Accepted for/Published in: JMIR Mental Health
Date Submitted: Feb 15, 2020
Date Accepted: May 18, 2020
The use of Mumsnet by Parents of Young People with Mental Health Needs: A Qualitative Investigation
ABSTRACT
Background:
There are high rates of mental health needs in children in the United Kingdom (UK) and parents are increasingly seeking help for their children’s needs. However, there is not enough access to child and adolescent mental health services and consequently parents are seeking alternative forms of support and information, often utilising the internet. Mumsnet is the largest web-based parenting forum in the UK, which includes user-created discussions regarding child mental health.
Objective:
The specific objectives of this qualitative investigation were to explore the emergent themes within the narratives of posts regarding child mental health on Mumsnet and to extrapolate these themes to understand the purpose of Mumsnet for parents of children and young people with mental health needs.
Methods:
50 threads from Mumsnet “Talk” “Child Mental Health” were extracted. Following the application of inclusion and exclusion criteria, 41 threads were analysed thematically using the framework method.
Results:
Twenty-eight themes were extracted and organised into three domains. These domains were ‘Emotional Support’; ‘Emotional Expression’; and ‘Advice and Information’. Results suggested parents of children with mental health needs predominantly utilise Mumsnet to offer, and receive, emotional support and to suggest general advice, techniques and resources that could be applied outside of help from professional services.
Conclusions:
The future of health information seeking is discussed. Future research is required to establish initiatives in which online peer-to-peer support and information can supplement professional services to provide the optimum support for parents of children with mental health needs.
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