Online child and adolescent mental health surveys can be good enough

Abstract

Purpose To assess the value and practicability of online child mental health surveys. Methods Study 1 followed up an existing low-risk sample from the general population. Study 2 recruited a new highrisk sample via a parents' organization for children with a neurological condition. Both studies invited parents of 2-17 year olds to complete the online development and well-being assessment. Pre-existing data on the Study 1 sample made it possible to examine selective participation. Results Response rates were low (20 % for Study 1, 8 % for Study 2). Participation in Study 1 was lower for parents who rented rather than owned their home, for non-traditional families, for parents living in more deprived areas, and for Asian families. Nevertheless, studies 1 and 2 generally replicated the findings of previous interviewerbased surveys with higher response rates. Conclusions Online surveys can be quick and easy to carry out and can potentially generate good enough data for service planning and other purposes despite low response rates, selective participation and missing data. Web-based assessments are a useful addition to the researcher's toolbox, but they do not render the other tools redundant.

Screening for co‐occurring conditions in adults with autism spectrum disorder using the strengths and difficulties questionnaire: A pilot study

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A longitudinal investigation of trust beliefs in physicians by children with asthma and their mothers: Relations with children's adherence to medical regimes and quality of life

“…The testing was structured such that mothers and children completed their questionnaire independently. Research shows that internet surveys draw upon samples similar to the population at large and yield data similar to those obtained by mailed paper surveys (De Bernardo & Curtis, ; Goodman, ; Teo, ).…”

The Mental Health in Austrian Teenagers (MHAT) Study: design, methodology, description of study population

“…MHAT is one of the first large epidemiological studies on mental health that used online screening assessments for the majority of participants. Considering the rising significance and use of online assessments [ 50 , 51 ] this study can also contribute to this field of research. First results regarding the eating disorder risk indicate that online assessment is comparable to paper-pencil assessment [ 52 ].…”