Randomised controlled trial of a web-based mental health, self-harm and suicide gatekeeper resource for parents and caregivers

IF 6.6 1区医学 Q1 PSYCHIATRY

Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry Pub Date : 2026-10-08 Epub Date: 2026-06-12 DOI:10.1111/jcpp.70189

Alison L. Calear, Sonia M. McCallum, Dominique Kazan, Michelle Torok, Aliza Werner-Seidler, Bridianne O'Dea, Alyssa Morse, Louise M. Farrer, Fiona Shand, Philip J. Batterham

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Background

Parents and caregivers play key roles in recognising early signs of mental distress and facilitating access to support, yet often lack the confidence and knowledge to respond effectively. Gatekeeper training programs can improve skills, but few are specifically designed for parents. The aim of the current study was to assess the effectiveness of the Recognise, Respond and Support – A Parent's Guide to Youth Mental Health resource in improving parental capacity to support their child's mental health.

Methods

A two-arm randomised controlled trial was conducted with Australian parents and caregivers of children aged 5–17 years. Outcomes were assessed at baseline, post-intervention and 12-week follow-up. The primary endpoint was parental self-efficacy to recognise, respond to, and access support for mental health problems and suicide risk in their child/ren at post-intervention. Secondary outcomes included perceived gatekeeper knowledge, mental health and suicide literacy, stigma, and help-seeking attitudes, intentions and barriers. The trial was prospectively registered with the Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ACTRN12623000933651).

Results

A total of 509 participants were recruited (97% female; mean age 43 years). At post-intervention, mixed-model repeated-measures ANOVA indicated significant intervention effects for self-efficacy for mental health (p = .04) and suicide (p = .01), perceived knowledge (p < .001), barriers to help-seeking (p = .02) and suicide stigma (p = .02) and literacy (p = .01), with some effects maintained at 12-week follow-up. No significant changes were observed for mental health literacy and stigma, or help-seeking attitudes or intentions.

Conclusions

Gatekeeper training targeted to parents and caregivers can be effective in improving participant confidence and knowledge to support their child's mental health. Future research would benefit from identifying strategies to improve participant engagement with web-based interventions.

查看原文本刊更多论文

一个基于网络的心理健康、自残和自杀看门人资源的随机对照试验。

背景：父母和照顾者在识别精神痛苦的早期迹象和促进获得支持方面发挥着关键作用，但往往缺乏有效应对的信心和知识。看门人培训项目可以提高技能，但很少有专门为父母设计的。本研究的目的是评估“认识、回应和支持-青少年心理健康家长指南”资源在提高家长支持子女心理健康能力方面的有效性。方法：对澳大利亚5-17岁儿童的父母和照顾者进行了一项两组随机对照试验。在基线、干预后和12周随访时评估结果。主要终点是父母的自我效能感，以识别、回应和获得干预后儿童心理健康问题和自杀风险的支持。次要结局包括感知到的看门人知识、心理健康和自杀素养、耻辱感和寻求帮助的态度、意图和障碍。该试验已在澳大利亚和新西兰临床试验注册中心（ACTRN12623000933651）前瞻性注册。结果：共招募了509名参与者（97%为女性，平均年龄43岁）。干预后，混合模型重复测量方差分析显示，干预对心理健康（p = 0.04）和自杀（p = 0.04）的自我效能感有显著影响。结论：针对家长和照顾者的看门人培训可以有效提高参与者的信心和知识，以支持他们的孩子的心理健康。未来的研究将受益于确定提高参与者参与网络干预的策略。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry 医学-精神病学

CiteScore

13.80

自引率

5.30%

发文量

169

审稿时长

1 months

期刊介绍： The Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry (JCPP) is a highly regarded international publication that focuses on the fields of child and adolescent psychology and psychiatry. It is recognized for publishing top-tier, clinically relevant research across various disciplines related to these areas. JCPP has a broad global readership and covers a diverse range of topics, including: Epidemiology: Studies on the prevalence and distribution of mental health issues in children and adolescents. Diagnosis: Research on the identification and classification of childhood disorders. Treatments: Psychotherapeutic and psychopharmacological interventions for child and adolescent mental health. Behavior and Cognition: Studies on the behavioral and cognitive aspects of childhood disorders. Neuroscience and Neurobiology: Research on the neural and biological underpinnings of child mental health. Genetics: Genetic factors contributing to the development of childhood disorders. JCPP serves as a platform for integrating empirical research, clinical studies, and high-quality reviews from diverse perspectives, theoretical viewpoints, and disciplines. This interdisciplinary approach is a key feature of the journal, as it fosters a comprehensive understanding of child and adolescent mental health. The Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry is published 12 times a year and is affiliated with the Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health (ACAMH), which supports the journal's mission to advance knowledge and practice in the field of child and adolescent mental health.