Boost your Mind: An App to Enhance Mental Well-being in 9th grade High School Students

Abstract

Mental health problems among Dutch adolescents have increased in recent years, highlighting the need for accessible, preventive interventions. This study evaluated the effectiveness and user satisfaction of the Boost app, a newly developed mental health app based on principles of cognitive behavioral therapy and mindfulness. The app was tested among 9th grade high school students in practical education and pre-vocational secondary education (vmbo-bbl or vmbo-kbl) in Almelo, the Netherlands (N = 26). A quasi-experimental design was used with a control group. Mental well-being was measured at baseline and after a two-week intervention period using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). User satisfaction was assessed with the mHealth App Usability Questionnaire (MAUQ) and additional content-specific questions. A repeated measures ANOVA revealed no significant improvement in mental well-being over time in the intervention group compared to the control group. While app usability was rated slightly positively, satisfaction with the content was mixed. The results of this study highlight the importance of tailoring digital mental health interventions to adolescents’ psychological and cognitive needs. Future research should consider longer intervention periods, more diverse samples, and the integration of hybrid support (e.g., teacher involvement or peer interaction) to improve effectiveness and engagement.