Digital Pathways to Prevention: Integrating Mobile Tools to Support Youth and Family

January STAR Seminar

Madison Akles and Rachel Gonzales-Castaneda, PhD, MPH

Learning Objectives:

• Discuss why technology-based approaches are particularly effective for engaging youth and young adults in prevention and behavioral health services.
• Describe methods for effectively working with youth and young adult populations in digital intervention contexts.
• Summarize key principles of mobile-based behavioral health intervention design.
• Demonstrate how youth preferences, digital habits, and contextual needs shape engagement with technology-based behavioral health tools.
• Identify strategies for evaluating usability, engagement, and efficacy in mobile interventions.