Smartphone App to Address Loneliness Among College Students: Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial.
Bruehlman-Senecal E, Hook CJ, Pfeifer JH, FitzGerald C, Davis B, Delucchi KL, Haritatos J, Ramo DE. · JMIR mental health · 2020 · Randomized controlled trial report · double blinding not verified
Original publication · Original publication · Original publication · Original publication · Original publication
Recorded summary
No overall effect on loneliness or other outcomes. Vulnerability interactions suggested possible benefit for students with higher baseline difficulties.
Recorded limitations
Pilot, short duration, subgroup findings and developer links; no universal loneliness benefit.
Evidence and provenance
Chapter Trust Factor uses a minimum of three distinct qualifying studies. Publication records retain their own evidence and assessment.
Study design and assessment
- design
- Randomized controlled trial report · double blinding not verified
- assessment
- category
- rct-masking-unclear
- is Randomized Controlled Trial
- true
- peer Reviewed
- true
- basis
- Pilot randomized waitlist trial
- masking Roles
- Automated stratified randomization; researchers unblinded during collection and analysis.
- sources
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33079071/ · https://doi.org/10.2196/21496 · https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7609198/ · https://www.ebi.ac.uk/europepmc/webservices/rest/PMC7609198/fullTextXML · https://api.crossref.org/works/10.2196%2F21496
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- 2
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- 2
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- rating Scale
- library-trust-factor/1-3
- randomized Controlled Trial
- true
- peer Reviewed
- true
- blinding
- not-confirmed
- masking Roles
- Automated stratified randomization; researchers unblinded during collection and analysis.
- basis
- Pilot randomized waitlist trial
- sources
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33079071/ · https://doi.org/10.2196/21496 · https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7609198/ · https://www.ebi.ac.uk/europepmc/webservices/rest/PMC7609198/fullTextXML · https://api.crossref.org/works/10.2196%2F21496
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- 2026-11-02
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- false
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- jadad
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- evidence
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- Randomized controlled trial report · double blinding not verified
- intervention
- Four weeks Nod social-skills/cognitive app versus delayed access
- provider
- Not separately established; clinician/teacher/app details, if known, are retained in the intervention description
- comparator
- See design/intervention description; otherwise unknown
- sample
- 221 students; 97% retained at four weeks
- population
- age
- 18–25; mean 18.7
- age Fit
- mixed-overlap
- sample
- 221 students; 97% retained at four weeks
- setting
- Not separately established; see population/intervention description
- community
- Not assigned
- measurement
- Specific outcomes are reported in the finding and retained appraisal.
- trial Id
- publication-33079071
- trial Registries
NCT04164654
- registry Scope
- Identifiers explicitly reported in article abstract; other registrations remain unverified
- relationship Note
- Measure who benefits from supported connection and avoid presenting an app as a universal remedy. Component evidence does not establish efficacy of the combined Universal Mind lab model.
- measured Genes
- None recorded
- pathways
- None recorded
- quality
- tier
- qualified
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- Qualified for the stated design-specific use in a rapid methods-based review, not necessarily low risk of bias or high certainty.
- formal Risk Of Bias Tool Applied
- false
- jadad Score
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- Automated stratified randomization; researchers unblinded during collection and analysis.
- harms And Attrition
- Not systematically extracted beyond findings/limitations; absence of reporting is not evidence of no harm
- source Access
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https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33079071/ · https://doi.org/10.2196/21496 · https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7609198/ · https://www.ebi.ac.uk/europepmc/webservices/rest/PMC7609198/fullTextXML · https://api.crossref.org/works/10.2196%2F21496
- retrieved At
- 2026-11-02
Topics and recorded topic scores
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- title
- Universal Mind Mobile Lab · Direct response and inspired by
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- trust Score
- 3
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- language:youth-access-connection
- title
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- trust Score
- 3
Citation snapshot and identifiers
- id
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- pmid
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- Not recorded
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- Not recorded
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- not-assessed
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Complete approved library record
- lab Relevance
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- limits
- implication
- Measure who benefits from supported connection and avoid presenting an app as a universal remedy.
- transfer Limit
- Component evidence does not establish efficacy of the combined Universal Mind lab model.
- institutions
- None recorded
- institution Evidence
- None recorded
- research Topics
Youth needs / digital / access
- publication Status
- pmid
- 33079071
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- 2026-11-02T01:32:43.603026+00:00
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research-article · Journal Article
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- None recorded
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- None recorded
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- None recorded
- scope
- Europe PMC indexed publication types/linked notices, publisher JATS related articles and Crossref update-to metadata; absence is not a guarantee of no notice.
- notice Summary
- Indexed related notices are retained below; no retraction identified in this bounded metadata check. This is not an exhaustive guarantee.
- randomized Study Unit Id
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- assessment
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https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33079071/ · https://doi.org/10.2196/21496 · https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7609198/ · https://www.ebi.ac.uk/europepmc/webservices/rest/PMC7609198/fullTextXML · https://api.crossref.org/works/10.2196%2F21496
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- Smartphone App to Address Loneliness Among College Students: Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial.
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- None recorded
- year
- 2020
- authors
- Bruehlman-Senecal E, Hook CJ, Pfeifer JH, FitzGerald C, Davis B, Delucchi KL, Haritatos J, Ramo DE.
- design
- Randomized controlled trial report · double blinding not verified
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- pmid
- 33079071
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https://doi.org/10.2196/21496 · https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33079071/ · https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7609198/ · https://www.ebi.ac.uk/europepmc/webservices/rest/PMC7609198/fullTextXML · https://api.crossref.org/works/10.2196%2F21496
- collections
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Clinical & self-report
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- No overall effect on loneliness or other outcomes. Vulnerability interactions suggested possible benefit for students with higher baseline difficulties.
- limitation
- Pilot, short duration, subgroup findings and developer links; no universal loneliness benefit.
- citation Count
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- sources
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33079071/ · https://doi.org/10.2196/21496 · https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7609198/ · https://www.ebi.ac.uk/europepmc/webservices/rest/PMC7609198/fullTextXML · https://api.crossref.org/works/10.2196%2F21496
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https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33079071/ · https://doi.org/10.2196/21496 · https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7609198/ · https://www.ebi.ac.uk/europepmc/webservices/rest/PMC7609198/fullTextXML · https://api.crossref.org/works/10.2196%2F21496
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- title
- Smartphone App to Address Loneliness Among College Students: Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial.
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- Bruehlman-Senecal E, Hook CJ, Pfeifer JH, FitzGerald C, Davis B, Delucchi KL, Haritatos J, Ramo DE.
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https://doi.org/10.2196/21496 · https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33079071/ · https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7609198/ · https://www.ebi.ac.uk/europepmc/webservices/rest/PMC7609198/fullTextXML · https://api.crossref.org/works/10.2196%2F21496
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Clinical & self-report
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- finding
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- summary
- No overall effect on loneliness or other outcomes. Vulnerability interactions suggested possible benefit for students with higher baseline difficulties.
- limitation
- Pilot, short duration, subgroup findings and developer links; no universal loneliness benefit.
- evidence
- evidence Type
- Randomized controlled trial report · double blinding not verified
- intervention
- Four weeks Nod social-skills/cognitive app versus delayed access
- provider
- Not separately established; clinician/teacher/app details, if known, are retained in the intervention description
- comparator
- See design/intervention description; otherwise unknown
- sample
- 221 students; 97% retained at four weeks
- population
- age
- 18–25; mean 18.7
- age Fit
- mixed-overlap
- sample
- 221 students; 97% retained at four weeks
- setting
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- measurement
- Specific outcomes are reported in the finding and retained appraisal.
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- publication-33079071
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NCT04164654
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- Identifiers explicitly reported in article abstract; other registrations remain unverified
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- Measure who benefits from supported connection and avoid presenting an app as a universal remedy. Component evidence does not establish efficacy of the combined Universal Mind lab model.
- measured Genes
- None recorded
- pathways
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- qualified
- qualification
- Qualified for the stated design-specific use in a rapid methods-based review, not necessarily low risk of bias or high certainty.
- formal Risk Of Bias Tool Applied
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- jadad Score
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- masking Roles
- Automated stratified randomization; researchers unblinded during collection and analysis.
- harms And Attrition
- Not systematically extracted beyond findings/limitations; absence of reporting is not evidence of no harm
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https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33079071/ · https://doi.org/10.2196/21496 · https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7609198/ · https://www.ebi.ac.uk/europepmc/webservices/rest/PMC7609198/fullTextXML · https://api.crossref.org/works/10.2196%2F21496
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- relationship
- limits
- implication
- Measure who benefits from supported connection and avoid presenting an app as a universal remedy.
- transfer Limit
- Component evidence does not establish efficacy of the combined Universal Mind lab model.
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- Indexed related notices are retained below; no retraction identified in this bounded metadata check. This is not an exhaustive guarantee.
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- Smartphone App to Address Loneliness Among College Students: Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial.
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- Four weeks Nod social-skills/cognitive app versus delayed access
- provider
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- See design/intervention description; otherwise unknown
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- relationship
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- implication
- Measure who benefits from supported connection and avoid presenting an app as a universal remedy.
- transfer Limit
- Component evidence does not establish efficacy of the combined Universal Mind lab model.
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- title
- Smartphone App to Address Loneliness Among College Students: Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial.
- authors
- Bruehlman-Senecal E, Hook CJ, Pfeifer JH, FitzGerald C, Davis B, Delucchi KL, Haritatos J, Ramo DE.
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- doi
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https://doi.org/10.2196/21496 · https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33079071/ · https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7609198/ · https://www.ebi.ac.uk/europepmc/webservices/rest/PMC7609198/fullTextXML · https://api.crossref.org/works/10.2196%2F21496
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Clinical & self-report
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youth · adults
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- Randomized controlled trial report · double blinding not verified
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- authors
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NCT04164654
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