A web-based group course intervention for 15-25-year-olds whose parents have substance use problems or mental illness: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Abstract

BackgroundDepending on the definitions used, between 5 and 20 % of all Swedish children grow up with at least one parent suffering from alcohol problems, while 6 % have at least one parent who has received inpatient psychiatric care, conditions that may affect the children negatively. Nine out of ten Swedish municipalities therefore provide support resources, but less than 2 % of these children are reached by such support. Delivering intervention programs via the Internet is a promising strategy. However, web-based programs targeting this at-risk group of children are scarce. We have previously developed a 1.5-h-long web-based self-help program, Alcohol & Coping, which appears to be effective with regards to adolescents’ own alcohol consumption. However, there is a need for a more intense program, and therefore we adapted Kopstoring, a comprehensive Dutch web-based psycho-educative prevention program, to fit the Swedish context. The purpose of the program, which in Swedish has been called Grubbel, is to strengthen protective factors, such as coping skills and psychological well-being, prevent the development of psychological disorders, and reduce alcohol consumption.Methods/designThe aim of the current study is to evaluate the effectiveness of Grubbel, which targets 15–25-year-olds whose parents have substance use problems and/or mental illness. Specific research questions relate to the participants’ own coping strategies, mental health status and substance use. The study was initiated in the spring of 2016 and uses a two-armed RCT design. Participants will be recruited via social media and also through existing agencies that provide support to this target group. The assessment will consist of a baseline measurement (t0) and three follow-ups after six (t1), 12 (t2), and 24 months (t3). Measures include YSR, CES-DC, Ladder of Life, Brief COPE, AUDIT-C, and WHOQOL-BREF.DiscussionStudies have revealed that the majority of children whose parents have substance use or mental health problems are not reached by the existing support. Thus, there is an urgent need to develop, implement, and evaluate novel intervention programs and disseminate successful programs to a broader audience. This study, investigating the effects of a web-based intervention, therefore makes an important contribution to this field of research.Trial registration ISRCTN10099247. Retrospectively registered on August 31, 2016.

New digital media interventions for sexual health promotion among young people: a systematic review

“…The rapid development and uptake of new digital media presents significant potential for influencing health behaviours via health education, social marketing and health promotion interventions. New digital media have already been used in a range of health contexts, including chronic disease, 28 winter preparedness, 29 general school health, 30 physical activity, 31 substance abuse, 32 mental illness, 32,33 dietary behaviour change 34,35 and breastfeeding. 36 Digital media have also been evaluated for efficacy in enabling health promoting capacity through processes such as information seeking 37 and holistic self-participatory care.…”

Web-Based Health Intervention for Young People Who Have a Parent with a Mental Illness: Delphi Study Among Potential Future Users

“…If it had to be time-limited, young people preferred a 6-week Web-based intervention. Some Web-based interventions for this target group are offered weekly and are generally limited to 8 weeks [ 26 , 27 ]. Survivalkid, in the Netherlands, is unlimited but does not offer structured weekly topics [ 22 ].…”

“…There are some Web-based interventions specifically designed for this group of young people, including Survivalkid [ 22 , 25 ], Grubbel [ 26 ], and Kopstoring [ 27 ], although more research is needed on the evaluation and suitability of Web-based platforms for this at-risk target group. When developing mental health interventions, it is important to consult with end users [ 28 ].…”

An Online Intervention to Promote Mental Health and Wellbeing for Young Adults Whose Parents Have Mental Illness and/or Substance Use Problems: Theoretical Basis and Intervention Description

“…There are some online interventions (mostly from the Netherlands) for young people whose parents have mental illness though these are still in the early stages of development and generally target both adolescent and young adults. These interventions include Survivalkid for 12–25 year olds (49, 50), Grubbel for 15–25 year olds (51) and Kopstoring for 16–25 year olds (52). To date, one randomised controlled trial evaluation has been completed on Kopstoring with positive trends found toward a reduction in internalising symptoms (52).…”