Article Excerpt: As some states try to regulate children’s social media use and TikTok emerges as a geopolitical chew toy, a new clearinghouse has emerged for mediating between tech companies and those concerned about their products’ impact on kids: the Digital Wellness Lab at Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School.
Full Article: https://tinyurl.com/bdahr353
Article Source: Axios
Booth-LaForce C, Oxford ML, O’Leary R, Rees J, Petras A, Buchwald DS. Implementation fidelity of the Promoting First Relationships intervention program in a Native community. Transl Behav Med. 2023 Jan 20;13(1):34-41. doi: 10.1093/tbm/ibac060. PMID: 36227860; PMCID: PMC9853091.
An evidence-based parenting intervention called Promoting First Relationship (PFR) was evaluated for implementation fidelity in a Northern Plains Native community. PFR is a preventive program for primary caregivers and their young children based on attachment theory. Ten sessions are delivered weekly for an hour through home visits conducted by trained providers who are tribal members living on the reservation with at least a relevant bachelor’s degree. Each week has a specific theme and includes a check-in, reflection time, observation of video recordings, and handouts on the child’s behaviors, feelings, and needs. This study analyzed data from a randomized controlled trial of 162 primary caregivers and their children (10-30 months old) who were assigned to the PFR intervention or the control condition (referral to local resources). PFR providers were trained in a two-day in-person workshop and then, online intensive training and pilot sessions. All trainees were required to pass fidelity checks with three families to be certified. Researchers measured implementation fidelity using a checklist on adherence to content, scoring quality of delivery in video-recorded sessions, number of PFR sessions completed, and participant satisfaction. On average, adherence to PFR content was very high (mean=0.99 out of 1.00; SD=0.02) and quality of delivery exceeded established criteria. Despite high attrition which occurred before intervention delivery (28.40%, N=23), the remaining participants completed all 10 intervention sessions. Additionally, participants reported high satisfaction with the program (mean=3.90 out of 4, SD=0.19). Overall, high implementation fidelity of the PFR intervention was achieved in a Native community using in-person and remote online training and video feedback.
Article Excerpt: Researchers recently created a brand new CBT smartphone app that will provide young people with multiple ways to address and handle their mental health problems. A study group will now be assembled to assess the effectiveness of the smartphone application in relation to its ability to combat depression. Adolescents are struggling with depression at higher rates today than ever before. Researchers believe that the stress of the coronavirus pandemic and the resulting peer isolation and disruption to school life is to blame. Other factors cited include an ever-growing presence on social media and pressure to conform to impossible celebrity standards. Thus, any way in which technology can help depressed teens minimize symptoms is much-needed. Through the use of interactive and self-guided therapy, the ClearlyMe app will use the power of cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT, on teenagers from all over the country. The technology contains 37 “short lessons” that will touch upon the basics of CBT and the power it has to change thinking and alter core beliefs in those who use it.
Full Article: https://tinyurl.com/326u5s8v
Article Source: Legal Reader
Article Excerpt: In the southwestern suburbs of Denver, the Cherry Creek school system has been tackling the mental health crisis gripping students here, as in the rest of the country. Social workers and psychologists are based in schools to help. But this month, the district debuted a new option: telehealth therapy for children.
Full Article: https://tinyurl.com/2js2c9pt
Article Source: The Washington Post
Doty J, Gabrielli J, Abraczinskas M, Giron K, Yourell J, Stormshak E. Parent-Based Prevention of Bullying and Cyberbullying During COVID-19 Social Distancing: A Pilot Intervention using the MOST Framework. J of Prevention 43, 719–734 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10935-022-00696-x
This pilot study investigated satisfaction and acceptability of an evidence-based parenting intervention enhanced to address bullying and cyberbullying. The Everyday Parenting intervention focuses on content on positive reinforcement, monitoring daily activities, setting limits, negotiation, and positive parenting. This program was enhanced with intensive role playing, social emotional coaching, and media parenting components. The pilot was delivered via video teleconferencing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Thirty-two parents (88% female) with children ages 9-12 years old participated in weekly online 60-minute sessions for 8 weeks. Eligibility for free- or reduced-price lunch was met by 56% of participants. Thirty of the parents completed all the sessions. Researchers examined participant satisfaction and qualitative analyses to explain outcomes and explore participant acceptability. Average satisfaction with individual sessions was high (3.93 on 4-point scale). Qualitative findings reinforced and explained quantitative findings. Participants found the intervention and virtual delivery acceptable and gave feedback to strengthen the focus on bullying and cyberbullying topics. There were non-significant differences in satisfaction and delivery in families eligible for free- or reduced-priced lunch. Overall, parents found the enhancements to Everyday Parenting program acceptable. It was also feasible to deliver the program through video conferencing with parents. The increase in technology engagement due to the COVID-19 pandemic will potentially increase the importance of online safety for children.
Megerian JT, Dey S, Melmed RD, Coury DL, Lerner M, Nicholls CJ, Sohl K, Rouhbakhsh R, Narasimhan A, Romain J, Golla S, Shareef S, Ostrovsky A, Shannon J, Kraft C, Liu-Mayo S, Abbas H, Gal-Szabo DE, Wall DP, & Taraman S (2022). Evaluation of an artificial intelligence-based medical device for diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder. NPJ Digital Medicine, 5(1), 57–57. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41746-022-00598-6
Researchers conducted a double-blinded, multi-site, active comparator cohort study to test the accuracy of artificial intelligence software for diagnosing autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The software device collects data about child behavioral features from 3 sources (caregiver questionnaire, analysis of two short 1 minute home videos recorded and uploaded by the child’s caregiver, provider questionnaire). Data are processed using a machine learning algorithm to indicate whether a person is ASD positive, ASD negative, or inconclusive (i.e., inputted data are not sufficient for a predictive output). Researchers evaluated the software in a study with 425 children aged 18-72 months for whom a caregiver or provider had a concern about developmental delay. Researchers compared the software outputs to the clinical standard (diagnosis made by a provider based on DSM-5 criteria). Results demonstrated that data collection with the software device took less time to administer and require less specialty training relative to clinical standard process. For about 33% of the sample, the algorithm output supported accurate diagnoses compared with clinical evaluation. Of the children for whom the software algorithm made a definite evaluation, 98.4% with clinically diagnosed ASD received an ASD positive result and 78.9% without a clinical diagnosis of ASD received an ASD negative result. All children who received a false-positive result (n=15) had a non-ASD developmental condition. Only one child received a false negative result in this study. Overall, this machine learning tool demonstrated high sensitivity and good specificity for diagnosing ASD. The tool can potentially expand the ability to effectively diagnose children with ASD in primary care to facilitate early intervention and more efficient use of specialist resources.
Article Excerpt: With the nation in its third year of the COVID-19 pandemic, people are under tremendous stress. Even patients who in general have been well-adjusted and healthy, particularly children and adolescents, are finding they need mental health care. Using technology to integrate behavioral health care into primary care settings—settings that patients are visiting on a regular basis for routine care or other medical needs—is a key way to help patients access the mental health care they need in a system that doesn’t have enough providers to meet the demand for behavioral health care.
Full Article: https://tinyurl.com/3h46j2fj
Article Source: AMA
Article Excerpt: The burgeoning mental health epidemic in America is widespread across age groups, but the youth have faced a particularly challenging time amid the COVID-19 pandemic. As the youth mental health crisis reaches new heights, providers are increasingly turning to telehealth to help expand access to behavioral healthcare. In December, Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, MD, issued an advisory calling for a coordinated response to combat the crisis. “Mental health challenges in children, adolescents, and young adults are real and widespread. Even before the pandemic, an alarming number of young people struggled with feelings of helplessness, depression, and thoughts of suicide — and rates have increased over the past decade,” said Murthy in a press release. “The COVID-19 pandemic further altered their experiences at home, school, and in the community, and the effect on their mental health has been devastating.”
Full Article: http://tinyurl.com/45k9yfex
Article Source: mHealth Intelligence
Hammersley M, Wyse R, Jones R, Okely A, Wolfenden L, Eckermann S, Xu J, Green A, Stacey F, Yoong S, Jackson J, Innes-Hughes C, Li V, Rissel C. Telephone and Web-Based Delivery of Healthy Eating and Active Living Interventions for Parents of Children Aged 2 to 6 Years: Mixed Methods Process Evaluation of the Time for Healthy Habits Translation Trial. J Med Internet Res 2022;24(5):e35771 DOI: 10.2196/35771
Researchers conducted a mixed methods process evaluation of a translational trial targeting the dietary habits and movement behaviors of children with 3 partially randomized arms. The Time for Healthy Habits study recruited 458 total parents of children aged 2 to 6 years. The three arms were a telephone intervention, a web-based app intervention, and an active control (written education materials). At baseline, participants were asked to indicate their preferred intervention delivery method (telephone, web, written) or if they preferred to be randomized to condition. Participants received the assigned intervention for 12 weeks. Intervention acceptability and process evaluation were assessed at 3 months post baseline using a questionnaire developed by the researchers and qualitative interviews. Data on intervention fidelity and study attrition were also collected. Thirty participants completed the qualitative interviews, and 144 (31.4%) participants completed the postintervention follow-up. Most participants preferred the web-based delivery method at baseline. Results demonstrated high acceptability of the web-based and telephone interventions. Participants reported the healthy eating content to be the most useful component of the web-based modules and telephone calls. A significantly higher proportion of participants completed the telephone intervention compared to the web-based intervention. However, study attrition was higher in the telephone intervention arm. Overall, the process evaluation showed high acceptability of all interventions, but significantly more participants preferred the web-based intervention and were retained in the study relative to the other arms. This study highlighted the strengths and weaknesses of remotely delivered interventions and can inform directions for policy makers and practitioners.