Family/whānau perspectives on the use of E-therapy tools in the treatment of youth mental health : SPARX and family/whānau participation : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Psychology at Massey University, Albany, New Zealand
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Date
2022
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Massey University
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Abstract
Mental health for young people under 24 in New Zealand is poor compared to other OECD countries, with data showing higher rates of youth depression, anxiety, and suicide than those seen globally. Self-help youth E-therapy has been gaining popularity as a treatment solution for young people experiencing mental distress like depression and anxiety that can help to remove treatment barriers. Social support has been identified as an important factor to improve youth treatment retention and mental health outcomes. Family/whānau have been identified as a central provider of social support for young people due to their reliance on the family/whānau system. One way of increasing family/whānau social support may be to include family/whānau in youth mental health treatment. To date, no studies in New Zealand have investigated the perspectives of family/whānau members on self-help youth E-therapy programs or the inclusion of family/whānau participation in such E-therapy programs. Such perspectives are underrepresented and may provide insights specific to family/whānau members that may be otherwise unobtainable by researchers. This qualitative study utilised interview data to investigate family/whānau perspectives on self-help youth E-therapy in New Zealand. Six family/whānau members were recruited to participate in the study and provided their perspectives on the youth self-help E-therapy tool SPARX (Smart, Positive, Active, Realistic, X-Factor thoughts) via a semi-structured online interview. Their opinions on the concept of family/whānau participation in youth E-therapy were also explored. Interview data were analysed using thematic analysis and three major themes identified: (1) CBT skills and psychoeducation facilitate understanding and support, (2) “Game-ified” E-therapy facilitates youth engagement, and (3) Family/whānau participation – direct or indirect involvement. A novel finding was that some participants showed a preference towards indirect methods of family/whanau participation in self-help youth E-therapy, while others preferred direct methods of family/whanau participation. These findings fill a gap in the literature as no prior research has been conducted investigating family/whānau perspectives on the SPARX application specifically relating to family/whānau participation. The results indicate the need for further investigation of family/whānau perspectives on youth E-therapy and an exploration of the relevance of these by comparison with youth perspectives.