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Contact the study team using the details below to take part. If there are no contact details below please ask your doctor in the first instance.

Contact Information:

Prof Naomi Fineberg
-
bootstrap@herts.ac.uk


Mrs Natalie Hall
+44 (0)1707 286290 [xtn 3290]
n.hall4@herts.ac.uk


More information about this study, what is involved and how to take part can be found on the study website.

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Be Part of Research - Trial Details - The BootStRaP Project: Helping young people to adapt their internet use and promote mental well-being in a rapidly changing world.
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The BootStRaP Project: Helping young people to adapt their internet use and promote mental well-being in a rapidly changing world.

Recruiting

Open to: All Genders

Age: Child

Amsterdam Hatfield Budapest Porto Kaunas Madrid Montpellier Heidelberg Zurich

Medical Conditions

Problematic usage of the internet in adolescents

This information is provided directly by researchers, and we recognise that it isn't always easy to understand. We are working with researchers to improve the accessibility of this information. In some summaries, you may come across links to external websites. These websites will have more information to help you better understand the study.


Young people are particularly susceptible to digital technology overuse, including in response to the COVID pandemic, and are therefore vulnerable for its potential harmful effects on mental health. Problematic usage of the internet (PUI) is thought to disrupt a person’s life, with major consequences for that person, and wider consequences for societal health and well-being.

The BootStRaP study brings together a group of researchers from 12 countries, and by working together they are aiming to change the way that people and governments understand problematic internet use, and by engaging into this study to reduce the harm that digital devices like phones have on the mental health of young people.

Start dates may differ between countries and research sites. The research team are responsible for keeping the information up-to-date.  

The recruitment start and end dates are as follows:

23 Sep 2024 30 Apr 2025

Participants in the will be asked to download 2 apps to their phone. They will be asked to answer some questions on internet use, mental and physical health, how they think and behaviours over a 6 month period​. These questions are broken up into blocks that will take aproximatly 1 hour to complete at the beginning of the study, at 3 months and again at 6 months. Participants will also be asked to play some online games (via the Dragon Game App) when they first start the study and again in 6 months. The games look at how quickly they respond to tasks and take about 12 minutes.​
At the beginning of the study and at the end participants will be asked to complete a 7 day diary about their daily internet use, once a month participants will be asked about their internet use in a short 5 minute survey and every 8 days participants will be asked to answer 2 questions about their mood and patience that day.
As you may know, certain information is already collected by phones each day, this is known as Mobile Sensing. The study will collect some of this information while the participant is in the study, but will not be able to see the content of what they are doing on their apps, in their messages or on their calls. The following information will be collected:
How often and how much time they spend on their phone and what type of phone it is​
How many and how much time they spend on which apps and the internet (web browser) ​
How many, when and how long they spend on phone calls and sending text messages ​
How many contacts they have and the number of contacts they actively engage with ​
Number of steps per day, distance covered and physical activity (accelerometer and rotation rate information)​


Students from schools involved in the study, aged between 12 and 16 years with routine access to a mobile phone.

You can take part if:



You may not be able to take part if:


Does not meet inclusion criteria


Below are the locations for where you can take part in the trial. Please note that not all sites may be open.

  • Stichting Vu
    DE BOELELAAN 1105
    Amsterdam
    1081 HV
  • University of Hertfordshire
    College Lane
    Hatfield
    AL10 9AB
  • Eotvos Lorand Tudomanyegyetem
    EGYETEM TER 1-3
    Budapest
    1053
  • Universidade Do Porto
    PRACA GOMES TEIXEIRA
    Porto
    4099-002
  • Lietuvos Sveikatos Mokslu Universitetas
    A MICKEVICIAUS GATVE 9
    Kaunas
    44307
  • Fundacion Para La Investigacion Biomedica Del Hospital Gregorio Maranon
    CALLE DOCTOR ESQUERDO 46
    Madrid
    28007
  • Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Montpellier
    AVENUE DU DOYEN GASTON GIRAUD 191
    Montpellier
    34000
  • Heidelberg University
    Grabengasse 1
    Heidelberg
    69117
  • Universitat Zurich
    RAMISTRASSE 71 null
    Zurich
    8006

On completion of the study participants will receive a certificate and shopping e-voucher to download via the BootstrApp.​
Participants will also be able to get feedback both on an individual level and compared to other participants about their screen time, app use, game scores and some questionnaire results.​
Participation in the study will be helping improve mental health and well-being for young people across Europe and beyond.​
If a participant becomes distressed during the study, the BootstrApp will have information about where they can find help if they think they need it, from both national organisations and at local levels and from the participant school.

Mrs Natalie Hall
+44 (0)1707 286290 [xtn 3290]
n.hall4@herts.ac.uk


Prof Naomi Fineberg
-
bootstrap@herts.ac.uk



More information about this study, what is involved and how to take part can be found on the study website.


The study is sponsored by University of Hertfordshire and funded by HORIZON EUROPE European Research Council; Innovate UK; Swiss State Secretariat for Education Research and Innovation .



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Read full details for Trial ID: ISRCTN59576080

Or CPMS 58987

Last updated 16 April 2025

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