Adolescent and parent experiences with a primary care/Internet-based depression prevention intervention (CATCH-IT)

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Psychiatry
• Human-Computer Interaction

Background:

• Internet-based interventions are increasingly used for adolescent depression.
• Understanding user experience is crucial for optimizing digital mental health tools.
• Competent Adulthood Transition with Cognitive Behavioral Humanistic and Interpersonal Training (CATCH-IT) is an internet-based intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the experiences of adolescents and parents participating in the CATCH-IT intervention.
• To identify key themes and psychological transformations in adolescents undergoing internet-based depression treatment.
• To understand parental perspectives on supporting adolescents in digital mental health programs.

Main Methods:

• A mixed-methods approach combining qualitative interviews and quantitative surveys.
• Grounded theory was used for qualitative analysis of adolescent and parent feedback.
• Self-report surveys assessed intervention helpfulness and attitude changes.

Main Results:

• Nine themes emerged from the adolescent experience, detailing their journey with the intervention.
• Three distinct themes were identified from the parental experience.
• Quantitative data indicated favorable outcomes regarding intervention helpfulness and positive attitude shifts.

Conclusions:

• Adolescents and parents reported positive experiences with the CATCH-IT internet-based intervention.
• The findings contribute to understanding the effective use of digital tools for adolescent mental health.
• Further research is recommended to refine internet-based interventions for mental illness.