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Promoting Mental Health in Parents of Young Children Using eHealth Interventions: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

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Abstract

Parent stress and mental health problems negatively impact early child development. This study aimed to systematically review and meta-analyze the effect of eHealth interventions on parent stress and mental health outcomes, and identify family- and program-level factors that may moderate treatment effects. A search of PsycINFO, Medline, CINAHL, Cochrane and Embase databases was conducted from their inception dates to July 2020. English-language controlled and open trials were included if they reported: (a) administration of an eHealth intervention, and (b) stress or mental health outcomes such as self-report or clinical diagnosis of anxiety and depression, among (c) parents of children who were aged 1–5 years old. Non-human studies, case reports, reviews, editorials, letters, dissertations, and books were excluded. Risk of bias was assessed using the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Study Quality Assessment Tools. Random-effects meta-analyses of standardized mean differences (SMD) were conducted and meta-regressions tested potential moderators. 38 studies were included (N = 4360 parents), from 13 countries (47.4% USA). Meta-analyses indicated eHealth interventions were associated with better self-reported mental health among parents (overall SMD = .368, 95% CI 0.228, 0.509), regardless of study design (k = 30 controlled, k = 8 pre-post) and across most outcomes (k = 17 anxiety, k = 19 depression, k = 12 parenting stress), with small to medium effect sizes. No significant family- or program-level moderators emerged. Despite different types and targets, eHealth interventions offer a promising and accessible option to promote mental health among parents of young children. Further research is needed on moderators and the long-term outcomes of eHealth interventions. Prospero Registration: CRD42020190719.

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Acknowledgements

For consultation on the database search strategy, we thank Dr. Zahra Premji, PhD MLIS, Research and Learning Librarian, University of Calgary. For consultation on the data analysis approach, we thank Dr. Paul Ronksley, PhD, Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Calgary. Dr. MacKinnon was supported by a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Postdoctoral Fellowship (756-2019-0669).

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  1. Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada

    Anna L. MacKinnon, Katherine Silang & Lianne Tomfohr-Madsen

  2. Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute (ACHRI), Calgary, AB, Canada

    Anna L. MacKinnon & Lianne Tomfohr-Madsen

  3. Department of Psychology, University of Manitoba, 66 Chancellors Cir., Winnipeg, MB, R3T 2N2, Canada

    Kailey Penner & Leslie E. Roos

  4. Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, USA

    Maureen Zalewski

  5. Department of Pediatrics, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada

    Lianne Tomfohr-Madsen

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MacKinnon, A.L., Silang, K., Penner, K. et al. Promoting Mental Health in Parents of Young Children Using eHealth Interventions: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Clin Child Fam Psychol Rev 25, 413–434 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10567-022-00385-5

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