Accepted for/Published in: JMIR mHealth and uHealth
Date Submitted: Dec 18, 2018
Open Peer Review Period: Dec 21, 2018 - Feb 15, 2019
Date Accepted: May 14, 2020
Date Submitted to PubMed: Jul 14, 2020
(closed for review but you can still tweet)
Caregivers of adolescents with mental health issues using communication technology: a systematic review
ABSTRACT
Background:
Caregivers of adolescents with mental health issues experience challenges that may result in having a variety of unmet needs. There is a growing need to support these caregivers. Effective support aimed to strengthen positive caregiving behavior in caregivers may address their challenges. Communication technologies (CTs) offer novel opportunities to assist these caregivers and may contribute to strengthening caregiver behavior. However, little is known about the use of communication technologies among caregivers of adolescents with mental health issues.
Objective:
The study aimed to answer the review question: “What is the best evidence available to strengthen positive behaviour of caregivers of adolescents with mental health issues using communication technology”.
Methods:
A systematic review of multiple study designs of articles published between January 2007 and August 2018 was conducted. Search includes articles from EBSCO Host and Scopus platforms with pre-specified eligibility criteria. Methodological quality was evaluated using the applicable Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) and Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) assessment tools.
Results:
The search yielded 1746 articles. Altogether, seven articles (n=7) met the eligibility criteria and were included in the review for data synthesis. Data analysis and synthesis identified three thematic conclusions reflecting the types of communication technologies used, caregivers as the target population and strengthening of positive behavior through determinants of the Integrated Model of Behavior Prediction (IMBP).
Conclusions:
The review reported the usefulness of communication technology by caregivers. Caregivers also demonstrated improvement in self-efficacy, knowledge, parent/child communication and parental skills reflecting positive behavior. Although communication technology is expanding as a supportive intervention to address caregivers’ needs, the evidence for usefulness among caregivers of adolescents with mental health issues is still scarce. More research and information related to preferred methods of communication delivery among caregivers of adolescents is still needed.
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