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Digital Platform for Pediatric Mental Health Support During Armed Conflicts: Development and Usability Study
Hila Segal1,2, Arriel Benis3, Shirley Saar4,5
1Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Schneider Children's Medical Center, Petach Tikvah, Israel.
Insights
Pediatricians can now access a new digital mental health tool designed for children exposed to trauma. This resource, developed collaboratively, offers practical guidance and received high user satisfaction for its relevance and usability.
Area of Science:
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
- Digital Health Interventions
- Public Health
Background:
- Mental health disorders in children are a significant public health concern, with those exposed to armed conflict at higher risk.
- Pediatricians are crucial for early intervention but face training and resource limitations.
- The October 7th attack in Israel highlighted the urgent need for accessible mental health resources for children.
Purpose of the Study:
- To rapidly develop a digital mental health tool for community pediatricians.
- To provide a comprehensive resource for emotional and behavioral challenges in children, focusing on trauma exposure.
- To evaluate the platform's usability and relevance for pediatric practice.
Main Methods:
- A collaborative development process involving pediatricians and mental health professionals.
- Content creation based on identified emotional/behavioral issues and expert input.
- Evaluation through a focus group of 7 primary users using questionnaires and qualitative feedback.
Main Results:
- Development of 15 detailed modules covering anamnesis, interventions, parental guidance, and referrals.
- High user satisfaction with user experience (4.57/5), content relevance (4.71/5), and layout (4.66/5).
- Strong user willingness to integrate the platform into regular practice (4.40/5).
Conclusions:
- A collaborative approach effectively created a valuable digital tool for pediatric mental health.
- The platform shows potential for early recognition, crisis intervention, and parental support in pediatric settings.
- Future research will focus on wider implementation and clinical outcome assessment.
Background:
The prevalence of mental health disorders among children and adolescents presents a significant public health challenge. Children exposed to armed conflicts are at a particularly high risk of developing mental health problems, necessitating prompt and robust intervention. The acute need for early intervention in these situations is well recognized, as timely support can mitigate long-term negative outcomes. Pediatricians are particularly suited to deliver such interventions due to their role as primary health care providers and their frequent contact with children and families. However, barriers such as limited training and resources often hinder their ability to effectively address these issues.
Objectives:
This study aimed to describe the rapid development of a digital mental health tool for community pediatricians, created in response to the urgent need for accessible resources following the October 7th terror attack in Israel. The goal was to create a comprehensive resource that addresses a wide range of emotional and behavioral challenges in children and adolescents, with a particular focus on those affected by armed conflict and significant trauma exposure. In addition, the study aimed to evaluate the platform's usability and relevance through feedback from primary users, thereby assessing its potential for implementation in pediatric practice.
Methods:
A digital platform was developed using a collaborative approach that involved pediatricians and mental health professionals from various hospital clinics. The initial framework for the modules was drafted based on key emotional and behavioral issues identified through prior research. Following this, the detailed content of each module was cocreated with input from specialized mental health clinics within the hospital, ensuring comprehensive and practical guidance for community pediatricians. A focus group of 7 primary users, selected for their relevant hospital and community roles, provided feedback on the platform's user experience, content relevance, and layout. The evaluation was conducted using a structured questionnaire complemented by qualitative comments.
Results:
Fifteen detailed modules were created, each providing information, including anamnesis, initial intervention strategies, parental guidance, and referral options. The focus group feedback demonstrated high satisfaction, indicating a very good user experience (mean 4.57, SD 0.53), content relevance (mean 4.71, SD 0.48), and layout suitability (mean 4.66, SD 0.52). Specific feedback highlighted the value of concise, actionable content and the inclusion of medication information. Participants expressed a strong willingness to regularly use the platform in their practice (mean 4.40, SD 0.53), suggesting its potential for broad application.
Conclusions:
This study demonstrates the effectiveness of a collaborative development process in creating a digital tool that addresses the mental health needs of children in crisis situations. The positive feedback from pediatricians indicated that the platform has the potential to become a valuable resource for early recognition, crisis intervention, and parental support in community pediatric settings. Future research will focus on broader implementation and assessing the platform's impact on clinical outcomes.
