eMental Health Resources for Youth: Parent Perceptions of AI Matched eMental Health Resources for Their Child

Despite high prevalence rates of pediatric mental health challenges, estimates suggest over 50% of youth with mental health conditions have never accessed services. eMental health resources have increased over the past two decades to mitigate barriers to access. Positive attitudes towards eMental health resources have been reported in adults; however, little research has focused on parent perceptions of pediatric eMental health resources. The current study explored parent perceptions of matched eMental health resources for their child using machine learning algorithms. Parents were recruited from a longitudinal mental health study; 49 parents participated in a semi-structured individual virtual interview. Interpretative description analysis generated two primary themes: (1) feelings on AI use to assign matched mental health resources and (2) parent perceptions of eMental health resources for their child. Findings support a general acceptance by parents of the integration of AI in assigning and providing them with mental health resources for their child contingent on clinician oversight. This study fills a distinct gap in the literature on parent perceptions of pediatric eMental health resources and the role of AI, which are integral to consider in the development and dissemination of resources.