Research group description
The Youth Compass Research Group
The research group examines adolescents’ experiences of the brief interactive and gamified Youth Compass internet intervention by examining its effectiveness in supporting youth well-being skills. The research work is funded by the Research Council of Finland and the Finnish Cultural Foundation.
The Youth Compass is a free interactive online program designed to support the well-being of 13–17-year-old adolescents. The research group has developed the intervention program, which is freely available in Finnish, Swedish, and English (visit https://nuortenkompassi.fi/en/). The development of the program has utilized the Student Compass program created in the University of Jyväskylä’s Student Life project to enhance university students’ well-being as well as a previous pilot study of the Youth Compass program.
Over the course of five weeks, the adolescent progresses through the program, reflecting on their own well-being and the quality of their relationships. Through interactive exercises, videos, comics, and game sections within the program, adolescents can examine their own thinking and behavior patterns. This helps to increase self-awareness and understanding of which coping and problem-solving strategies are effective.
The program can be accessed on smartphones, tablets, and computers with an internet connection. The program can serve as a tool for professionals working with youth in various settings or can be used independently by the young person.
Publications
In English:
Hämäläinen, T., Kaipainen, K., Keinonen, K., Lappalainen, P., Puolakanaho, A., Lappalainen, R., & Kiuru, N. (2023). The roles of adherence and usage activity in adolescents’ intervention gains during brief guided online intervention. Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy: An International Quarterly, 37. 187-206. https://doi.org/10.1891/JCP-2021-0038
Hämäläinen, T., Kaipainen, K., Keinonen, K., Muotka, J., Räsänen, P., & Kiuru, N. (2025). Bidirectional associations between adolescents’ weekly variation and selection of behavior, well-being, and social support during a brief ACT-based internet intervention. Cognitive Therapy and Research. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10608-025-10633-x
Hämäläinen, T., Kaipainen, K., Lappalainen, P., Puolakanaho, A., Keinonen, K., Lappalainen, R., & Kiuru, N. (2021). Usage activity, perceived usefulness, and satisfaction in a web-based acceptance and commitment therapy program among Finnish ninth-grade adolescents. Internet Interventions, 25, 100421.
Hämäläinen, T., Lappalainen, P., Puolakanaho, A., Lappalainen, R., & Kiuru, N. (2023). A guided online ACT intervention may increase psychological well-being and support school engagement in adolescents. Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science, 27, 152-159. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcbs.2023.02.002
Keinonen, K., Lappalainen, P., Puolakanaho, A., Kaipainen, K., Lappalainen, R., & Kiuru, N. (2024). Brief online ACT intervention to improve adolescents’ wellbeing: Effectiveness among adolescents with depressive symptoms during COVID-19. Children and Youth Services Review, 161, 107671. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2024.107671
Keinonen, K., Puolakanaho, A., Lappalainen, P., Lappalainen, R., & Kiuru, N. (2021). Developmental trajectories of experiential avoidance and depressive symptoms and association to health behaviors among adolescents during brief guided online acceptance and commitment therapy. Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science, 22, 24-31.
Kiuru, N., Puolakanaho, A., Lappalainen, P., Keinonen, K., Mauno, S., Muotka, J., & Lappalainen, R. (2021). Effectiveness of a web-based acceptance and commitment therapy program for adolescent career preparation – a randomized controlled trial. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 127, 103578.
Lappalainen, A.-L., Keinonen, K., Lappalainen, P., Lappalainen, R., Kaipainen, K., Puolakanaho, A., & Kiuru, N. (2025). Promoting youth life satisfaction through a brief online intervention: individual differences in initial well-being and intervention response. Child & Family Behavior Therapy, 47(3), 262-282.
Lappalainen, P., Lappalainen, R., Keinonen, K., Kaipainen, K., Puolakanaho, A., Muotka, J. & Kiuru, N. (2023). In the shadow of COVID-19: A randomized controlled online ACT trial promoting adolescent psychological flexibility and self-compassion. Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science, 27, 34-44. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcbs.2022.12.001
Lappalainen, R., Lappalainen, P., Puolakanaho, A., Hirvonen, R., Eklund, K., Ahonen, T., Muotka, J., & Kiuru, N. (2021). The Youth Compass – the effectiveness of an online acceptance and commitment therapy program to promote adolescent mental health – a randomized controlled trial. Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science, 20, 1-12.
Peltola, J., Kaipainen, K., Keinonen, K., Kiuru, N., & Turunen, M. (2023). Developing a conversational interface for an ACT-based online program: Understanding expectations on conversational style. Conference CUI 21: ACTM conference on Conversational User Interfaces, CUI, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1145/3571884.3597142
Puolakanaho, A., Kaipainen, K., Keinonen, K., Lappalainen, P., Lappalainen, R. & Kiuru, N. (2024). Factors anticipating adolescents’ dropout from the online ACT during the COVID-19 pandemic. Child & Family Behavior Therapy, 46(2), 126-146.
Puolakanaho, A., Lappalainen, R., Lappalainen, P., Muotka, J., Hirvonen, R., Eklund, K., Ahonen, T., & Kiuru, N. (2019). Reducing stress and enhancing academic buoyancy among adolescents using a brief web-based program based on acceptance and commitment therapy: A randomized control trial. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 48, 287-305.
In Finnish:
Lappalainen, P., Kaipainen, K., Keinonen, K., Puolakanaho, A., Lappalainen, R., Hämäläinen, T., & Kiuru, N. (2025). ”Tunnetaidot enemmän esille koulutyössä”—Koulun ammattilaisten ja yläkoululaisten kokemuksia hyvinvointia edistävästä Nuorten Kompassi -verkko-ohjelmasta. Oppimisen ja oppimisvaikeuksien erityislehti NMI-Bulletin, 35(1), 66–89.
Lappalainen, P., Kiuru, N., Keinonen, K., Lappalainen, R., Puolakanaho, A., & Kaipainen, K. (2021). Nuorten Kompassi luokassa: Opas opettajalle/ammattilaiselle. Jyväskylän yliopisto, psykologian laitos ja kasvatustieteiden laitos. www.nuortenkompassi.fi
Puolakanaho, A., Kiuru, N., & Lappalainen, P. (2019). Teknologia ja HOT-interventiot nuoren koulutyön tukena. Psykologia, 54, 23-45.
Puolakanaho, A., Kaipainen, K., Kiuru, N., Lappalainen, P., Keinonen, K., & Lappalainen, R. (2022). Digitaalisen Nuorten Kompassi plus -hyvinvointiohjelman soveltuvuus lukiolaisille. Oppimisen ja oppimisvaikeuksien erityislehti NMI-Bulletin, 32(1), 45-64.
Puolakanaho, A., Lappalainen, P., Kaipainen, K., & Keinonen, K., Lappalainen, R., & Kiuru, N. (2023). Nuorten Kompassi -hyvinvointiohjelma: Opas nuorten kanssa työskenteleville ammattilaisille. Niilo Mäki Instituutti: Jyväskylä.
In Swedish:
Lappalainen, P., Kiuru, N., Keinonen, K., Lappalainen, R., Puolakanaho, A., & Kaipainen, K. (2023). De Ungas Kompass i klassen: Handbok för lärare/yrkespersoner. Jyväskylä universitet, psykologiska institutionen och pedagogiska institutionen. www.nuortenkompassi.fi
