Single session interventions (SSIs) are self-help. That means that you don’t have to talk to anyone. Instead, you use your phone, tablet or computer to work through information from psychological science, and complete activities and questions to help you apply it in your life.
SSIs are designed to be therapeutic, and to deliver benefits straight away, without you needing to come back and do more. They are designed to be used once rather than assuming that a user will return to use them again. They aim to make the most of a short amount of time.
A “Single Session” approach assumes that change can happen even within a brief, one-off meeting. It does not assume that you will keep using a programme or attending sessions multiple times.
What are SSIs?
Our SSIs give you information and get you to apply it using helpful exercises and activities.
The activities are all are online, and you can do them from any computer, tablet or smartphone with internet.
SSIs are focused and brief, tackling one particular problem at a time
Each SSI has a simple, evidence-based key message – whether that’s being kinder to yourself or doing more of what makes you feel good.
They open you up to the possibility of change
By setting the expectation that you might feel better after just one use, SSIs open you up to the possibility of change. They help young people to feel more hopeful and more in control of their lives.
You don’t need to speak to anyone
Sometimes, you might not be ready to ask other people for support. You might not have the right language to ask for help, or you might be nervous about what people might say. SSIs give you an opportunity to learn skills from therapy on your own, empowering you to take control of your own wellbeing.
You can take control of your wellbeing on your own
Each SSI has a key message. Each SSI will:
- Introduce the psychology behind this key message,
- Ask you to apply the science to a scenario – this is to promote active learning
- Share testimonials from experts including young people and professionals
- Prompt you to plan how to apply the key message in your life.
Why Single Session Interventions?
SSIs work, they are simple and empowering, and can be done anywhere, anytime, and without asking a young person to commit to ongoing/repeat use.
Conventional support assumes attending multiple times/making multiple use of an app
Lots of existing therapeutic options are designed to be used many times – whether that’s meeting with a therapist every week for a couple of months, doing an internet-based modular wellbeing programme or using a wellbeing app. Most existing programmes contain several different ‘active ingredients’ (the things that are creating change) that all work together to improve people’s mental health, and by using them over time, these programmes can be really effective.
But, multi-session, multi-use approaches don’t necessarily fit for everyone
Sometimes people are just too busy to commit to continuing to attend sessions or use an app on an ongoing basis. And sometimes people may not feel ready to commit to this kind of approach. For young people, it can be a struggle when sessions are taking place during school hours. It can also be hard to keep doing something or attending sessions when you are experiencing symptoms like lack of energy, motivation and concentration.
It’s no surprise then that many people stop coming after just one session!
Whether it’s a course of face-to-face meetings with a therapist or using an internet-based programme or an app, most commonly, people only do it once or twice. So how can we make the most of that first session, so that people can walk away with something useful?
Our Single Session Interventions contain a single active ingredient (a thing that creates psychological change). Clinical Psychologists put this ingredient into a programme that they designed to be completed in one sitting, privately, when and where it suits you.
How were these SSIs developed?
Many different single session interventions (SSIs) have been developed and tested. The ones that we offer have been developed by Clinical Psychologists, who are scientists. Dr Jessica Schleider, Clinical Psychologist, and her group in the USA, the Lab for Scalable Mental Health initially developed and tested one SSI aimed at young people to help with their mental health.
They included diverse young people in the development process and used feedback from young people to guide improvements they have made to it. They then made lots more SSIs, and others, like us, are using their model to build even more . This is because we know that different people need different things and at different times.
Our team work with our young people advisors to identify the most important priorities to work on. Based on their advice, we either choose an existing SSI to adapt and test for young people in the UK or create a new one. After all, there’s no point reinventing the wheel!
Do these SSIs work?
The short answer is yes, they do!
The Lab for Scalable Mental Health have tested their SSIs in several studies in the USA, mostly with young people aged between 11 and 17. These studies have included several high quality clinical trials.
They have found that doing an SSI that contains an active ingredient (thing that we know helps with mental health) has benefits (like improved mood) that persist even 9 months later.
Find out more about the science behind SSIs and read the academic papers.
How do these SSIs work?
Sometimes, SSIs are all someone needs.
SSIs help young people to feel more hopeful and more in control of their lives, empowering them to use an active ingredient in their daily lives. For many young people, this is enough to have a domino effect.
Sometimes, an SSI is a starting point.
SSIs may also work for some people by helping them to get other help. SSIs can give young people a language with which to seek other support and to talk to other people in their lives about what they are experiencing. For these people, SSIs are a first step on a journey.
Sometimes, an SSI is an extra source of support.
Many young people who seek help have to wait to access it because there aren’t enough trained therapists to provide multi-session support at the moment of need. For them, SSIs can be an extra source of information and support that they can access when they want it, without having to wait or ask anyone for help.