Digital mental health interventions use technology like websites, apps, chatbots, and wearables to improve mental health through diagnosis, treatment, education, prevention, and self-management. They aim to increase access to care and provide personalized, evidence-based support via avenues like online therapy, mood tracking apps, meditation programs, and virtual support communities.
Key Points
Rationale
Youth mental health is worsening, especially among disadvantaged populations, but these groups underutilize services (United States Surgeon General, 2021).
Health disparities will likely widen without improving access to evidence-based treatments (Cobb, 2022).
Parents are well-positioned to intervene in youth mental health, but disadvantaged families experience barriers to parent training (Reardon et al., 2017).
DMHIs reduce common barriers to care and show potential for disadvantaged groups, but more research is needed (Ellis et al., 2022; Schueller et al., 2019).
Training parents from disadvantaged backgrounds through DMHIs may help curb persistent mental health disparities.
Method
This narrative review synthesizes recent epidemiological, meta-analytic, experimental, and longitudinal studies on youth mental health disparities and the potential for DMHIs to train disadvantaged parents as interventionists.
Sample
The review encompassed empirical studies and national surveys focused primarily on disadvantaged youth mental health and parent training interventions.
Statistical analysis
The author synthesized descriptive statistics from epidemiological studies and effect sizes from meta-analyses.
Results
Insight
This review offers valuable perspectives on worsening youth mental health disparities and how parent-focused DMHIs could provide disadvantaged families with vital intervention skills.
The author makes a compelling case that training parents through DMHIs is a promising approach if done thoughtfully.
The synthesis of epidemiological, experimental, and demographic data paints a sobering picture of the youth mental health crisis and underscores the urgent need for progress in this area.
Strengths
Limitations
Implications
Conclusion
Youths’ worsening mental health demands urgent action, especially for disadvantaged groups who continue to be left behind.
This review spotlighted the promise of harnessing parents’ intervention potential through DMHIs.
Realizing this promise requires ongoing collaboration with communities to co-design appropriate, evidence-based DMHIs.
Then parents can become empowered to curb mental health disparities from inside the home. While sensitive cultural tailoring is needed, the premise of supporting disadvantaged families through DMHIs aligns with ethical imperatives for diversity, inclusion, and justice.
References
Alegría, M., Green, J. G., McLaughlin, K. A., & Loder, S. (2015). Disparities in child and adolescent mental health and mental health services in the US. William T. Grant Foundation.
Bausback, K., & Bunge, E. L. (2021). Meta-analysis of parent training programs utilizing behavior intervention technologies. Social Sciences, 10(10), 367.https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci10100367
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022). Youth risk behavior survey, 2009-2019.https://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/data/yrbs/pdf/YRBSDataSummaryTrendsReport2019-508.pdf
Cook, B. L., Trinh, N.-H., Li, Z., Hou, S. S., & Progovac, A. M. (2017). Trends in racial-ethnic disparities in access to mental health care, 2004-2012. Psychiatric Services, 68(1), 9–16.https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ps.201500453
Curtin, S. C. (2020). State suicide rates among adolescents and young adults aged 10-24: United States, 2000-2018. National Vital Statistics Reports, 69(11), 1-10.
Ellis, D. M., Draheim, A. A., & Anderson, P. L. (2022). Culturally adapted digital mental health interventions for ethnic/racial minorities: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 90(10), 717–733.https://doi.org/10.1037/ccp0000759
Khanna, M. S., Carper, M. M., Harris, M. S., & Kendall, P. C. (2017). Web-based parent-training for parents of youth with impairment from anxiety. Evidence-Based Practice in Child and Adolescent Mental Health, 2(1), 43-53.https://doi.org/10.1080/23794925.2017.1283548
Merikangas, K. R., He, J.-P., Burstein, M., Swanson, S. A., Avenevoli, S., Cui, L., Benjet, C., Georgiades, K., & Swendsen, J. (2010). Lifetime prevalence of mental disorders in U.S. adolescents: Results from the National Comorbidity Survey Replication-Adolescent Supplement (NCS-A). Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 49(10), 980–989.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaac.2010.05.017
Moore, K. L. (2018). Mental health service engagement among underserved minority adolescents and young adults: A systematic review. Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities, 5(5), 1063-1076.https://doi.org/10.1007/s40615-017-0455-9
Reardon, T., Harvey, K., Baranowska, M., O’Brien, D., Smith, L., & Creswell, C. (2017). What do parents perceive are the barriers and facilitators to accessing psychological treatment for mental health problems in children and adolescents? A systematic review of qualitative and quantitative studies. European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 26(6), 623–647.https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-016-0930-6
Schueller, S. M., Hunter, J. F., Figueroa, C., & Aguilera, A. (2019). Use of digital mental health for marginalized and underserved populations. Current Treatment Options in Psychiatry, 6(3), 243–255.https://doi.org/10.1007/s40501-019-00181-z
United States Surgeon General. (2021). Protecting youth mental health: The U.S. Surgeon General’s advisory.https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/surgeon-general-youth-mental-health-advisory.pdf
Weinberger, A. H., Gbedemah, M., Martinez, A. M., Nash, D., Galea, S., & Goodwin, R. D. (2018). Trends in depression prevalence in the USA from 2005 to 2015: Widening disparities in vulnerable groups. Psychological Medicine, 48(8), 1308-1315.https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291717002781
Learning Check
How might teachers and school counselors help detect early signs of mental health issues in disadvantaged students? What barriers might they face?If parent training through DMHIs becomes more available, what outreach strategies could most effectively inform and engage disadvantaged families?How might DMHI developers partner with community leaders to ensure interventions are culturally sensitive? What kinds of feedback should they solicit?What role can students play in reducing mental health stigma surrounding DMHI use? How can students encourage help-seeking among peers?Should DMHI training for disadvantaged parents focus more on prevention or intervention? What are the trade-offs of each approach?How could researchers capture any unintended positive or negative effects resulting from increased access to parent-focused DMHIs?What innovations in DMHI delivery modes might further increase access for groups with technology limitations like rural families?How can researchers and developers ensure DMHIs designed for disadvantaged groups do not contribute to further marginalization or stereotyping?
Olivia Guy-Evans, MSc
BSc (Hons) Psychology, MSc Psychology of Education
Olivia Guy-Evans is a writer and associate editor for Simply Psychology. She has previously worked in healthcare and educational sectors.
Saul McLeod, PhD
BSc (Hons) Psychology, MRes, PhD, University of Manchester
Saul McLeod, PhD., is a qualified psychology teacher with over 18 years of experience in further and higher education. He has been published in peer-reviewed journals, including the Journal of Clinical Psychology.
