JMIR Pediatrics and Parenting

Approximately 39% of young people (aged 16-24 y) experience mental ill health, but only 23% seek professional help. Early intervention is essential for reducing the impacts of mental illness, but young people, particularly those from culturally diverse communities, report experiencing shame and stigma, which can deter them from engaging with face-to-face services. Digital mental health (DMH) tools promise to increase access, but there is a lack of literature exploring the suitability of DMH tools for culturally diverse populations.

Anxiety disorders are the most common mental health conditions worldwide, yet 65% of those affected do not access services. The high prevalence of anxiety and the low rate of intervention uptake highlight the urgent need to develop timely, scalable, and effective interventions suitable for adolescents. This study adapted existing single-session interventions (SSIs) to further develop an SSI focused on a growth mindset regarding negative emotions for adolescent mental health.

Mental health challenges, including anxiety and depression, are increasingly common among adolescents. Mobile health (mHealth) apps offer a promising way to deliver accessible Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) interventions. However, research on the usability and effectiveness of apps explicitly tailored for adolescents is limited.

The use of extended reality (XR), including virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR), for treating pain has accelerated in the last 10 years. XR is an attractive biobehavioral intervention that may support management of pain or pain-related disability. Reviews of the literature pertaining to adults report promising results, particularly for acute procedural pain.

Early identification of developmental concerns requires understanding individual differences that may represent early signs of neurodevelopmental conditions. However, few studies have longitudinally examined how child and maternal factors interact to shape these early developmental characteristics.

Transition from pediatric to adult healthcare marks a complex and pivotal process for adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). This group requires support regarding disease self-management, skill development, and system navigation in preparation for transition. Evidence-based interventions are needed to promote optimal health and psychosocial outcomes for AYAs with IBD during this period.

Essential Coaching for Every Mother is a text message program that positively improved parenting self-efficacy and reduced postpartum anxiety when measured immediately after intervention at 6-weeks postpartum. However, it is unknown the impacts of a short-term postpartum intervention over time.

Parents and caregivers with preterm babies in the neonatal intensive care unit experience high levels of distress and are at an increased risk of anxiety, depression and acute stress disorders. Effective interventions to reduce this distress are well described in the literature, but this research has been conducted primarily in Europe and North America. To our knowledge, few interventions of this sort have been developed in Australasia and none have been developed or tested in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Anaemia remains a significant public health concern with adverse effects among children. Non-invasive screening assessments enable early detection and prompt treatment of anaemia. However, there is limited literature on the use of such screening assessments available.

Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA) is a chronic rheumatic condition requiring long-term, multidisciplinary treatment, which consumes significant healthcare resources and family energy. This study aims to analyze the effectiveness of digital interventions on patient outcomes in individuals with JIA.

With the provision of home infusion therapy in children with acute or long-term illness on the rise, eHealth technologies have the potential to bridge the transition between hospital and home. However, eHealth interventions intended to support parents in managing home infusion therapy are sparse. Gaining insight into the needs and experiences of parents and healthcare professionals is crucial to developing feasible and sustainable eHealth interventions that target their needs. This study describes the first phase of a research study designed to develop and evaluate an eHealth intervention to support home infusion therapy.

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