Although many more traditional mental health and public health interventions and prevention strategies exist, some of which have repeatedly demonstrated their effectiveness (1,2), the vast majority of these digital tools remain under-utilized by the population that could benefit from them. There are many reasons for this (financial, socio-economic, shortage of clinical staff, stigmatization) (3), and the scientific community has done little to investigate these interventions.
Thus, mobile health interventions are emerging as a modern, accessible alternative whose growing popularity is explained by their accessibility and ease of approach, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic. Indeed, numerous systematic literature reviews and meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on the subject have been published over the past decade (4,5). Mobile health interventions could be defined as any medical or public health intervention deployed in digital format via a mobile device (text messages, apps), websites, digital monitoring systems, digital personal assistants as well as any other wireless device, complex or otherwise (6).
In the context of cannabis use in Quebec, several mobile applications exist or are under development with varied, evidence-based health content (informational, preventive, therapeutic, etc.). Furthermore, in the literature on recommendations for safer cannabis use, emphasis is placed on incorporating behavioral protection strategies to reduce the risks associated with cannabis use (7). An example of a behavioral strategy would be to opt for products with low THC content, or with a higher proportion of CBD than THC (8).
Finally, mobile health interventions on cannabis use would be even more relevant for reaching young adults who report a preference for virtual approaches (9,10). It is in this precise context that two pilot randomized controlled trials of two mobile applications are emerging: “Cannabis Harm-reducing Application to Manage Practices Safely (CHAMPS)” and “ICanChange” (ICC).
The first application aims to develop methods for reducing the harm associated with cannabis use, while the second application aims to reduce cannabis use. The main aim of both research projects is to measure the feasibility of this type of intervention in a young population aged 18 to 35 who have had a first psychotic episode. Other types of non-interventional but observational mobile health initiatives are also emerging. One of these, called TRICCHOME, is due to start in January 2025. It will paint a realistic and detailed picture of cannabis use among young adults who consume cannabis at least once a week via a mobile application. Therefore, mobile health is constantly evolving and takes many forms. It is also opening several areas of opportunity for cannabis research by dematerializing resources, offering more accessible interventions and capturing key data.
To find out more and follow the progress of the above-mentioned projects, we invite you to visit our website and social networks.
Article by Amani Mahroug
References
- Singh, V., Kumar, A., & Gupta, S. (2022). Mental health prevention and promotion—A narrative review. Frontiers in psychiatry, 13, 898009.
- Breedvelt, Josefien JF, et al. “A systematic review of mental health measurement scales for evaluating the effects of mental health prevention interventions.” European Journal of Public Health3 (2020): 510-516
- Kerridge BT, Mauro PM, Chou SP, Saha TD, Pickering RP, Fan AZ, et al. Predictors of treatment utilization and barriers to treatment utilization among individuals with lifetime cannabis use disorder in the United States. Drug Alcohol Depend.Dec 01, 2017;181:223-228.
- Perski O, Hébert ET, Naughton F, Hekler EB, Brown J, Businelle MS. Technology‐mediated just‐in‐time adaptive interventions (JITAIs) to reduce harmful substance use: a systematic review. Addiction. 2022 May;117(5):1220-41.
- Lehtimaki, S., Martic, J., Wahl, B., Foster, K. T., & Schwalbe, N. (2021). Evidence on digital mental health interventions for adolescents and young people: systematic overview. JMIR mental health, 8(4), e25847.
- WHO 2017 16. World Health Organization. Global Diffusion of eHealth: Making Universal Health Coverage Achievable. (World Health Organization, 2017).
- Côté, J., Chicoine, G., Vinette, B., Auger, P., Rouleau, G., Fontaine, G., & Jutras-Aswad, D. (2024). Digital Interventions for Recreational Cannabis Use Among Young Adults: Systematic Review, Meta-Analysis, and Behavior Change Technique Analysis of Randomized Controlled Studies. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 26, e55031.
- Fischer, B., Robinson, T., Bullen, C., Curran, V., Jutras-Aswad, D., Medina-Mora, M. E., … & Hall, W. (2022). Lower-Risk Cannabis Use Guidelines (LRCUG) for reducing health harms from non-medical cannabis use: A comprehensive evidence and recommendations update. International Journal of Drug Policy, 99, 103381.
- Coronado-Montoya, S., Abdel-Baki, A., Crockford, D., Côté, J., Dubreucq, S., Dyachenko, A., … & Jutras-Aswad, D. (2024). Preferences of Young Adults With Psychosis for Cannabis-Focused Harm Reduction Interventions: A Cross-Sectional Study: Préférences des jeunes adultes souffrant de psychose pour les interventions de réduction des méfaits axées sur le cannabis: une étude transversale. The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 07067437241242395.
- Tatar, O., Abdel-Baki, A., Dyachenko, A., Bakouni, H., Bahremand, A., Tibbo, P. G., … & Jutras-Aswad, D. (2023). Evaluating preferences for online psychological interventions to decrease cannabis use in young adults with psychosis: An observational study. Psychiatry research, 326, 115276.
