Efficacy, Feasibility, and Utility of a Mental Health Consultation Mobile Application in Early Care and Education Programs
<b>Background/Objectives:</b> Preschool children from low-income, ethnically diverse communities face disproportionate rates of behavioral challenges and early expulsion from early care and education (ECE) programs. This study evaluated the efficacy, feasibility, and utility of Jump Star...
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MDPI AG
2025-06-01
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| Series: | Children |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9067/12/6/800 |
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| author | Ruby Natale Yue Pan Yaray Agosto Carolina Velasquez Karen Granja Emperatriz Guzmán Garcia Jason Jent |
| author_facet | Ruby Natale Yue Pan Yaray Agosto Carolina Velasquez Karen Granja Emperatriz Guzmán Garcia Jason Jent |
| author_sort | Ruby Natale |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <b>Background/Objectives:</b> Preschool children from low-income, ethnically diverse communities face disproportionate rates of behavioral challenges and early expulsion from early care and education (ECE) programs. This study evaluated the efficacy, feasibility, and utility of Jump Start on the Go (JS Go), a bilingual, AI-enabled mobile application. JS Go is designed to deliver a 14-week early childhood mental health consultation model in under-resourced ECE settings. <b>Methods</b>: This mixed-methods study compared JS Go to the standard in-person Jump Start (JS) program. Participants included 28 teachers and 114 children from six centers (three JS Go, three JS). Quantitative measures assessed teacher classroom practices and child psychosocial outcomes at baseline and post-intervention. App usability and acceptability were only evaluated post-intervention. Seven semi-structured interviews were conducted post-intervention with JS Go directors/teachers to assess the app’s feasibility for implementing the four program pillars: safety, behavior support, self-care, and communication. <b>Results</b>: JS Go was more effective than JS in promoting teacher classroom practices related to behavior support and resiliency. Both programs were similar in improving children’s protective factors and reducing internalizing behaviors, with consistent effects across English and Spanish-speaking children. Teachers rated the JS Go app with high acceptability, though predicted future usage showed greater variability. Rapid qualitative analysis showed that participants found the app easy to use, frequently accessed its resources, and considered it helpful for reinforcing key strategies across the four program pillars. <b>Conclusions</b>: JS Go is a novel approach to providing mental health consultation. It represents a promising mobile adaptation of the established JS consultation model, with important implications for future practice and research. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-da71bc6b0e6149c79d67292e666b3ff0 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2227-9067 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Children |
| spelling | doaj-art-da71bc6b0e6149c79d67292e666b3ff02025-08-20T03:26:26ZengMDPI AGChildren2227-90672025-06-0112680010.3390/children12060800Efficacy, Feasibility, and Utility of a Mental Health Consultation Mobile Application in Early Care and Education ProgramsRuby Natale0Yue Pan1Yaray Agosto2Carolina Velasquez3Karen Granja4Emperatriz Guzmán Garcia5Jason Jent6Mailman Center for Child Development, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USADepartment of Public Health Sciences, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USAMailman Center for Child Development, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USAMailman Center for Child Development, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USAMailman Center for Child Development, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USAMailman Center for Child Development, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USAMailman Center for Child Development, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USA<b>Background/Objectives:</b> Preschool children from low-income, ethnically diverse communities face disproportionate rates of behavioral challenges and early expulsion from early care and education (ECE) programs. This study evaluated the efficacy, feasibility, and utility of Jump Start on the Go (JS Go), a bilingual, AI-enabled mobile application. JS Go is designed to deliver a 14-week early childhood mental health consultation model in under-resourced ECE settings. <b>Methods</b>: This mixed-methods study compared JS Go to the standard in-person Jump Start (JS) program. Participants included 28 teachers and 114 children from six centers (three JS Go, three JS). Quantitative measures assessed teacher classroom practices and child psychosocial outcomes at baseline and post-intervention. App usability and acceptability were only evaluated post-intervention. Seven semi-structured interviews were conducted post-intervention with JS Go directors/teachers to assess the app’s feasibility for implementing the four program pillars: safety, behavior support, self-care, and communication. <b>Results</b>: JS Go was more effective than JS in promoting teacher classroom practices related to behavior support and resiliency. Both programs were similar in improving children’s protective factors and reducing internalizing behaviors, with consistent effects across English and Spanish-speaking children. Teachers rated the JS Go app with high acceptability, though predicted future usage showed greater variability. Rapid qualitative analysis showed that participants found the app easy to use, frequently accessed its resources, and considered it helpful for reinforcing key strategies across the four program pillars. <b>Conclusions</b>: JS Go is a novel approach to providing mental health consultation. It represents a promising mobile adaptation of the established JS consultation model, with important implications for future practice and research.https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9067/12/6/800childcaremental health consultationmobile healthartificial intelligenceyoung childrenclassroom practices |
| spellingShingle | Ruby Natale Yue Pan Yaray Agosto Carolina Velasquez Karen Granja Emperatriz Guzmán Garcia Jason Jent Efficacy, Feasibility, and Utility of a Mental Health Consultation Mobile Application in Early Care and Education Programs Children childcare mental health consultation mobile health artificial intelligence young children classroom practices |
| title | Efficacy, Feasibility, and Utility of a Mental Health Consultation Mobile Application in Early Care and Education Programs |
| title_full | Efficacy, Feasibility, and Utility of a Mental Health Consultation Mobile Application in Early Care and Education Programs |
| title_fullStr | Efficacy, Feasibility, and Utility of a Mental Health Consultation Mobile Application in Early Care and Education Programs |
| title_full_unstemmed | Efficacy, Feasibility, and Utility of a Mental Health Consultation Mobile Application in Early Care and Education Programs |
| title_short | Efficacy, Feasibility, and Utility of a Mental Health Consultation Mobile Application in Early Care and Education Programs |
| title_sort | efficacy feasibility and utility of a mental health consultation mobile application in early care and education programs |
| topic | childcare mental health consultation mobile health artificial intelligence young children classroom practices |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9067/12/6/800 |
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