Building Resilience and Attachment in Vulnerable Adolescents: The Feasibility of a Virtually Delivered Group Intervention for Adolescents with Suicidal Ideation and Their Caregivers

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic required many interventions to be conducted virtually. Building Resilience and Attachment in Vulnerable Adolescents (BRAVA) is a group intervention designed for adolescents and their caregivers to reduce adolescent suicidal ideation (SI). Objective: We aimed to adap...

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Main Authors: Nicole Sheridan, Allison Kennedy, Clare Gray, Leigh Dunn, Jayme Stewart, Hannah Elliott, Kendra Carnrite, Ademola Adeponle, Paula Cloutier
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Mary Ann Liebert 2024-04-01
Series:Telemedicine Reports
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Online Access:https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/tmr.2023.0056
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author Nicole Sheridan
Allison Kennedy
Clare Gray
Leigh Dunn
Jayme Stewart
Hannah Elliott
Kendra Carnrite
Ademola Adeponle
Paula Cloutier
author_facet Nicole Sheridan
Allison Kennedy
Clare Gray
Leigh Dunn
Jayme Stewart
Hannah Elliott
Kendra Carnrite
Ademola Adeponle
Paula Cloutier
author_sort Nicole Sheridan
collection DOAJ
description Background: The COVID-19 pandemic required many interventions to be conducted virtually. Building Resilience and Attachment in Vulnerable Adolescents (BRAVA) is a group intervention designed for adolescents and their caregivers to reduce adolescent suicidal ideation (SI). Objective: We aimed to adapt BRAVA for virtual delivery and evaluate its acceptability and feasibility. Methods: We conducted an 8-week pre–post trial between October and December 2020. Six adolescents and six primary caregivers were recruited from a pediatric hospital in Ontario, Canada. Families completed a virtual intake and exit assessment together and 6 weekly BRAVA group sessions separately. Satisfaction feedback was collected after each group session and during their exit, and clinical outcomes were collected at intake and exit. Weekly team meetings were conducted to gather clinician feedback. Results: The study uptake rate was 42.9% of eligible participants. There were no dropouts. Adolescent and caregiver attendance rates for group sessions were high (median = 6). Most youth (83.4%) and caregivers (66.7%) reported that the virtual process worked well. All caregivers (100%) agreed they would participate in a virtual group session again, compared with youth (50%). Providers approved of the virtual adaptation but identified potential improvements (e.g., manual content, safety procedures). Adolescent SI decreased significantly post-treatment (Mpre = 50.7, Mpost = 29.7, p = 0.002). Conclusions: Virtual delivery of BRAVA is acceptable and feasible and may help reduce SI in adolescents. Uptake, retention, and satisfaction were high for adolescents and caregivers. Feedback collected will improve BRAVA for future evaluations, including a randomized controlled trial.
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spelling doaj-art-f04a17c8132e4a6a9ea7b81f8dc3a8e22025-08-20T01:50:56ZengMary Ann LiebertTelemedicine Reports2692-43662024-04-0151364510.1089/tmr.2023.0056Building Resilience and Attachment in Vulnerable Adolescents: The Feasibility of a Virtually Delivered Group Intervention for Adolescents with Suicidal Ideation and Their CaregiversNicole Sheridan0Allison Kennedy1Clare Gray2Leigh Dunn3Jayme Stewart4Hannah Elliott5Kendra Carnrite6Ademola Adeponle7Paula Cloutier8Psychiatry and Mental Health Research, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.Mental Health, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.Mental Health, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.Psychiatry and Mental Health Research, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.Psychiatry and Mental Health Research, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.Psychiatry and Mental Health Research, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.Psychiatry and Mental Health Research, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.Mental Health, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.Psychiatry and Mental Health Research, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.Background: The COVID-19 pandemic required many interventions to be conducted virtually. Building Resilience and Attachment in Vulnerable Adolescents (BRAVA) is a group intervention designed for adolescents and their caregivers to reduce adolescent suicidal ideation (SI). Objective: We aimed to adapt BRAVA for virtual delivery and evaluate its acceptability and feasibility. Methods: We conducted an 8-week pre–post trial between October and December 2020. Six adolescents and six primary caregivers were recruited from a pediatric hospital in Ontario, Canada. Families completed a virtual intake and exit assessment together and 6 weekly BRAVA group sessions separately. Satisfaction feedback was collected after each group session and during their exit, and clinical outcomes were collected at intake and exit. Weekly team meetings were conducted to gather clinician feedback. Results: The study uptake rate was 42.9% of eligible participants. There were no dropouts. Adolescent and caregiver attendance rates for group sessions were high (median = 6). Most youth (83.4%) and caregivers (66.7%) reported that the virtual process worked well. All caregivers (100%) agreed they would participate in a virtual group session again, compared with youth (50%). Providers approved of the virtual adaptation but identified potential improvements (e.g., manual content, safety procedures). Adolescent SI decreased significantly post-treatment (Mpre = 50.7, Mpost = 29.7, p = 0.002). Conclusions: Virtual delivery of BRAVA is acceptable and feasible and may help reduce SI in adolescents. Uptake, retention, and satisfaction were high for adolescents and caregivers. Feedback collected will improve BRAVA for future evaluations, including a randomized controlled trial.https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/tmr.2023.0056adolescencecaregiversgroup therapysuicidal ideationtelehealth
spellingShingle Nicole Sheridan
Allison Kennedy
Clare Gray
Leigh Dunn
Jayme Stewart
Hannah Elliott
Kendra Carnrite
Ademola Adeponle
Paula Cloutier
Building Resilience and Attachment in Vulnerable Adolescents: The Feasibility of a Virtually Delivered Group Intervention for Adolescents with Suicidal Ideation and Their Caregivers
Telemedicine Reports
adolescence
caregivers
group therapy
suicidal ideation
telehealth
title Building Resilience and Attachment in Vulnerable Adolescents: The Feasibility of a Virtually Delivered Group Intervention for Adolescents with Suicidal Ideation and Their Caregivers
title_full Building Resilience and Attachment in Vulnerable Adolescents: The Feasibility of a Virtually Delivered Group Intervention for Adolescents with Suicidal Ideation and Their Caregivers
title_fullStr Building Resilience and Attachment in Vulnerable Adolescents: The Feasibility of a Virtually Delivered Group Intervention for Adolescents with Suicidal Ideation and Their Caregivers
title_full_unstemmed Building Resilience and Attachment in Vulnerable Adolescents: The Feasibility of a Virtually Delivered Group Intervention for Adolescents with Suicidal Ideation and Their Caregivers
title_short Building Resilience and Attachment in Vulnerable Adolescents: The Feasibility of a Virtually Delivered Group Intervention for Adolescents with Suicidal Ideation and Their Caregivers
title_sort building resilience and attachment in vulnerable adolescents the feasibility of a virtually delivered group intervention for adolescents with suicidal ideation and their caregivers
topic adolescence
caregivers
group therapy
suicidal ideation
telehealth
url https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/tmr.2023.0056
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