The ATUS24, an activity-focused time-use intervention to improve mental health and well-being in adolescents: an acceptability study

Background: The Activity Time-Use Intervention (ATUS) is a novel occupational therapy theory informed intervention for adolescents with emerging mental health difficulties. Designed to empower 16- and 17-year-olds to reflect on their time use to achieve a healthier balance of activity within the context of their daily lives. Acceptability to healthy adolescents is explored in preparation for testing with the more vulnerable target population. Aim: To explore the acceptability of the ATUS intervention to healthy adolescents when delivered in a mainstream secondary school. Method: A pragmatic, non-randomised, mixed-method, pre- and post-, single-group, exploratory study. Analysis involved descriptive statistics and template analysis informed by Sekhon’s theoretical framework of acceptability. Results: The ATUS was successfully delivered to healthy students. Nineteen sub-themes were identified based on the seven constructs of Sekhon’s theoretical framework of acceptability. Feedback was positive, highlighting areas for modification. Online completion of measures ranged from 17 to 99.4% and took on average 12 minutes to complete. Change in well-being scores was most frequently observed. Conclusion: The ATUS is deliverable and acceptable to healthy adolescents; however, some components should be reviewed before delivering in the target population, and further work is required before feasibility testing.