Peer-reviewed article
Development of a web-based resource for parents to support youth mental health: An exploratory sequential mixed methods approach.
McCallum SM, Kazan D, Morse AR, Batterham PJ, Werner-Seidler A et al. ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001Australian researchers developed a web-based resource to help parents recognise and respond to mental health problems in children and adolescents. They used a three-phase user-centred design process involving surveys, interviews, and prototype testing with parents. The resource focuses on anxiety, depression, self-harm and suicide, and incorporates parents' feedback including lived experience stories. Parents found the resource suitable, though further validation with a diverse sample is needed.
Key points
- A survey of 631 Australian parents confirmed demand for an online gatekeeper resource focused on anxiety, depression, self-harm and suicide
- Interviews with 14 parents led to inclusion of additional topics such as self-care and lived experience voices including stories and quotes
- A prototype was reviewed by 9 parents and 2 education department representatives and rated as suitable overall
- Additional improvements were made to usability and content relevance based on feedback
- Further validation with a diverse sample of parents is needed to ensure the resource meets broader population needs
Limitations
The study was limited to Australian parents and used a relatively small sample for prototype testing (9 parents). The document does not report whether the resource was subsequently tested for effectiveness in improving parent recognition or response to youth mental health problems, or whether its use leads to improved outcomes for children.
Abstract
There is a lack of digital gatekeeper resources developed for parents to assist them in recognising and responding to mental health problems in their children and adolescents. We aimed to address this by exploring parents' mental health information needs, and to iteratively develop and design a resource incorporating their feedback. A three-phase iterative user-centred design process was conducted to (1) explore parents' information needs and preferences through a survey; (2) develop and revise resource content through interviews with parents; and (3) obtain feedback from parents regarding the resource prototype to improve it. An online survey of Australian parents (n = 631) confirmed that there was a demand for an online gatekeeper style resource that focused on anxiety, depression, self-harm and suicide in children and adolescents. Thematic analysis of 14 semi-structured interviews with parents applied three deductive themes and one inductively identified theme, which reinforced the resource content and led to the inclusion of additional topics (e.g. self-care) and the lived experience voice (e.g. stories and quotes). A prototype of the resource was developed and reviewed by nine parents and two State/Territory Education Department representatives. Overall, the resource was rated as suitable by the participants, although additional improvements were made to usability and content relevance. Given sampling limitations, it is important that the program is validated with a diverse sample of parents, to ensure it meets the needs of the broader population.