Introduction
Child and youth mental health (MH) declined during the COVID-19 pandemic [
1‐
4]. The rising demand for child and youth MH services during the pandemic further exacerbated pre-existing difficulties with access to MH care, including cumbersome and non-streamlined referral processes, long wait lists, and the need for multiple points of assessment prior to receiving ongoing treatment [
5‐
7].
In the face of rising demand for MH services with limited ability for in-person interactions, MH care rapidly shifted to virtual services [
8,
9]. Although virtual MH services offer the potential for greater flexibility in service delivery, the problem of long wait times for assessments remains, owing to the shortage of child and adolescent psychiatrists and psychologists available to provide diagnostic assessments. In other medical disciplines, innovative processes to bypass the need for in-person assessments have begun to be implemented [
10]. By employing machine learning techniques, for example, oncology providers in the United Kingdom further demonstrated that preparation time for radiotherapy could be reduced by 90%, dramatically accelerating the process to treatment initiation [
11]. Thus, although many areas of MH care continue to rely on traditional assessments prior to treatment referral, some areas of healthcare have begun to expedite service delivery by incorporating data-driven approaches.
The purpose of this study was to pilot an innovative, data-driven process to enable rapid access to appropriate virtual MH resources for children based on parent-reported MH symptoms from online measures. Children were matched electronically to virtual MH resources based on their MH profile. We examined parents’ perceptions of the electronic match, including reasonability, acceptability, and satisfaction with the process as well as with the specific virtual MH resource with which their child was matched, to determine the initial feasibility of the process. We also examined rates of MH resource uptake with the matched resource, and whether child or clinical factors influenced feasibility or uptake.
Results
A total of 292 families with children ages 6–12 years were recruited for this study from age-appropriate participants of the Ontario COVID-19 and Kids Mental Health longitudinal project (
n = 1,608). Children were a mean age of 8.2 ± 1.7 years, and 46% were female. The majority of children did not have a pre-existing MH/NDD diagnosis (59%). The proportion of children in each profile was as follows: Average Symptoms (
n = 101, 34.6%), Low Symptoms (
n = 38, 13%), Internalizing (
n = 73, 25%), Externalizing (
n = 55, 18.8%), High Symptoms (
n = 25, 8.6%). Further details regarding participant characteristics are described in Table
2.
Table 2
Participant characteristics by child mental health profile
Sample (n) | 101 | 38 | 73 | 55 | 25 |
Age – M (SD) | 7.97 (1.76) | 8.45 (1.98) | 8.11 (1.76) | 8.65 (1.57) | 8.20 (1.35) |
Sex at birth - % (n) | | | | | |
Male | 51.5% (52) | 44.7% (17) | 52.1% (38) | 63.6% (35) | 60.0% (15) |
Female | 48.5% (49) | 55.3% (21) | 48.0% (35) | 36.4% (20) | 36.0% (9) |
Did not respond | - | - | - | - | 4.0% (1) |
Income - % (n) | | | | | |
Low (< 80k) | 18.8% (19) | 15.8% (6) | 19.2% (14) | 38.2% (21) | 36.0% (9) |
High ( > = 80k) | 56.4% (57) | 57.9% (22) | 61.6% (45) | 47.3% (26) | 48.0% (12) |
Did not respond | 24.8% (25) | 26.3% (10) | 19.2% (14) | 14.5% (8) | 16.0% (4) |
Ethnicity - % (n) | | | | | |
European | 60.4% (61) | 44.7% (17) | 68.5% (50) | 54.5% (30) | 80.0% (20) |
Non-European | 11.9% (12) | 23.7% (9) | 19.2% (14) | 27.3% (15) | 4.0% (1) |
Mixed | 25.7% (26) | 29.0% (11) | 12.3% (9) | 16.4% (9) | 12.0% (3) |
Did not respond | 2.0% (2) | 2.6% (1) | - | 1.8% (1) | 4.0% (1) |
Diagnosis of Mental Health Disorder - % (n) | | | | | |
No | 81.2% (82) | 86.8% (33) | 47.9% (35) | 29.1% (16) | 24.0% (6) |
Yes | 18.8% (19) | 13.2% (5) | 52.1% (38) | 70.9% (39) | 76.0% (19) |
Predicting rates of completion at each time point in phase 2
Time 1 completion
Parents of 128 out of 292 (44%) children were interested in obtaining virtual MH resources for their child (completed Time 1). Ethnicity, MH profile, and most recently completed survey wave predicted interest in the electronic process (Table
3). Parents with children assigned to the Low Symptoms profile were 3 times more likely to express initial interest in the matching process compared with children assigned to the Average Symptoms profile (OR = 3.12, 95% CI [1.19, 8.55],
p = .023). Parents from European descent families were 3.5 times more likely to express initial interest in the electronic match process compared with children from non-European descent families (OR = 0.28, 95% CI [0.12, 0.61],
p = .002). Finally, recent engagement in the larger longitudinal study also predicted initial interest in the electronic process, such that parents who completed the most recent survey were 3 times more likely to express interest in participating in the electronic match process compared with those who had completed the least recent survey (OR = 3.43, 95% CI [1.24, 13.46],
p = .033).
Table 3
Predictors for completion and uptake at each time point
Age | 1.09 | 0.92, 1.30 | 0.309 | 0.87 | 0.66, 1.14 | 0.315 | 2.97 | 1.22, 12.21 | .049 |
Sex at birth (Male = 0) | | | | | | | | | |
Female | 1.07 | 0.60, 1.91 | 0.825 | 2.33 | 0.94, 6.09 | 0.075 | 1.69 | 0.13, 25.59 | 0.686 |
Income (Low = 0) | | | | | | | | | |
High | 0.76 | 0.39, 1.46 | 0.413 | 1.15 | 0.41, 3.17 | 0.792 | 0.30 | 0.01, 6.27 | 0.470 |
Ethnicity (European = 0) | | | | | | | | | |
Non-European | 0.28 | 0.12, 0.62 | 0.002 | 1.72 | 0.42, 8.98 | 0.476 | 0.79 | 0.09, 9.21 | 0.834 |
Mixed | 0.53 | 0.24, 1.17 | 0.122 | 1.11 | 0.33, 3.91 | 0.872 | - | - | - |
Diagnosis of Mental Health Disorder (No = 0) | | | | | | | | | |
Yes | 1.28 | 0.65, 2.52 | 0.472 | 1.87 | 0.66, 5.57 | 0.245 | 0.24 | 0.02, 2.36 | 0.249 |
Profile (Average Symptoms = 0) | | | | | | | | | |
Low Symptoms | 3.12 | 1.19, 8.55 | 0.023 | 0.44 | 0.11, 1.70 | 0.238 | - | - | - |
Internalizing | 1.21 | 0.55, 2.68 | 0.634 | 0.59 | 0.16, 2.08 | 0.414 | - | - | - |
Externalizing | 1.27 | 0.52, 3.11 | 0.596 | 0.68 | 0.16, 2.73 | 0.585 | - | - | - |
High Symptoms | 1.62 | 0.51, 5.30 | 0.415 | 0.28 | 0.05, 1.37 | 0.121 | - | - | - |
Last completed survey | 3.43 | 1.24, 13.46 | 0.033 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Perceived reasonability of EMP at T1 | | | | 0.66 | 0.20, 1.99 | 0.466 | - | - | - |
Perceived satisfaction of EMP at T1 | | | | 1.62 | 0.50, 5.54 | 0.425 | - | - | - |
VMR (Online Resources = 0) | | | | | | | | | |
Online Modified CBT | | | | | | | 0.16 | 0.00, 3.14 | 0.234 |
Parenting Intervention | | | | | | | 0.03 | 0.00, 1.98 | 0.150 |
Coping Power | | | | | | | 0.03 | 0.00, 1.14 | 0.104 |
Perceived reasonability of VMR at T2 | | | | | | | 3.91 | 0.30, 76.54 | 0.292 |
Perceived satisfaction of VMR at T2 | | | | | | | 0.15 | 0.00, 2.53 | 0.221 |
Readiness for therapy at T2 | | | | | | | 5.75 | 1.13, 72.67 | 0.079 |
Time 2 completion
Parents that completed Time 1 measures (
n = 128) perceived the electronic match process to be somewhat reasonable (
M = 3.79,
SD = 0.65, range = 0–5) and felt somewhat satisfied with the proposed process (
M = 2.81,
SD = 0.54, range = 0–5). Of these 128 parents, 80 completed Time 2 assessments to receive their child’s MH profile and electronic MH resource match assignment (63% uptake). Neither demographic variables, MH profile, nor perceived reasonability and satisfaction with the electronic match process at Time 1 predicted participation at Time 2 (Table
3).
Time 3 completion (uptake of resources)
Parents who received the information regarding their child’s MH profile and suggested MH resource match at Time 2 (
n = 80) perceived their child’s matched virtual MH resource to be somewhat reasonable (
M = 3.70,
SD = 0.63, range = 0–5), and were somewhat satisfied with the resource (
M = 2.80,
SD = 0.54, range = 0–5), consistent with their previous reports about the electronic match process. Overall, parents felt somewhat ready for treatment for their child at Time 2 (
M = 2.43,
SD = 0.78, range = 0–5). Out of the 80 families who received their child’s MH profile and electronic MH match assignment, 67 (84%) had either engaged in the MH resource or were on the waiting list, resulting in an overall uptake rate of 67/292 (23%) (Table
3). The only significant predictor of uptake of matched MH resource was child age, with families of older children being more likely to engage in the matched MH resource (OR = 2.97, 95% CI [1.22, 12.21],
p = .049; see Table
3).
Predicting parents’ perceptions of the MH resource and parent’s readiness for therapy
Perception of the match process at Time 1 and satisfaction with the matched MH resource at Time 2 were not predicted by any of the included factors measured (Supplementary Table
2). Matching to the individual and parent behaviour management program (i.e., the matched resource for older children in the Externalizing and High Symptoms profiles) was associated with decreased family satisfaction with the matching process (
b = -0.61, 95% CI [ -1.13, -0.09],
p = .023).
In examining potential predictors of readiness for therapy, only parent’s self-reported depression was found to be significant, with higher parent depression scores associated with greater readiness for therapy for their child (OR = 1.2, 95% CI [ 0.02, 0.35],
p = .033; Table
2).
Discussion
This study examined whether matching children to virtual MH resources electronically based on online, parent-reported MH symptoms was an acceptable and feasible strategy for accessing scarce children’s MH resources. The results indicate that the electronic matching process to MH resources may be an accessible and more timely alternative to traditional referral to MH services. Of interested families, 23% ultimately engaged in uptake of the matched virtual MH resource.
Once families enrolled in the study, retention rates increased throughout the study. More specifically, of the 44% of invited families that were interested in having their child matched to a virtual MH resource, 63% received the MH profile and the electronically matched virtual MH resource, and 84% of families that received the matched resource participated in the assigned MH resource. Thus, factors that promote initial engagement with the process are important to consider. We found that parents of European descent, relative to non-European descent, were more likely to express initial interest in the virtual MH resource for their child. Ethnicity and culture may play a key role in initial engagement with MH interventions, with ethnically minoritized groups less likely to express interest [
27]. Thus, future research examining ways to facilitate diversity-inclusive processes to increase access to MH resources through data-driven approaches is needed. Furthermore, families of children who experienced low levels of MH symptoms (i.e., children who were assigned to the Low Symptoms profile) and families who were more recent research participants were more likely to show interest in the virtual MH resource, indicating the importance of parent engagement in this process. Parents play an important role in their child’s MH, with research showing that parental awareness of MH concerns increases identification of MH problems in children [
28]. Thus, increasing parental involvement may lead to elevated interest in participation in an electronic matching process.
Uptake of the matched MH resource was modest, with 23% of interested families engaging in the matched intervention. Prior comparable research with which to compare these findings is scant. In a study by Reid and colleagues, families were able to self-refer to virtual MH assessments online, which were conducted face to face by pediatric emergency department physicians [
29]. Acceptability of this process was found to be low by both caregivers and physicians, owing to insufficient time and number of MH clinicians to provide adequate assessments [
30]. In contrast, children and their families in our study did not require in-person assessment. While the fully electronic/online process removed this potential bottleneck to access to care, the lack of human contact may have been a deterrent to engaging in the matched MH resource. Thus, future research using qualitative approaches is needed to gain better understanding of the reasons for children and their families to participate in the matched MH resource.
Results showed that parents whose children were assigned to the individual and parent behaviour management program perceived the matched MH resource to be less reasonable relative to parents whose children were matched to other MH resources. This suggests that satisfaction with the matching process may be different depending on either the specific program to which families were matched, or the specific MH problem for which treatment is offered. Resource-specific factors that may have influenced the acceptability and uptake of the program in the current study included administration through a MH hospital for children and adults, rather than through a general children’s hospital, as was the case for the other interventions. As MH stigma is one of the biggest factors that deter children and families from accessing treatment [
31], the stigma associated with a non-children’s MH hospital might have led to a negative perception of this resource. On the other hand, factors associated with the specific MH profile matched to this resource may also have contributed to the decreased acceptance and uptake of the program, as this group included older children categorized as Externalizing (increased disruptive behaviour) and High Symptoms (elevated symptoms across multiple domains) that were matched to this resource. This suggests that in certain situations in-person contact with a clinician or specialist may be helpful to provide important context and information for families. Families with children exhibiting increased externalizing symptoms alone or in combination with increased internalizing symptoms may require some degree of person to person communication at the assessment or referral stages to enhance understanding of their child’s MH profile, the suggested treatment resource, and to provide greater support connecting with MH care.
Lastly, our study showed that parents with greater depression symptoms were more eager for their child to receive treatment, indicating the potential role of parental distress in accessing MH treatment for their child. As children of depressed parents are at increased risk for developing depression [
32], it may be that depressed parents have increased sensitivity regarding their child’s MH symptoms, and greater interest in early detection of possible MH problems in order to facilitate early intervention. However, this requires further investigation in future studies.
Limitations
Despite the strengths of this study examining a novel data-driven approach to child MH service access, there are also limitations to consider. Although the sample size of the current study was reasonably large for a pilot study, it represents only a single iteration of the matching process. Thus, further development of the electronic matching approach is required to examine multiple additional perspectives (for example, child and clinician views) to maximize feasibility and examine potential cost and time-efficiency of the proposed approach. Also, as this study was focused on feasibility, efficacy of the electronically matched MH resource was not evaluated. Future research examining the effectiveness of electronically matched MH services using the proposed approach is needed to ensure that the matched services ultimately improve child MH outcomes.
Conclusion
In summary, this pilot study describes a novel, data-driven approach to increasing access to MH care for children during the COVID-19 pandemic, a time of increased MH service need and rapid transition to virtual MH care. We found that an electronic matching process to virtual child MH resources, based on parent-report of child MH symptoms, was feasible and acceptable to parents of 6- to 12-year-old children experiencing a wide range of MH symptoms. Further research is needed to maximize feasibility across all patient populations, symptom profiles and services, elicit feedback from stakeholders more broadly, and determine whether interventions undertaken based on an electronic matching process are effective in improving children’s MH outcomes.
Acknowledgements
The Ontario COVID-19 and Kids Mental Health Collaboration acknowledges the families, children, and youth who have generously contributed their time and their experience participating in this research. The research team also acknowledges the trainees, analysts, project coordinators, and cohort staff whose dedication has made this research possible.
Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (
http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated in a credit line to the data.
Publisher’s Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.