Feasibility study: App-based anxiety intervention for autistic people
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Feasibility study of an adapted app-based anxiety intervention for autistic people.
IRAS ID
308723
Contact name
Reza Razavi
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
King's College London
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 11 months, 28 days
Research summary
Up to half of autistic people experience anxiety symptoms, which can have a significant impact on everyday wellbeing. However, there are currently very few effective, evidence-based interventions to support autistic people in managing anxiety; and many autistic people face barriers in accessing in-person health and social care services. Therefore, developing new interventions (and/ or adapting
existing ones) that improve anxiety, in a way that meets the needs of autistic people, represents the autism community’s number one priority for research and clinical practice.Addressing this priority, in this research we will test the acceptability and feasibility of a new, app-based therapeutic approach for anxiety (‘Molehill Mountain’) that has been developed with, and adapted for, autistic people aged 12-years and over using adapted Cognitive Behavioural therapy principles. This means that we will collect information from autistic people accessing clinical services (from King's College London and South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust) on whether they would choose to use the anxiety app, whether the app is simple to administer and use, how it is used, how it can be improved, and whether it is effective in reducing anxiety symptoms and/ or enhancing other outcomes, such as everyday wellbeing and functioning. The study is due to run until approximately March 2023.
Participants will fill in baseline questions about demographics, anxiety and personal goals, before installing and using the Molehill Mountain app daily for 13-weeks. At the end of the study we will ask for feedback on experiences of using the app; and follow up questions about anxiety and personal goals, to see whether they have changed over time.
The evidence from this project will inform the future optimisation and implementation of Molehill Mountain in a later randomised-controlled trial (not part of this research), with the ultimate aim of transforming long-term healthcare delivery for autistic people.
REC name
London - Bromley Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
22/LO/0291
Date of REC Opinion
1 Jun 2022
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion