Building Emotional Awareness and Mental Health (BEAM): A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial of an App-Based Program for Mothers of Toddlers
BackgroundFamilies have faced unprecedented challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to increased maternal mental health problems and barriers to accessing care. Innovative programs are needed to support both maternal mental health and parenting, and to buffer the long-term impacts of stress...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2022-06-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Psychiatry |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2022.880972/full |
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| author | Anna L. MacKinnon Kaeley M. Simpson Marlee R. Salisbury Janelle Bobula Lara Penner-Goeke Lindsay Berard Charlie Rioux Charlie Rioux Gerald F. Giesbrecht Ryan Giuliano Catherine Lebel Jennifer L. P. Protudjer Kristin Reynolds Shannon Sauer-Zavala Melanie Soderstrom Lianne M. Tomfohr-Madsen Leslie E. Roos |
| author_facet | Anna L. MacKinnon Kaeley M. Simpson Marlee R. Salisbury Janelle Bobula Lara Penner-Goeke Lindsay Berard Charlie Rioux Charlie Rioux Gerald F. Giesbrecht Ryan Giuliano Catherine Lebel Jennifer L. P. Protudjer Kristin Reynolds Shannon Sauer-Zavala Melanie Soderstrom Lianne M. Tomfohr-Madsen Leslie E. Roos |
| author_sort | Anna L. MacKinnon |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | BackgroundFamilies have faced unprecedented challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to increased maternal mental health problems and barriers to accessing care. Innovative programs are needed to support both maternal mental health and parenting, and to buffer the long-term impacts of stress on young children. Using a patient-oriented approach, our research team aimed to co-develop and pilot test an App-based psychoeducation and social-connection platform: Building Emotional Awareness and Mental Health (BEAM).MethodsThe co-development process involved a parent advisory board from conceptualization and design, through to direct participation in the program delivery. The BEAM program includes weekly videos and activities based on Unified Protocol therapy modules and emotion-focused parenting strategies, a weekly telehealth group review session, and access to a private online forum for support from other mothers and clinical coaches. A parallel randomized control trial was conducted across two provinces in Canada. Mothers of preschool children (aged 18–36 months old), with moderate-to-severe depression (Patient Health Questionaire-9 ≥ 10), were recruited online and randomized to either the 10-week BEAM intervention or treatment as usual (TAU) control group. Online surveys (ensuring researcher blinding) included questions about feasibility and acceptability of the program and pre/post self-report measures of mental health, parenting, positive coping and child behavior outcomes. The primary outcome measures were symptoms of depression and parenting stress. Data were analyzed using mixed models and an intention-to-treat approach.Results65 participants were randomized, by an online allocation tool, to the BEAM (n = 33) and TAU (n = 32) groups. Engagement was relatively high at the beginning of the program, with 78.8% starting the BEAM App and 70.6% attending ≥1 telehealth session. Most respondents felt socially supported, satisfied with the App, and found it easy to use. Pre-post results indicated interaction effects with greater reductions in overall mental health problems, and specifically anxiety and sleep symptoms, among BEAM vs. control participants. There were also time effects with reductions in depression symptoms across both groups. No significant treatment effects emerged for the other mental health symptoms, parenting problems, positive coping, or child behavior outcomes. Descriptive data are included to highlight possible areas of promise for future large efficacy trials. Technological difficulties and other challenges that may have led to attrition and impacted outcomes are discussed. There were no adverse events related to study participation.ConclusionsThe BEAM program has promise as a novel, feasible and acceptable intervention for improving mental health among mothers of young children.Clinical Trial Registration[www.ClinicalTrials.gov], identifier [NCT04772677]. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-12T15:15:31Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-4d380c43f4f9413eb606bbd85e63f67a |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-0640 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-12T15:15:31Z |
| publishDate | 2022-06-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychiatry |
| spelling | doaj.art-4d380c43f4f9413eb606bbd85e63f67a2022-12-22T00:20:30ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychiatry1664-06402022-06-011310.3389/fpsyt.2022.880972880972Building Emotional Awareness and Mental Health (BEAM): A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial of an App-Based Program for Mothers of ToddlersAnna L. MacKinnon0Kaeley M. Simpson1Marlee R. Salisbury2Janelle Bobula3Lara Penner-Goeke4Lindsay Berard5Charlie Rioux6Charlie Rioux7Gerald F. Giesbrecht8Ryan Giuliano9Catherine Lebel10Jennifer L. P. Protudjer11Kristin Reynolds12Shannon Sauer-Zavala13Melanie Soderstrom14Lianne M. Tomfohr-Madsen15Leslie E. Roos16Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, CanadaDepartment of Psychology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, CanadaDepartment of Psychology, York University, Toronto, ON, CanadaDepartment of Psychology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, CanadaDepartment of Psychology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, CanadaDepartment of Psychology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, CanadaDepartment of Psychology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, CanadaDepartment of Psychology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, CanadaDepartment of Pediatrics, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, CanadaDepartment of Psychology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, CanadaDepartment of Radiology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, CanadaDepartment of Pediatrics and Child Health, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, CanadaDepartment of Psychology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, CanadaDepartment of Psychology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, United StatesDepartment of Psychology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, CanadaDepartment of Psychology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, CanadaDepartment of Psychology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, CanadaBackgroundFamilies have faced unprecedented challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to increased maternal mental health problems and barriers to accessing care. Innovative programs are needed to support both maternal mental health and parenting, and to buffer the long-term impacts of stress on young children. Using a patient-oriented approach, our research team aimed to co-develop and pilot test an App-based psychoeducation and social-connection platform: Building Emotional Awareness and Mental Health (BEAM).MethodsThe co-development process involved a parent advisory board from conceptualization and design, through to direct participation in the program delivery. The BEAM program includes weekly videos and activities based on Unified Protocol therapy modules and emotion-focused parenting strategies, a weekly telehealth group review session, and access to a private online forum for support from other mothers and clinical coaches. A parallel randomized control trial was conducted across two provinces in Canada. Mothers of preschool children (aged 18–36 months old), with moderate-to-severe depression (Patient Health Questionaire-9 ≥ 10), were recruited online and randomized to either the 10-week BEAM intervention or treatment as usual (TAU) control group. Online surveys (ensuring researcher blinding) included questions about feasibility and acceptability of the program and pre/post self-report measures of mental health, parenting, positive coping and child behavior outcomes. The primary outcome measures were symptoms of depression and parenting stress. Data were analyzed using mixed models and an intention-to-treat approach.Results65 participants were randomized, by an online allocation tool, to the BEAM (n = 33) and TAU (n = 32) groups. Engagement was relatively high at the beginning of the program, with 78.8% starting the BEAM App and 70.6% attending ≥1 telehealth session. Most respondents felt socially supported, satisfied with the App, and found it easy to use. Pre-post results indicated interaction effects with greater reductions in overall mental health problems, and specifically anxiety and sleep symptoms, among BEAM vs. control participants. There were also time effects with reductions in depression symptoms across both groups. No significant treatment effects emerged for the other mental health symptoms, parenting problems, positive coping, or child behavior outcomes. Descriptive data are included to highlight possible areas of promise for future large efficacy trials. Technological difficulties and other challenges that may have led to attrition and impacted outcomes are discussed. There were no adverse events related to study participation.ConclusionsThe BEAM program has promise as a novel, feasible and acceptable intervention for improving mental health among mothers of young children.Clinical Trial Registration[www.ClinicalTrials.gov], identifier [NCT04772677].https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2022.880972/fulldigital health (eHealth)maternal mental healthrandomized controlled trialparentingemotion regulation |
| spellingShingle | Anna L. MacKinnon Kaeley M. Simpson Marlee R. Salisbury Janelle Bobula Lara Penner-Goeke Lindsay Berard Charlie Rioux Charlie Rioux Gerald F. Giesbrecht Ryan Giuliano Catherine Lebel Jennifer L. P. Protudjer Kristin Reynolds Shannon Sauer-Zavala Melanie Soderstrom Lianne M. Tomfohr-Madsen Leslie E. Roos Building Emotional Awareness and Mental Health (BEAM): A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial of an App-Based Program for Mothers of Toddlers Frontiers in Psychiatry digital health (eHealth) maternal mental health randomized controlled trial parenting emotion regulation |
| title | Building Emotional Awareness and Mental Health (BEAM): A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial of an App-Based Program for Mothers of Toddlers |
| title_full | Building Emotional Awareness and Mental Health (BEAM): A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial of an App-Based Program for Mothers of Toddlers |
| title_fullStr | Building Emotional Awareness and Mental Health (BEAM): A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial of an App-Based Program for Mothers of Toddlers |
| title_full_unstemmed | Building Emotional Awareness and Mental Health (BEAM): A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial of an App-Based Program for Mothers of Toddlers |
| title_short | Building Emotional Awareness and Mental Health (BEAM): A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial of an App-Based Program for Mothers of Toddlers |
| title_sort | building emotional awareness and mental health beam a pilot randomized controlled trial of an app based program for mothers of toddlers |
| topic | digital health (eHealth) maternal mental health randomized controlled trial parenting emotion regulation |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2022.880972/full |
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