lt;i&gt;P&lt;/i&gt;&amp;lt;.001). demonstrated an accuracy 91% (95% CI 86%-95%; &lt;i&gt;P&lt;/i&gt;=.03), sensitivity 80%, specificity 93%, &lt;i&gt;F&lt;/i&gt;&lt;sub&gt;1&lt;/sub&gt;-score 73%. allocated 1a, while 103 1b+. Among 12 discordant cases, (stage 1a) 8 participants experts. These individuals had significantly milder symptoms depression (&lt;i&gt;P&lt;/i&gt;&amp;lt;.001) anxiety those 1b+ ratings. <title>CONCLUSIONS</title> This novel sufficiently robust be used as adjunctive decision support tool assist management work transform pathways expedite early common depressive Between 11% 27% seeking may benefit from low-intensity, self-directed, brief interventions. Findings suggest possibility redirecting capacity focus further assessment intervention. <title>CLINICALTRIAL</title> <p />