Boosting Societal Adaptation and Mental Health in a Rapidly Digitalizing, Post-Pandemic Europe

Project Information

Bootstrap

Grant agreement ID: 101080238

DOI

10.3030/101080238

EC signature date 21 April 2023

Start date 1 July 2023

End date 30 June 2028

Funded under

• Health

Total cost

€ 5 416 580,34

EU contribution

€ 5 416 580,34

Coordinated by

INSTITUT CATALA DE LA SALUT
Spain

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - Bootstrap (Boosting Societal Adaptation and Mental Health in a Rapidly Digitalizing, Post-Pandemic Europe)

Reporting period: 2023-07-01 to 2024-12-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

Background: Adolescents are particularly vulnerable to digital overuse, especially post-COVID, which poses risks to mental health. Problematic Usage of the Internet (PUI) reflects disrupted self-management, with significant individual and societal consequences (see fig.2).
Aim: Bootstrap unites a multidisciplinary consortium to drive policy and practice changes that mitigate the harmful effects of digitalization on youth mental health.
Objectives:
• Objective A: Develop a comprehensive knowledge base on the extent, determinants, and impact of healthy versus harmful internet use in adolescents.
• Objective B: Design, validate, and implement personalized interventions to promote healthy self-management of internet use and well-being.
• Objective C: Empower policymakers and private online companies to drive health and social policy change.
Approach: A digital screening and assessment platform will identify at-risk individuals, with algorithm-driven models predicting the most effective self-management interventions. These interventions will be tested for (cost)effectiveness. A policy toolkit will be co-developed with stakeholders to promote digital rights accountability at local, national, and EU levels.
Impact: Bootstrap will generate new insights into PUI risk factors and interventions, fostering better self-management and reducing stigma. The policy toolkit will help policymakers and companies implement responsible digital policies, ultimately improving mental well-being across Europe.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

In the first phase of the Bootstrap project (see fig.1) we have successfully developed the digital screening and assessment app designed to evaluate the underlying mechanisms of Problematic Usage of the Internet (PUI). This app integrates passive digital phenotyping, mobile sensing, and innovative cognitive tests (BrainPAC) to objectively measure behavioural patterns, cognitive reactivity, emotional regulation, and executive control functions. By combining these methods with validated self-report questionnaires, we aim to establish a robust, multimodal approach to identifying risk and resilience factors for PUI.
With the assessment platform in place, we have commenced participant recruitment, targeting adolescents aged 12 to 16 across nine countries: the UK, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Lithuania, Hungary, Switzerland, Spain, and Portugal. This diverse, cross-cultural sample will allow us to systematically examine developmental patterns of PUI, ensuring that our findings are applicable across different sociocultural contexts. Participants will complete digital assessments via the Bootstrap app, enabling real-time, objective data collection with minimal burden on users.
Our study design follows a longitudinal approach, allowing us to track changes in digital behaviours over time and identify predictive markers of risk and resilience. This comprehensive assessment will help us understand the interplay between PUI and other mental health challenges, ensuring that future interventions are tailored to individual needs.
As we progress, the collected data will inform the development of algorithm-based models to predict which adolescents are most at risk and which interventions are likely to be most effective for them. This evidence will be critical in designing the next phase of the project, where we will test targeted, personalized self-management interventions. By leveraging cutting-edge technology and interdisciplinary expertise, Bootstrap is on track to establish a new gold standard for early detection and intervention, paving the way for policy and practice innovations in adolescent digital well-being.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

While the BootStRaP project has not yet reached the stage of data analysis, our work to date represents a significant advancement beyond the current state of the art in understanding and addressing Problematic Usage of the Internet (PUI). Through the development of our digital screening and assessment platform, we have established an innovative, multimodal approach that integrates passive digital phenotyping, mobile sensing, and cognitive testing to objectively measure behavioural patterns linked to PUI. This marks a crucial departure from traditional self-report methods, offering a more reliable and dynamic means of assessing risk and resilience factors.
Our large-scale, cross-national recruitment of adolescents aged 12 to 16 from nine countries (UK, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Lithuania, Hungary, Switzerland, Spain, and Portugal) is another major advancement. This diverse, multi-site approach allows for a systematic, longitudinal examination of PUI across different cultural and socio-economic contexts, enhancing the generalizability of our findings.
Additionally, BootStRaP is set to establish a new benchmark in early detection by refining and validating the most effective screening tools for PUI. By comparing different self-report measures and integrating them with objective digital assessments, we are working towards a gold-standard methodology for identifying risk at an individual level. This personalized approach has not been previously implemented at this scale.
Furthermore, BootStRaP’s digital self-management interventions, currently under development, will be the first to systematically test the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioural strategies tailored to key mechanisms of PUI, such as affect regulation and inhibitory control. By co-designing these interventions with stakeholders, including young advisors and educators, we aim to maximize engagement, effectiveness, and scalability.
As data collection progresses, BootStRaP will continue to push the boundaries of knowledge in this field, ultimately delivering a transformative impact on adolescent digital well-being, intervention strategies, and policy development.

A logic model; Addressing the challenges of a rapidly digtalising society with a focus on PUI

Overview of the Assessment and Intervention phase of the project