A technology facilitated platform for addressing opioid risks and promoting resilience following traumatic injury in young people

Abstract

Introduction Traumatically injured young people are at elevated risk for opioid and other substance use following discharge from the hospital. There are few scalable procedures in place for monitoring patients’ behavioral health recovery and connecting them to needed services. This study piloted an adapted version of an existing technology-facilitated program to monitor substance use and connect patients to care (Trauma Resilience and Recovery Program). Methods Participants aged 12–30 years ( n = 90) were enrolled from Level 1 trauma centers and invited to engage with the adapted Trauma Resilience and Recovery Program. The program involved app-based educational content, daily text message symptom monitoring, periodic online screenings, and referral to behavioral health services. Descriptive analyses were performed to characterize the sample and engagement in the program. Results Although interaction with app-based educational content was low (15% of participants), engagement in text-based monitoring (participants responded to 65% of prompts) and mental health screens (65% of participants completed all screens) was high. Rates of substance use varied across time points. Elevated depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms were also observed. Most (85%) participants whose screener responses indicated likely presence of behavioral health concerns participated in clinician referral conversations. Conclusion The enhanced Trauma Resilience and Recovery Program content and procedures were effective in identifying young people experiencing substance use and mental health concerns following traumatic injury and illness. Future work is needed to improve the engagement with educational content and test the effectiveness of the enhanced Trauma Resilience and Recovery Program model in improving substance-related clinical outcomes for trauma-affected young people.