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What Parents of Adolescents in Residential Substance Use Treatment Want from Continuing Care: A Content Analysis of Online Forum Posts

Year: 2021
Type: article
Abstract: Background Parents of adolescents in residential substance use (SU) treatment face a myriad of barriers to continuing care services. Growing research suggests that mobile health (mHealth) technologies can overcome common barriers to continuing care services, yet no work has addressed parents’ needs. To gain insight into parents’ continuing care needs, we analyzed online forum posts made by parents who received a novel mHealth intervention. Methods Thirty parents received access to an online networking forum where they could connect with our adolescent SU expert or the community of parents also navigating their adolescent's post-discharge transition. In real-time, participants could ask questions and share information, experiences, and emotional support. Results Twenty-one parents (70%) posted at least once; 12 parents made 15 posts to our expert, while 18 parents made 50 posts to the parent community. Thematic analysis uncovered five major themes: parenting skills; parent support; managing the post-discharge transition; adolescent SU; and family functioning. Conclusions Parents discussed a range of topics directly and indirectly related to their adolescent's treatment. Incorporating networking forums into mHealth continuing care interventions offers parents a secure space to ask questions, share concerns, and gather information needed to support their adolescent's transition home.
DOI: 10.1080/08897077.2021.1915916
Institution: Brown University
Language: English
Subfield: Epidemiology
Field: Medicine
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W3159293018
FWCI: 1.44
Cites: 60
Cited by: 8
Related to: 10