Do Digital Health Interventions Improve Mental Health Literacy or Help-seeking Among Parents of Children Aged 2–12 Years? A Scoping Review

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Digital Health Interventions (DHIs) can improve mental health literacy (MHL) and help-seeking behaviour in teens and adults. However, it is unclear whether DHIs improve parental MHL, help-seeking behaviour or access to mental health services for their children. OBJECTIVE: To perform a scoping review of DHIs aiming to improve MHL, help-seeking behaviour or access to mental health services among parents of 2-12-year-olds with behavioural and emotional problems (BEP). METHOD: A search of Ovid MEDLINE found four original articles meeting inclusion criteria. RESULTS: One of the four articles was a randomised controlled trial, which showed a significant improvement in some measures of MHL, but no change in help-seeking attitudes. The other three studies evaluated interventions, in uncontrolled pre-test and post-test evaluations, on attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder knowledge. Two of these studies showed a significant change in ADHD knowledge. There was no consistency in MHL measures between studies. CONCLUSIONS: There is preliminary evidence that DHIs may improve MHL in parents of children with BEP. How this translates to help seeking, access to mental health services or improved outcomes is unknown.

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