# Digital Delivery of Evidence-Based Mental Health Content and Mentoring to Adolescents

> **NIH NIH R44** · APPA HEALTH INC · 2024 · $604,026

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY. This direct to Phase II SBIR proposal will study Appa Health, an adolescent-facing
mental health smartphone and computer app. Appa combines (1) delivery of short-form digital evidence-based
mental health content, emphasizing Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, via educational videos delivered by mental
health experts who are internet influencers, with (2) trained and supervised near-peer mentors with relatable
lived experiences who use supportive accountability to facilitate adolescents’ use of the evidence-based
content. According to Appa’s theory of change, near-peer mentoring directly impacts adolescents’ mental
health and well-being via relational and instrumental support, but also indirectly through the acquisition of
evidence-based skills (e.g., cognitive restructuring, behavioral activation) taught via educational videos. We will
examine the psychosocial mechanisms of the two primary elements of Appa, establish the effectiveness of
Appa on adolescent depression and anxiety, other measures of functioning, and theoretical mechanisms, and
examine the cost-effectiveness of the full Appa experience as well as a video-only condition that Appa is
considering marketing. Aim 1 will collect initial data and improve study procedures via a small pilot study.
Seventy-five adolescents aged 13-18 with elevated scores on measures of depression and/or anxiety will be
randomly assigned to one of three conditions: (1) near-peer mentoring and digital tools (Full Appa), (2) digital
content only (Appa Light), and (3) waitlist control. Results will be used to optimize methodology to achieve
study goals with minimum burden and maximum retention. Aims 2 & 3 will examine Appa’s cost and
effectiveness via a well-powered randomized clinical trial replicating the pilot trial using 400 adolescents.
Variables will include clinical outcomes such as adolescent symptoms of depression, anxiety, and well-being,
as well as treatment mechanisms and proximal outcomes. Because of the mental health workforce shortage,
this study will have an impact on science by demonstrating the effectiveness of using laypersons (near-peer
mentors) combined with expert digital content delivery and clinical supervision to support adolescents’ mental
health. This study is innovative in the unique combination of near-peer mentoring with evidence-based
content delivered via youth-targeted TikTok-style videos conducted by existing internet influencers. Questions
on how to increase adolescent engagement with and use of evidence-based skills are important to intervention
developers. The data from this study will directly impact Appa’s commercialization plan. Appa is scaling
quickly, expanding from direct-to-consumer sales to partnerships with schools and self-funded employers, both
of which are eager for documented clinical outcomes and identification of replicable mechanisms of change to
ensure quality as Appa scales services. Cost-effectiveness analyses will drive development and design
de...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10879048
- **Project number:** 5R44MH134733-02
- **Recipient organization:** APPA HEALTH INC
- **Principal Investigator:** Michelle R. Kaufman
- **Activity code:** R44 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $604,026
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2023-07-01 → 2026-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10879048

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10879048, Digital Delivery of Evidence-Based Mental Health Content and Mentoring to Adolescents (5R44MH134733-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10879048. Licensed CC0.

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