Engaging Parents in Technology-Assisted Interventions for Childhood Adversity: Systematic Review

Abstract

Background Youth mental health problems are a major public health concern and are strongly associated with adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). Technology-assisted parenting programs can intervene with ACEs that are within a parent’s capacity to modify. However, engagement with such programs is suboptimal. Objective This review aims to describe and appraise the efficacy of strategies used to engage parents in technology-assisted parenting programs targeting ACEs on the behavioral and subjective outcomes of engagement. Methods Using PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) reporting guidelines, we conducted a systematic review of peer-reviewed papers that described the use of at least 1 engagement strategy in a technology-assisted parenting program targeting ACEs that are within a parent’s capacity to modify. A total of 8 interdisciplinary bibliographic databases (CENTRAL, CINAHL, Embase, OVID MEDLINE, OVID PsycINFO, Scopus, ACM, and IEEE Xplore) and gray literature were searched. The use of engagement strategies and measures was narratively synthesized. Associations between specific engagement strategies and engagement outcomes were quantitatively synthesized using the Stouffer method of combining P values. Results We identified 13,973 articles for screening. Of these, 156 (1.12%) articles were eligible for inclusion, and 29 (18.2%) of the 156 were associated with another article; thus, 127 studies were analyzed. Preliminary evidence for a reliable association between 5 engagement strategies (involving parents in a program’s design, delivering a program on the web compared to face-to-face, use of personalization or tailoring features, user control features, and provision of practical support) and greater engagement was found. Three engagement strategies (professional support features, use of videos, and behavior change techniques) were not found to have a reliable association with engagement outcomes. Conclusions This review provides a comprehensive assessment and description of the use of engagement strategies and engagement measures in technology-assisted parenting programs targeting parenting-related ACEs and extends the current evidence with preliminary quantitative findings. Heterogeneous definition and measurement of engagement and insufficient engagement outcome data were caveats to this synthesis. Future research could use integrated definitions and measures of engagement to support robust systematic evaluations of engagement in this context. Trial Registration PROSPERO CRD42020209819; https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=209819

New advances in the diagnosis and treatment of autism spectrum disorders

“…In addition, the feedback provided by technology is often immediate and consistent, helping children with ASD to better understand and process information. The use of virtual reality technology, by simulating social situations, provides a safe and controlled environment for children with ASD to practice social interaction and problem-solving skills, which is often difficult to achieve in traditional educational and therapeutic settings [ 53 ]. Although technology-assisted interventions have demonstrated great potential, research on their long-term effects and optimal implementation is still ongoing.…”

Author’s Reply: Mental Health Problems Among Children and Adolescents From a Sports Sociology Perspective

“…We thank the authors for their thoughtful response and comments on our systematic review [ 1 ]. As discussed in our paper, comprehensive evaluations (including quantitative syntheses) of engagement strategies and outcomes in technology-assisted parenting programs underline a significant gap in the parenting and child mental health literature.…”

Mental Health Problems Among Children and Adolescents From a Sports Sociology Perspective

“…We read the systematic review by Aldridge et al [ 1 ] recently published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research with interest. First, I would like to commend the author group for their efforts in publishing this article.…”