Interactive storytelling web app to help Latinas start mental health care
Official title: Randomized controlled trial of a choice-driven, interactive, storytelling web-based app to investigate mental health treatment initiation among symptomatic Latinas
Funded at University of California Los Angeles · NIH-11380577 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project offers a bilingual, choice-driven storytelling web app to help Latina women with depression or anxiety begin mental health treatment.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California Los Angeles NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Los Angeles, United States) |
| Project start | July 15, 2024 |
| Project end | February 28, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $744,876 |
| NIH project number | 5R01MH137232-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11380577 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Latina women age 18 or older who are experiencing symptoms of depression or anxiety and are not currently engaged in mental health treatment are the ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People already in regular mental health treatment, non-Latina individuals, or those without reliable internet or smartphone access may not benefit from this app-based approach.
What this research studies
You would see Hollywood-quality, transmedia storytelling videos in English or Spanish featuring Latina characters and a Latina nurse-therapist who gives psychoeducational tips and resource links. The app is interactive and lets you make choices that change the story and present information about local low-cost clinics, free resources, and how to get help. The research randomly assigns participants to two different arms to compare the interactive storytelling app with an alternate condition and follows participants over time to see who seeks care. The content was developed with Latinx creators and tested in pilots to improve cultural fit and trust.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the app could help Latina women recognize mental health symptoms, reduce stigma, and connect them more quickly to affordable local treatment resources.
How similar studies have gone: Pilot and theater-testing showed high identification, acceptability, and trust among symptomatic Latinas, but a full randomized comparison of this interactive transmedia approach is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California Los Angeles
Los Angeles, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Heilemann, Marysue V — University of California Los Angeles
- Study coordinator: Heilemann, Marysue V
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.