Purpose: To determine the effectiveness of myPlan Teen app compared to usual care on the use of helpful safety behaviors, dating violence victimization and perpetration, depression, and suicide behavior.
Methods: A longitudinal randomized clinical trial with 617 adolescents randomized to myPlan Teen or usual care. Participants in both groups completed surveys using validated measures at baseline, 3, 6-, and 12-months post-baseline. The study analysis examined the difference between the intervention and control groups in change over time in outcomes.
Results: myPlan Teen significantly increased the use and helpfulness of safety behaviors among adolescents compared to the control group. Intervention users also significantly reduced the perpetration of physical and sexual violence and suicide behaviors. Although both groups experienced decreases in victimization and depression over the 12 months, the differences were not significantly different by group.
Discussion: myPlan Teen, a digitally delivered intervention, is one of the few interventions targeting dating violence in adolescence that has proven effective.
Keywords: Adolescent; dating violence; digital intervention; gender; suicide behavior.
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