TY  - JOUR
AU  - Suffoletto, Brian
AU  - Goldstein, Tina
AU  - Brent, David
PY  - 2021
DA  - 2021/11/9
TI  - A Text Message Intervention for Adolescents With Depression and Their Parents or Caregivers to Overcome Cognitive Barriers to Mental Health Treatment Initiation: Focus Groups and Pilot Trial
JO  - JMIR Form Res
SP  - e30580
VL  - 5
IS  - 11
KW  - adolescent
KW  - depression
KW  - help seeking
KW  - text message
KW  - intervention
AB  - Background: Many adolescents with depression do not pursue mental health treatment following a health care provider referral. We developed a theory-based automated SMS text message intervention (Text to Connect [T2C]) that attempts to reduce cognitive barriers to the initiation of mental health care. Objective: In this two-phase study, we seek to first understand the potential of T2C and then test its engagement, usability, and potential efficacy among adolescents with depression and their parents or caregivers. Methods: In phase 1, we conducted focus groups with adolescents with depression (n=9) and their parents or caregivers (n=9) separately, and transcripts were examined to determine themes. In phase 2, we conducted an open trial of T2C comprising adolescents with depression referred to mental health care (n=43) and their parents or caregivers (n=28). We assessed usability by examining program engagement, usability ratings, and qualitative feedback at the 4-week follow-up. We also assessed potential effectiveness by examining changes in perceived barriers to treatment and mental health care initiation from baseline to 4 weeks. Results: In phase 1, we found that the themes supported the T2C approach. In phase 2, we observed high engagement with daily negative affect check-ins, high usability ratings, and decreased self-reported barriers to mental health treatment over time among adolescents. Overall, 52% (22/42) of the adolescents who completed follow-up reported that they had attended an appointment with a mental health care specialist. Of the 20 adolescents who had not attended a mental health care appointment, 5% (1/20) reported that it was scheduled for a future date, 10% (2/20) reported that the primary care site did not have the ability to help them schedule a mental health care appointment, and 15% (3/20) reported that they were no longer interested in receiving mental health care. Conclusions: The findings from this study suggest that T2C is acceptable to adolescents with depression and most parents or caregivers; it is used at high rates; and it may be helpful to reduce cognitive barriers to mental health care initiation. 
SN  - 2561-326X
UR  - https://formative.jmir.org/2021/11/e30580
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2196/30580
UR  - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/34751665
DO  - 10.2196/30580
ID  - info:doi/10.2196/30580
ER  -