Background: Caregivers of children with growth hormone deficiency often face emotional challenges (eg, stress) associated with their children’s health conditions. This psychological burden might affect children’s adherence to treatment and hinder their health-related quality of life (HrQoL). This assumption is leading to seriously considering multidimensional clinical approaches to pediatric health conditions where the emotional well-being of caregivers should be accounted for to optimize children’s health outcomes. Novel mobile health (mHealth) solutions based on emotional and behavioral change techniques can play a promising role because they are increasingly used within different health areas to support adaptive psychological functioning. However, whether and how mHealth solutions of this type of emotional well-being support caregivers of children with growth-related problems is an issue that needs to be clarified. Objective: This study aimed to gather qualitative information to better understand individualized experiences of caregiving of children undergoing growth hormone therapy (GHt) and perceived barriers or facilitators for the adoption of an mHealth solution called Adhera Caring Digital Program (ACDP). Methods: A total of 10 family caregivers were recruited at Miguel Servet Children’s Hospital, and they engaged with the ACDP for 1 month. The ACDP is a mobile-based digital intervention focused on promoting the overall well-being of family caregivers which provides access to personalized education, motivational mobile-based messages, and mental well-being exercises such as mindfulness or respiratory exercises. Subsequently, an individual semistructured interview was performed to gather qualitative user experience information. Results: The digital intervention was well-received. The ACDP was found to be useful, easy to use, and understandable, addressing all the difficulties expressed by caregivers. It was also noted to be particularly helpful at the beginning of the treatment and, for some families, became a natural tool that strengthened the parent-child relationship. Conclusions: The ACDP is a promising and well-accepted tool that enhances the experience of patients and caregivers. It improves the management of growth hormone deficiency and promotes the overall well-being of family caregivers. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials NCT04812665; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT04812665 International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID): RR2-10.1186/s12911-022-01935-1

Family caregivers of individuals with schizophrenia face significant physical, emotional, and financial challenges, often sacrificing self-care and careers, particularly in low-middle-income families. Despite the benefits of family interventions, barriers like stigma and limited access persist. Mobile health (mHealth) offers a promising alternative by providing tailored psychosocial support, though long-term engagement is challenging. This study aims to understand caregiver’s needs to develop a user-centered digital intervention. Participatory workshops with caregivers, individuals with schizophrenia, and healthcare professionals revealed key issues, including the need for evidence-based education and emotional support. Caregivers reported confusion, loneliness, and stress, especially in the initial stages. The proposed digital solution, which integrates educational content and self-care activities, was well-received. Participants valued educational units on understanding schizophrenia and improving communication with the person receiving care and healthcare providers. They suggested including education on legal aspects and economic aid for families, along with connections to local activities and support groups.

With the ongoing mutations of COVID-19 leaving many survivors with debilitating symptoms known as Long-Covid, countless individuals are struggling with persistent fatigue, cognitive impairments, and respiratory issues that can last for months or even years, profoundly disrupting their daily lives and rendering them unable to return to work or engage in social activities. Thus, this paper develops a comprehensive methodology that integrates wearable biometric data and patient-reported outcomes to enhance the monitoring and management of Long-Covid symptoms, desgined to support patient care and quality of life. The methodology involved collecting biometric data from wearable devices and psychometric assessments through mobile app questionnaires, and modeling them using mixed linear regression. Results indicated that variations in heart rate and physical activity levels were significant predictors of fatigue, stress, and pain, with lower morning activity linked to increased anxiety and pain. Additionally, participant feedback highlighted the mobile app’s user-friendliness and effectiveness in tracking symptoms. Integrating wearable technology with psychological assessments in clinical practice can facilitate accurate symptom tracking and personalized interventions for individuals suffering from Long-Covid, ultimately improving patient outcomes and overall health management.

Background: Managing a child undergoing growth hormone treatment (GHt) can be burdensome for the families, which can lead to psychological problems and poor treatment adherence. The Adhera Caring Digital Program (ACDP) is a mobile-based digital health intervention designed to support the physical and mental well-being of families of individuals with chronic conditions. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the clinical feasibility of a digital intervention to support families by focusing on caregivers of children undergoing GHt and its impact on treatment adherence. Methods: This is a prospective observational study. A total of 51 caregivers of children undergoing GHt with low adherence (below 85%) to treatment were recruited at the Pediatric Endocrinology Unit at the Miguel Servet Children’s University Hospital and enrolled into the ACDP for 3 months. Results: A total of 51 parents participated in the digital intervention for 3 months. The use of ACDP was associated with a significant increase in adherence rate ( P <.001). At baseline, all families had suboptimal adherence (below 85%), and after the intervention, 75% (n=38) of the families reached optimal levels of adherence. Also, the perceived pain of injection was reduced, as well as anxiety and stress. Initially, 21.56% (n=11) of caregivers reported depression symptoms, categorized as mild (11.76%, n=6), moderate (7.84%, n=4), and extremely severe (1.96%, n=1), while post intervention, only 1.96% (n=1) of caregivers reported depression as “severe.” Anxiety levels at baseline were reported by a total of 23.53% (n=12) of caregivers (mild: 7.84%, n=4, moderate: 13.73%, n=7, and severe: 1.96%, n=1). After the intervention, only 11.76% (n=6) reported mild (5.88%, n=3) or moderate (5.88%, n=3) anxiety levels. Initially, 23.5% (n=12) of caregivers reported stress as mild (7.84%, n=4), moderate (13.72%, n=7), and severe (1.96%, n=1) stress, and following the intervention, these symptoms reduced to 7.84% (n=4) (mild: 5.88%, n=3, severe: 1.96%, n=1). Conclusions: The ACDP is a promising tool, and it has been demonstrated to significantly increase the adherence rate, adding value to the patient and caregiver journey, and improving the management of growth hormone deficiency while promoting the overall well-being of family caregivers. Our results show that the digital support provided by the solution significantly increased the quality of life of the caregivers by increasing their psychological, emotional, and social well-being and decreasing their depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms.

Background: Caregivers of children living with type 1 diabetes (T1D) face multiple challenges that significantly impact their mental health and quality of life. The well-being of caregivers directly affects the management of the child’s condition. The Adhera Caring Digital Program (ACDP) is a comprehensive, digitally delivered program, designed to support family caregivers in enhancing self-management and well-being. This study aims to assess how the ACDP influences caregivers’ mood, emotional well-being, and health-related quality of life within the context of T1D. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the impact of ACDP on caregivers’ psychological well-being and caregiving outcomes. Methods: This was a two-step, prospective, mixed methods study targeting caregivers of children living with T1D who were under the care of a pediatric endocrinologist at Miguel Servet Children’s University Hospital in Zaragoza, Spain. In substudy 1 (SS1), qualitative and quantitative data were collected to optimize the ACDP. In substudy 2 (SS2), caregivers used the optimized ACDP for three months. Psychometric assessments were conducted at baseline and follow-up to evaluate positive mood states, general well-being, self-efficacy, and lifestyle behaviors. This paper focuses on SS2. Results: Ninety caregivers participated in SS2. Positive affect significantly increased (P<.001), and negative affect decreased (P<.001) on the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS). Depression, anxiety, and stress scores were reduced (P<.001) on the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale-21 Items (DASS-21). General well-being, measured by the Mental Health Continuum-Short Form (MHC-SF) and self-efficacy, assessed using General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSE), improved significantly (P<.001). Health-related quality of life (HrQoL) scores and Mediterranean Diet Quality Index scores increased modestly (P=.03, and P=.04, respectively). Conclusions: The ACDP intervention improved caregivers’ psychological well-being and self-efficacy. These findings highlight the potential of digital solutions to support caregiver mental health and positively influence diabetes management. Future research should explore long-term outcomes and scalability.

Background/Objectives: Homeostatic (nervous, immune and endocrine) systems and their communications network are crucial for health and aging rate. We previously reported behavioral and peritoneal leukocyte function alterations and oxidative-inflammatory stress in young female triple-transgenic (3xTg) mice for Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Here, the deterioration of the homeostatic systems and their interplay was investigated, in an integrated way, at prodromal stages and in both sexes of 3xTg-AD mice. Methods: An integrative analysis of the behavioral profile, peripheral immune splenic and thymic leukocyte functions, splenic oxidative-inflammatory state, and plasmatic corticosterone in both sexes of 3xTg-AD mice at 4 months of age was compared to that of age- and sex-matched NTg counterparts. Results: The prodromal stage of 3xTg-AD, characterized by anxiety-like behaviors and disrupted exploration, was aligned with reduced chemotaxis, natural killer activity, and lymphoproliferation—especially in the spleen. In addition, 3xTg-AD mice exhibited lower anti-inflammatory (IL-10) and higher pro-inflammatory (IL-2, IL-1β, and TNF-α) cytokine concentrations and oxidative stress (higher oxidants and lower antioxidants). Several of these alterations displayed sex-dependent differences (worse in males). However, no differences in corticosterone were found. Conclusions: These findings suggest that neuroimmune and redox-inflammatory dysfunctions, indicative of premature aging, emerge at the prodromal stage of AD, preceding corticosterone changes, unveiling a time lag in the neuroimmunoendocrine alterations in these animals. They may act as early indicators of premature aging in AD pathology and provide potential targets for sex-specific prodromal intervention.