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THE SCIENCE

Publication directory

Read through the reports below for more in-depth information on the clinical trials and studies that helped shape SPARX and the e-therapy techniques it enables.

Clinical Trials

Merry, S. N., Stasiak, K., Shepherd, M., Frampton, C., Fleming, T., & Lucassen, M. F. G. (2012). The effectiveness of SPARX, a computerised self-help intervention for adolescents seeking help for depression: Randomised controlled non-inferiority trial. BMJ, 344. See publication

Fleming, T., Dixon, R., Frampton, C., & Merry, S. (2012). A pragmatic randomized controlled trial of computerized CBT (SPARX) for symptoms of depression among adolescents excluded from mainstream education. Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy, 40(5), 529-541. See publication

Fleming, T. M., Gillham, B., Bavin, L. M., Stasiak, K., Lewycka, S., Moore, J., ... & Merry, S. N. (2019). SPARX-R computerized therapy among adolescents in youth offenders' program: step-wise cohort study. Internet Interventions, 100287. See publication

Perry, Y., Werner-Seidler, A., Calear, A., Mackinnon, A., King, C., Scott, J., Merry, S., Fleming, T., Stasiak, K., Christensen, H. and Batterham, P.J. (2017). Preventing depression in final year secondary students: School-based randomized controlled trial. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 19(11), 11 pages. See publication

Poppelaars, M., Tak, Y. R., Lichtwarck-Aschoff, A., Engels, R. C., Lobel, A., Merry, S. N., ... & Granic, I. (2016). A randomized controlled trial comparing two cognitive-behavioral programs for adolescent girls with subclinical depression: a school-based program (Op Volle Kracht) and a computerized program (SPARX). Behaviour research and therapy, 80, 33-42. See publication

Trial Protocols

Yokomitsu, K., Irie, T., Sekiguchi, M., Shimizu, A., Matsuoka, H., Merry, S. N., & Stasiak, K. (2020). Gamified mobile computerized cognitive behavioral therapy for Japanese university students with depressive symptoms: Protocol for a randomized controlled trial. JMIR Research Protocols, 9(4). See publication

Perry, Y., Calear, A. L., Mackinnon, A., Batterham, P. J., Licinio, J., King, C., .Thomsen, N., Scott, J., Donker, T., Merry, S., Fleming, T., Stasiak, K., Werner-Seidler, E., & Christensen, H. (2015). Trial for the Prevention of Depression (TriPoD) in final-year secondary students: study protocol for a cluster randomised controlled trial. Trials, 16, 451. See publication

Other Studies


Khan, K., Hall, C.L., Babbage, C., Dodzo, S., Greenhalgh, C., Lucassen, M., Merry, S., Sayal, K., Sprange, K., Stasiak, K. and Tench, C.R., 2024. Precision computerised cogntive behavioural therapy (cCBT) for adolescents with depression: a pilot and feasibility randomised controlled trial protocol for SPARX-UK. Pilot and Feasibility Studies, 10(1), p.53. See publication

Fleming, T., Farrant, B., Stephenson, C. (2023, November 8). Mental health waitlists: Feeling ignored and escalating symptoms. New Zealand Doctor. See publication

Kuosmanen, T., Fleming, T. M., & Barry, M. M. (2018). The implementation of SPARX-R computerized mental health program in alternative education: Exploring the factors contributing to engagement and dropout. Children and Youth Services Review, 84, 176-184. See publication           

Kuosmanen, T., Fleming, T., & Barry, M. (2017). Kuosmanen, T., Fleming, T. M., & Barry, M. M. (2018). Using computerized mental health programs in alternative education: understanding the requirements of students and staff. Health communication, 33(6), 753-761. See publication

Kuosmanen, T., Fleming, T. M., Newell, J., & Barry, M. M. (2017). A pilot evaluation of the SPARX-R gaming intervention for preventing depression and improving wellbeing among adolescents in alternative education. Internet Interventions, 8, 40-47. See publication

Lucassen, M. F., Stasiak, K., Fleming, T., Shepherd, M., & Merry, S. N. (2023). Enhancing an online cognitive behavioural therapy intervention for depression: Harnessing the feedback of sexual and gender minority youth to help improve SPARX. Australasian Psychiatry, 10398562231153061.  See publication

Fleming, T., Lucassen, M., Stasiak, K., Sutcliffe, K., & Merry, S. (2021). Technology Matters: SPARX–computerised cognitive behavioural therapy for adolescent depression in a game format. Child and Adolescent Mental Health, 26(1), 92-94. See publication

Fleming, T., Merry, S., Stasiak, K., Hopkins, S., Patolo, T., Ruru, S., ... & Goodyear-Smith, F. (2019). The importance of user segmentation for designing digital therapy for adolescent mental health: findings from scoping processes. JMIR mental health, 6(5), e12656. See publication

Fleming, T., Bavin, L., Lucassen, M., Stasiak, K., Hopkins, S., & Merry, S. (2018). Beyond the trial: systematic review of real-world uptake and engagement with digital self-help interventions for depression, low mood, or anxiety. Journal of medical Internet research, 20(6), e199. See publication

Fleming, T. M., Stasiak, K., Moselen, E., Hermansson-Webb, E., Shepherd, M., Lucassen, M., & Merry, S. N. (2019). Revising computerized therapy for wider appeal among adolescents: youth perspectives on a revised version of SPARX. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 10. See publication

Lucassen, M., Samra, R., Iacovides, I., Fleming, T., Shepherd, M., Stasiak, K., & Wallace, L. (2018). How LGBT+ Young People Use the Internet in Relation to Their Mental Health and Envisage the Use of e-Therapy: Exploratory Study. JMIR Serious Games, 6(4), e11249. See publication

Fleming, T., Lucassen, M., Stasiak, K., Shepherd, M., & Merry, S. (2016). The impact and utility of computerised therapy for educationally alienated teenagers: The views of adolescents who participated in an alternative education-based trial. Clinical Psychologist , 20(2), 94-102. See publication

Lucassen, M. F., Hatcher, S., Fleming, T. M., Stasiak, K., Shepherd, M. J., & Merry, S. N. (2015). A qualitative study of sexual minority young people's experiences of computerised therapy for depression. Australasian Psychiatry, 23(3), 268-273. See publication

Shepherd, M., Fleming, T., Lucassen, M., Stasiak, K., Lambie, I., & Merry, S. (2015). The design and relevance of a computerized gamified depression therapy program for indigenous Māori adolescents. JMIR Serious Games, 3(1). See publication

Cheek C, Bridgman H, Fleming T, Cummings E, Ellis L, Lucassen MF, Shepherd M, Skinner T. Views of young people in rural Australia on SPARX, a fantasy world developed for New Zealand youth with depression. (2014). JMIR Serious Games. 2(1):e3. See publication

Fleming T, Merry S. (2013) Youth work service providers' attitudes towards computerized CBT for adolescents. Behavioural and cognitive psychotherapy. 41(3):265-79. See publication

Lucassen, M. F. G., Hatcher, S., Stasiak, K., Fleming, T., Merry, S., & Shepherd, M. (2013). The views of lesbian, gay and bisexual youth regarding computerised self-help for depression: An exploratory study. Advances in Mental Health: Promotion, Prevention and Early Intervention, 12(1), 22-33. See publication

Fleming TM, Dixon RS, Merry SN. ‘It’s mean!’. (2012). The views of young people alienated from mainstream education on depression, help seeking and computerised therapy. Advances in Mental Health. 10(2):195-203. See publication

Lucassen, M. F. G., Perry, Y., Stasiak, K., Shepherd, M., Frampton, C., Fleming TM. Intersex adolescents seeking help for their depression: the case study of SPARX in New Zealand. Sage Journals Australasian Psychiatry. See publication

Lucassen, M. F., Stasiak, K., Fleming, T., Frampton, C., Perry, Y., Shepherd, M., & Merry, S. N. (2021). Computerized cognitive behavioural therapy for gender minority adolescents: Analysis of the real-world implementation of SPARX in New Zealand. Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 55(9), 874-882. See publication

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