Feed, Read, and Grow: An Observational Study on the Impact of Educational Videos About Pediatric Anxiety

Anxiety is a significant mental health challenge for the youth, impacting their emotional well-being and development. To address this issue, the Feed, Read, and Grow initiative - a collaboration involving pediatricians, the Roanoke Public Library system, medical students from Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine, and other creative arts organizations - created short videos about panic attacks, separation anxiety, and social anxiety to educate middle- and high-school-aged students. The videos define these conditions, teach symptom recognition, and provide coping strategies. The videos were developed with input from adolescents, pediatricians, and mental health professionals to educate children about anxiety. This study aimed to identify the impact of videos about anxiety and determine their effectiveness in educating children on anxiety.

Focus groups were held at two different branches of the Roanoke Public Library system during after-school programs for middle school students. Participants, aged 10-16 years, were recruited via convenience sampling. Exclusion criteria included being under 10 or over 16 years of age, incomplete surveys, or being unable to remain for the duration of the approximately 30-minute session. Three 5-minute videos were presented featuring a panel discussion with corresponding animations. Participants were then asked to complete a self-developed questionnaire evaluating their understanding of anxiety, if they found the videos engaging and informative, and their likelihood of rewatching or sharing them. The data were analyzed for enjoyment and education.

A total of 29 surveys were collected, with participants ranging from ages 10 to 16 years. Overall, 72.4% of our surveyed population said they would rewatch and share the video with friends. Most participants answered the learning questions correctly, showing a statistically significant increase in their ability to describe a panic attack (p=0.03, 95% CI: 0.0046, 0.0892) and social anxiety (p=0.04, 95% CI: 0.0028, 0.1234). At branch number 1, pre- and post-surveys showed that 62.5% of students would rewatch the videos, and 75% would share them, with many adjusting their understanding of social anxiety, separation anxiety, and panic attacks. Branch number 2 post-surveys showed that 92.3% of participants felt the videos were informative, 84.6% would rewatch them, and 69.2% would share them.

Based on the feedback collected, the Feed, Read, and Grow team has gathered invaluable insights to guide the dissemination of these videos within the community. The results indicated that most participants enjoyed the videos, expressed a willingness to share them, and demonstrated increased knowledge after watching them. By sharing these resources, the initiative aimed to be a resource for pediatricians, teachers, mental health specialists, and families to educate and support youth with social anxiety, separation anxiety, and panic attacks.