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Introduction: Mental health issues have been on the rise among children and adolescents, and digital parenting programs have shown promising outcomes. However, there is limited research on the potential efficacy of utilizing chatbots to promote parental skills. This study aimed to understand whether parents learn from a parenting chatbot micro intervention, to assess the overall efficacy of the intervention, and to explore the user characteristics of the participants, including parental busyness, assumptions about parenting, and qualitative engagement with the chatbot. Methods: A sample of 170 parents with at least one child between 2-11 years old were recruited. A randomized control trial was conducted. Participants in the experimental group accessed a 15-min intervention that taught how to utilize positive attention and praise to promote positive behaviors in their children, while the control group remained on a waiting list. Results: Results showed that participants engaged with a brief AI-based chatbot intervention and were able to learn effective praising skills. Although scores moved in the expected direction, there were no significant differences by condition in the praising knowledge reported by parents, perceived changes in disruptive behaviors, or parenting self-efficacy, from pre-intervention to 24-hour follow-up. Discussion: The results provided insight to understand how parents engaged with the chatbot and suggests that, in general, brief, self-guided, digital interventions can promote learning in parents. It is possible that a higher dose of intervention may be needed to obtain a therapeutic change in parents. Further research implications on chatbots for parenting skills are discussed.

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BACKGROUND: Artificial intelligence-based chatbots are emerging as instruments of psychological intervention; however, no relevant studies have been reported in Latin America. OBJECTIVE: The objective of the present study was to evaluate the viability, acceptability, and potential impact of using Tess, a chatbot, for examining symptoms of depression and anxiety in university students. METHODS: This was a pilot randomized controlled trial. The experimental condition used Tess for 8 weeks, and the control condition was assigned to a psychoeducation book on depression. Comparisons were conducted using Mann-Whitney U and Wilcoxon tests for depressive symptoms, and independent and paired sample t tests to analyze anxiety symptoms. RESULTS: The initial sample consisted of 181 Argentinian college students (158, 87.2% female) aged 18 to 33. Data at week 8 were provided by 39 out of the 99 (39%) participants in the experimental condition and 34 out of the 82 (41%) in the control group. On an average, 472 (SD 249.52) messages were exchanged, with 116 (SD 73.87) of the messages sent from the users in response to Tess. A higher number of messages exchanged with Tess was associated with positive feedback (F2,36=4.37; P=.02). No significant differences between the experimental and control groups were found from the baseline to week 8 for depressive and anxiety symptoms. However, significant intragroup differences demonstrated that the experimental group showed a significant decrease in anxiety symptoms; no such differences were observed for the control group. Further, no significant intragroup differences were found for depressive symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: The students spent a considerable amount of time exchanging messages with Tess and positive feedback was associated with a higher number of messages exchanged. The initial results show promising evidence for the usability and acceptability of Tess in the Argentinian population. Research on chatbots is still in its initial stages and further research is needed.

RESUMO

La satisfacción del usuario (SU) es actualmente considerada un factor importante en la evaluación de la calidad de los servicios de salud mental. No obstante, no ha sido todavía investigada en gran medida en los servicios de salud mental para niños, niñas y adolescentes (SSMNA). Nuestro objetivo en este estudio fue conocer el grado de satisfacción percibida por usuarios que recibieron atención en tres SSMNA privados de Buenos Aires, cada uno con una orientación teórica distinta. Utilizamos como instrumentos, cuestionarios de auto-informe que nos proveyeron datos para un análisis cuantitativo y cualitativo. Hallamos que los padres y madres que llevaron a sus hijos o hijas a los servicios de orientación cognitiva o sistémica, refirieron niveles de satisfacción similares entre sí y un mayor grado de satisfacción que los padres y madres cuyos hijos e hijas recibieron tratamiento psicodinámico.

User satisfaction (US) is currently considered an important factor in the assessment of the quality of mental health services. However, it has not yet been researched extensively in the area of child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS). The aim of this study was to identify the level of satisfaction perceived by users who received treatment at three private CAMHS in Buenos Aires, each with a different theoretical orientation. Self-report questionnaires that provided data for quantitative and qualitative analysis were used as instruments. It was found that parents who brought their children to the services that provide cognitive or systemic orientation reported similar levels of satisfaction with the services and a higher level of satisfaction than parents whose children received psychodynamic treatment.

Atualmente, a satisfação do usuário (SU) é considerada um fator importante na avaliação da qualidade dos serviços de saúde mental. Porém, ainda não tem sido pesquisada em profundidade nos serviços de saúde mental para crianças e adolescentes (SSMCA). O objetivo deste estudo foi conhecer o grau de satisfação percebida por usuários que receberam atenção em três SSMCA privados de Buenos Aires, cada um com uma orientação teórica diferente. Como instrumentos, foram utilizados questionários autoinformativos que reuniram dados para uma análise quantitativa e qualitativa. Constatou-se que os pais que levaram seus filhos e filhas nos serviços de orientação cognitiva ou sistêmica tiveram níveis de satisfação semelhantes entre si e um maior grau de satisfação do que os pais cujos filhos e filhas receberam tratamento psicodinâmico.

Assuntos

RESUMO

Client Satisfaction with mental health services is an important aspect in the evaluation of quality of those services. In youth mental health field, a few studies had being made about this characteristic. The aim of this study is to evaluate the relationship between satisfaction of parents, children and adolescents according to sex of patients and therapists. The sample included 382 subjects who attended to Buenos Aires private services who completed the questionnaire of experiences with the service. The results in teenagers' group showed differences in the satisfaction with the service matching the sex of teenagers with the sex of therapist, however in children and parent groups we haven't found significant differences. We discuss the implications of the results in order to improve the services given in youth area.

Assuntos

RESUMO

Client Satisfaction with mental health services is an important aspect in the evaluation of quality of those services. In youth mental health field, a few studies had being made about this characteristic. The aim of this study is to evaluate the relationship between satisfaction of parents, children and adolescents according to sex of patients and therapists. The sample included 382 subjects who attended to Buenos Aires private services who completed the questionnaire of experiences with the service. The results in teenagers group showed differences in the satisfaction with the service matching the sex of teenagers with the sex of therapist, however in children and parent groups we havent found significant differences. We discuss the implications of the results in order to improve the services given in youth area.

RESUMO

Client Satisfaction with mental health services is an important aspect in the evaluation of quality of those services. In youth mental health field, a few studies had being made about this characteristic. The aim of this study is to evaluate the relationship between satisfaction of parents, children and adolescents according to sex of patients and therapists. The sample included 382 subjects who attended to Buenos Aires private services who completed the questionnaire of experiences with the service. The results in teenagers’ group showed differences in the satisfaction with the service matching the sex of teenagers with the sex of therapist, however in children and parent groups we haven’t found significant differences. We discuss the implications of the results in order to improve the services given in youth area.

Assuntos

RESUMO

The present paper reviews the available literature on the current state of knowledge regarding depression in children and adolescents. Empirically supported psychotherapeutic treatment adjustments for children are described, such as the Self-Control Therapy (CBT), Penn Prevention Program; and other treatments that are experimental phase. Similarly empirically supported psychotherapeutic treatment adjustments for adolescents are described, such as Adolescent Coping with Depression, Interpersonal Psychotherapy; and other treatments that are experimental phase as Biblotherapy and Attachment-Based Family Therapy.

Assuntos