Mental Health Literacy Programs for Parents of Adolescents: A Systematic Review

Sakurako Kusaka; Sakurako Kusaka; Satoshi Yamaguchi; Jerome Clifford Foo; Fumiharu Togo; Tsukasa Sasaki

doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2022.816508

Frontiers in Psychiatry (May 2022)

Mental Health Literacy Programs for Parents of Adolescents: A Systematic Review

Sakurako Kusaka,
Sakurako Kusaka,
Satoshi Yamaguchi,
Jerome Clifford Foo,
Fumiharu Togo,
Tsukasa Sasaki

Affiliations

Sakurako Kusaka: Department of Physical and Health Education, Graduate School of Education, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
Sakurako Kusaka: Research Fellow of Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Tokyo, Japan
Satoshi Yamaguchi: Department of Physical and Health Education, Graduate School of Education, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
Jerome Clifford Foo: Department of Genetic Epidemiology in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
Fumiharu Togo: Department of Physical and Health Education, Graduate School of Education, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
Tsukasa Sasaki: Department of Physical and Health Education, Graduate School of Education, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2022.816508
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 13

Abstract

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IntroductionMany mental illnesses begin during adolescence. Parents of adolescents need to have sufficient mental health literacy (MHL) to recognize mental health problems in their children and to assist them with help-seeking. Although several educational programs have been developed to enhance parental MHL, their effectiveness has not been established. This study provides a systematic review for the effectiveness of MHL programs in parents of adolescents.MethodsPubMed, PsycINFO, CINAHL, ERIC and Web of Science were searched from the earliest date possible until February 2022; references of studies which met eligibility criteria were also screened. Studies that assessed quantitative change in at least one of the following components of parental MHL were included: knowledge of mental health/illnesses; stigma toward people with mental health problems; confidence in helping children with mental health problems, and intention, knowledge or behavior of helping children with mental health problems. Risk of bias (ROB) for each outcome within the included studies was rated using the revised Cochrane risk-of-bias tool for randomized trials for randomized controlled trials (RCTs), and the Risk of Bias Assessment Tool for Nonrandomized Studies for nonrandomized studies.ResultsNine studies (four RCTs, three controlled before-and-after studies, and two case series), reported in 10 articles, were included. Mental health knowledge and/or confidence was significantly improved in several studies, while no studies observed significant improvement in stigma and/or intention/behavior of helping children. ROB was high in five out of nine studies (10 out of 18 outcomes) and unclear in the others.ConclusionsA limited number of studies have evaluated effects of MHL program in parents and inconsistent quality contributes to difficulty in establishing their overall effectiveness. More studies with appropriate methods of recruitment, measurement and analysis, and transparent reporting are needed.Systematic Review Registrationhttps://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42020193072, Identifier: CRD42020193072.

Published in Frontiers in Psychiatry

ISSN: 1664-0640 (Online)
Publisher: Frontiers Media S.A.
Country of publisher: Switzerland
LCC subjects: Medicine: Internal medicine: Neurosciences. Biological psychiatry. Neuropsychiatry: Neurology. Diseases of the nervous system: Psychiatry
Website: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychiatry

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