SMS counselling at a child helpline: counsellor strategies, children’s stressors and well-being

This study examined SMS text-based counselling services at a Danish child helpline to understand how counsellors interact with children and what impact the service has. Researchers analysed 448 text counselling sessions and found that children reported higher levels of well-being and empowerment after using the service. The quality of counselling mattered: sessions were more helpful when counsellors used child-centred approaches and moderate amounts of problem-focused advice. The findings suggest SMS counselling can be an effective way to support children dealing with various stressors.

Key points

• Children reported higher levels of well-being and empowerment after SMS counselling sessions
• Positive counselling outcomes were associated with high density of child-centred counsellor behaviour
• Moderate levels of problem-centred counsellor behaviour also contributed to positive impact
• Effects were consistent across most types of children's stressors, with small-to-medium effect sizes
• SMS counselling shows potential as a tool for supporting children and youth

Limitations

The study measured self-reported well-being immediately after contact but does not indicate whether effects persist over time or how they compare to other forms of counselling support. The analysis is limited to one helpline and may not be generalizable to different cultural contexts or service models.