Effectiveness of Self Help Technologies for Emotional Problems in Adolescents
Author Information
Author(s): Ahmead Muna, Bower Peter
Primary Institution: School of Public Health, Al-Quds University, Jerusalem, Israel
Hypothesis
This study aims to examine the effectiveness of self help technology for the treatment of emotional problems in adolescents.
Conclusion
At present, the adoption of self help technology for adolescents with emotional problems in routine clinical practice cannot be recommended.
Supporting Evidence
- Meta analysis showed small, non-significant effect size for attitude towards self.
- A medium, non-significant effect size for social cognition was found.
- A medium, non-significant effect size for emotional symptoms was also reported.
- Only two studies involved self help technology for symptoms of depression.
- Most studies included volunteer participants rather than clinical populations.
Takeaway
The study looked at whether self help tools can help teenagers with emotional issues, but found that they don't seem to work well enough yet.
Methodology
The study conducted a systematic review of randomized and quasi-experimental studies, searching five major electronic databases and hand-searching journals.
Potential Biases
The review may have missed unpublished studies and included only English language studies, which could introduce bias.
Limitations
The studies included were of low quality, had small sample sizes, and many did not use clinical populations.
Participant Demographics
Most studies included adolescents aged 12-25, with a majority being students and more females than males.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p = 0.000
Confidence Interval
95% CI = -1.00 to 0.07
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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