An online intervention to promote mental health literacy for psychosis amongst parents of adolescents: A pilot randomized controlled trial

Early Interv Psychiatry. 2023 Jul;17(7):737-742. doi: 10.1111/eip.13390. Epub 2023 Jan 10.

Abstract

Aim: This study evaluated an online mental health literacy intervention to improve help-seeking for psychosis amongst parents of adolescents.

Methods: A total of 2496 parents of first-grade junior high school students, recruited from a Japan-based survey company, participated in a randomized controlled trial in July 2016; participants were randomly allocated to the intervention (n = 1248) or control group (n = 1248). They were assessed at baseline and one-week post intervention. The intervention group received a 30-minute online educational programme that included a narrative of the mother of an adolescent with psychosis.

Results: There were no between-group differences in changes in the rate of 'no help-seeking' in any hypothetical situations of a child's psychosis and prodromal symptoms.

Conclusions: The intervention might have been suboptimal to improve mental health literacy for psychosis amongst parents of adolescents. A narrative message from a service user may be helpful to encourage parents in help-seeking.

Keywords: adolescent; help-seeking; parents; psychosis; social stigma.

Publication types

  • Randomized Controlled Trial
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Child
  • Health Literacy*
  • Humans
  • Internet-Based Intervention*
  • Parents / psychology
  • Pilot Projects
  • Psychotic Disorders* / therapy

Associated data

  • UMIN-CTR/UMIN000023172