Randomised controlled trial of an online mental health and suicide gatekeeper resource for parents and caregivers: study protocol

Introduction Rates of help-seeking for mental disorders and suicide are low among children and adolescents. Parents are viewed as gatekeepers for their care, yet they may lack the knowledge and skills to identify needs or facilitate service access. The primary aim is to test the effect of a new gate...

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Main Authors: Aliza Werner-Seidler, Michelle Torok, Alison L Calear, Philip J Batterham, Fiona Shand, Bridianne O'Dea, Louise Farrer, Sonia M McCallum, Dominique Kazan, Alyssa Morse
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMJ Publishing Group 2024-07-01
Series:BMJ Open
Online Access:https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/14/7/e082963.full
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author Aliza Werner-Seidler
Michelle Torok
Alison L Calear
Philip J Batterham
Fiona Shand
Bridianne O'Dea
Louise Farrer
Sonia M McCallum
Dominique Kazan
Alyssa Morse
author_facet Aliza Werner-Seidler
Michelle Torok
Alison L Calear
Philip J Batterham
Fiona Shand
Bridianne O'Dea
Louise Farrer
Sonia M McCallum
Dominique Kazan
Alyssa Morse
author_sort Aliza Werner-Seidler
collection DOAJ
description Introduction Rates of help-seeking for mental disorders and suicide are low among children and adolescents. Parents are viewed as gatekeepers for their care, yet they may lack the knowledge and skills to identify needs or facilitate service access. The primary aim is to test the effect of a new gatekeeper resource for parents and caregivers on their self-efficacy to recognise, respond and access support for mental health problems and suicide risk in their child.Methods and analysis A two-arm randomised controlled trial will compare an online mental health and suicide gatekeeper resource for parents and caregivers to a waitlist control. Australian parents of children aged 5–17 years recruited through social media and community advertising will participate in an online trial. Participants randomised to the intervention condition will be emailed the resource to work through at their own pace. The resource consists of three sections providing parents and caregivers with confidence, knowledge and skills to recognise and respond to mental health problems and suicide risk in their child, as well as support them in accessing professional help. The primary outcome measure is self-efficacy to recognise, respond and provide support for mental health problems and suicide risk, while secondary outcomes include perceived knowledge, stigma, literacy, help-seeking attitudes, intentions and barriers. Data will be collected at preintervention, postintervention (4 weeks after accessing the resource) and 12-week follow-up. Primary analyses will compare changes in self-efficacy in the intervention condition relative to the waitlist control using mixed-model repeated measures analyses.Ethics and dissemination The ethical aspects of the study were approved by the Australian National University Human Research Ethics Committee (Protocol 2023/195). If effective, the resource will fill an important gap in resources for parents, with the potential for dissemination through school groups, community organisations and clinical settings.Trial registration number Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry, ACTRN12623000933651.
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spelling doaj-art-39e960e3b3f840d8b80c8ba0e1b088952025-08-20T02:48:23ZengBMJ Publishing GroupBMJ Open2044-60552024-07-0114710.1136/bmjopen-2023-082963Randomised controlled trial of an online mental health and suicide gatekeeper resource for parents and caregivers: study protocolAliza Werner-Seidler0Michelle Torok1Alison L Calear2Philip J Batterham3Fiona Shand4Bridianne O'Dea5Louise Farrer6Sonia M McCallum7Dominique Kazan8Alyssa Morse92 Black Dog Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, AustraliaBlack Dog Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia1 Centre for Mental Health Research, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, AustraliaCentre for Mental Health Research, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia2 Black Dog Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia2 Black Dog Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia1 Centre for Mental Health Research, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia1 Centre for Mental Health Research, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia1 Centre for Mental Health Research, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia1 Centre for Mental Health Research, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, AustraliaIntroduction Rates of help-seeking for mental disorders and suicide are low among children and adolescents. Parents are viewed as gatekeepers for their care, yet they may lack the knowledge and skills to identify needs or facilitate service access. The primary aim is to test the effect of a new gatekeeper resource for parents and caregivers on their self-efficacy to recognise, respond and access support for mental health problems and suicide risk in their child.Methods and analysis A two-arm randomised controlled trial will compare an online mental health and suicide gatekeeper resource for parents and caregivers to a waitlist control. Australian parents of children aged 5–17 years recruited through social media and community advertising will participate in an online trial. Participants randomised to the intervention condition will be emailed the resource to work through at their own pace. The resource consists of three sections providing parents and caregivers with confidence, knowledge and skills to recognise and respond to mental health problems and suicide risk in their child, as well as support them in accessing professional help. The primary outcome measure is self-efficacy to recognise, respond and provide support for mental health problems and suicide risk, while secondary outcomes include perceived knowledge, stigma, literacy, help-seeking attitudes, intentions and barriers. Data will be collected at preintervention, postintervention (4 weeks after accessing the resource) and 12-week follow-up. Primary analyses will compare changes in self-efficacy in the intervention condition relative to the waitlist control using mixed-model repeated measures analyses.Ethics and dissemination The ethical aspects of the study were approved by the Australian National University Human Research Ethics Committee (Protocol 2023/195). If effective, the resource will fill an important gap in resources for parents, with the potential for dissemination through school groups, community organisations and clinical settings.Trial registration number Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry, ACTRN12623000933651.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/14/7/e082963.full
spellingShingle Aliza Werner-Seidler
Michelle Torok
Alison L Calear
Philip J Batterham
Fiona Shand
Bridianne O'Dea
Louise Farrer
Sonia M McCallum
Dominique Kazan
Alyssa Morse
Randomised controlled trial of an online mental health and suicide gatekeeper resource for parents and caregivers: study protocol
BMJ Open
title Randomised controlled trial of an online mental health and suicide gatekeeper resource for parents and caregivers: study protocol
title_full Randomised controlled trial of an online mental health and suicide gatekeeper resource for parents and caregivers: study protocol
title_fullStr Randomised controlled trial of an online mental health and suicide gatekeeper resource for parents and caregivers: study protocol
title_full_unstemmed Randomised controlled trial of an online mental health and suicide gatekeeper resource for parents and caregivers: study protocol
title_short Randomised controlled trial of an online mental health and suicide gatekeeper resource for parents and caregivers: study protocol
title_sort randomised controlled trial of an online mental health and suicide gatekeeper resource for parents and caregivers study protocol
url https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/14/7/e082963.full
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