A program to improve emotional awareness and mental health in parents of young children

Implementing BEAM: An mHealth Tool to Prevent Mental Health Problems and Improve Developmental Outcomes in Young Children

This study tests a new program that helps parents of young children with depression and anxiety feel better and improve their parenting skills.

Quick facts

• Phase: Not applicable
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 400 (estimated)
• Ages: 18 Years and up
• Sex: All
• Sponsor: University of Manitoba (Academic / other)
• Locations: 1 site (Winnipeg, Manitoba)
• Trial ID: NCT06455397 on ClinicalTrials.gov

What this trial studies

The Building Emotional Awareness and Mental Health (BEAM) program is designed to support parents of young children aged 2 to 5 years who are experiencing moderate to severe symptoms of depression, anxiety, and parenting stress. This innovative mobile health solution aims to improve parental mental health and parenting practices through a combination of virtual check-ins and psychoeducation. The program's effectiveness will be evaluated through an effectiveness-implementation hybrid design, focusing on both the outcomes for parents and the broader impacts on child development. Previous trials have shown promising results in reducing negative mental health symptoms and improving parenting behaviors.

Who should consider this trial

Good fit: Ideal candidates for this program are parents or primary caregivers of children aged 2 to 5 years who are experiencing moderate to severe mental health symptoms.

Not a fit: Patients who do not exhibit moderate to severe symptoms of depression, anxiety, or parenting stress may not benefit from this program.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this program could significantly enhance the mental health and parenting skills of participants, leading to better developmental outcomes for their children.

How similar studies have performed: Previous studies evaluating similar interventions have shown promising results, indicating that this approach is supported by existing evidence.

Eligibility criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Moderate to severe symptoms of depression, anxiety, parenting stress, and/or anger (as measured by the PHQ-9, GAD-7, PSI, and PROMIS-Anger). Those who do not have moderate to severe symptoms will meet with a member of the program research team to determine eligibility. This eligibility decision will be based on clinical judgement, ensuring that those with need can participate.
2. Being a parent or primary caregiver of any gender to an 24- to 71-month-old (i.e., 2-5 year old) child.
3. Living in Manitoba.
4. Able to participate in check ins (15 to 60 minutes) via Zoom, phone, direct messaging with a parent peer coach.
5. 18 years or older.
6. Able to understand/read/speak in English.
7. Willing to complete four 45-min questionnaires.
8. At eligibility screening, a question asks if participants have access to an electronic device for viewing videos and participating in Zoom meetings. Participants who do not have access will be asked to contact the research team. The team may be able to accommodate a limited number of participants by providing relevant devices for the duration of the study.
9. Participants have IP addresses within Manitoba, Canada, as determined by IP address in REDCap at time of eligibility screener questionnaire completion. Participants will be required to securely upload a photo that includes both a valid piece of Manitoba government identification and the participant's face (i.e., a 'selfie').

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Living outside of Manitoba.
2. Being a parent or primary caregiver to a child outside of the ages of 24- to 71-months (i.e., 2-5 years).
3. Previously participated in an earlier BEAM trial.
4. Parents who report self-harm that required medical attention within the past six months or a suicide attempt within the past year will be ineligible to participate in BEAM unless the participant is engaged in individual therapy that attends to this acute risk level with one of the following professionals for the duration of the BEAM program: psychiatrist, psychologist, social worker, or psychotherapist. The research team will email all prospective participants who are pending eligibility to schedule a phone call. This call will determine whether it is feasible to connect the participant with an individual therapist to manage specific needs before engaging in the BEAM program, and discuss if the BEAM program is the right fit for the participant's present needs.

Co-parents will be permitted to participate in BEAM regardless of current mental health challenges. Therefore, co-parents are only subject to inclusion criterion (3) and criteria (5-9). Instead of meeting inclusion criteria (2), parenting partners must be a "co-parent (e.g., the child's mom, dad, step-parent) or other primary caregiver (e.g., the child's grandma, cousin, uncle, auntie)" to the corresponding participant's 24- to 71-month-old (i.e., 2-5 year old) child. Co-parents will not receive the same pre-trial screening as parent participants, and thus will not be subject to exclusion criteria.

Where this trial is running

Winnipeg, Manitoba

• University of Manitoba - Department of Psychology & Pediatrics — Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada (Recruiting)

Study contacts

• Principal investigator: Leslie E Roos, PhD — University of Manitoba
• Study coordinator: Leslie E Roos, PhD

Conditions Depression, Anxiety; Anger; Parenting; Stress, Psychological; Parent-Child Relations; Child Development; Mental health; Depression