Parent and Adolescent Preferences for Online Youth Mental Health Support Programs: A Discrete Choice Experiment.

Authors

Sanjeewa Kularatna, Michelle J Allen, Sonja March, Vanessa E Cobham, Caroline Donovan, Melanie J White, Ruth Tulleners, David Brain, Sameera Senanayake

Published in

The patient. Aug 07, 2026. Epub Aug 07, 2026.

Abstract

Digital mental health programs can expand access to psychological support for children and adolescents, especially where stigma, cost, and workforce shortages limit traditional care. Understanding which features young people and parents value most is essential for improving engagement and real-world uptake.
We conducted a cross-sectional discrete choice experiment to quantify preferences for online youth mental health program features among adolescents and parents. Data were collected through an online survey of BRAVE Program families with prior experience using the BRAVE self-help anxiety program. Participants completed ten choice tasks comparing two program options varying by content format, effectiveness or professional contact, personalization, cost, and session frequency or additional supports. Preferences were analyzed using mixed multinomial logit models.
Among 238 participants (80 parents; 158 adolescents), both groups preferred programs that were engaging, interactive, and personalized, and both were sensitive to program cost. Parents placed strong emphasis on effectiveness, with cost (36%) and effectiveness (27%) the most influential attributes. Adolescents valued direct contact with a professional and additional supports, but cost was the dominant attribute influencing their choices (47%). Scenario analyses showed that predicted uptake remained high for programs with preferred features, although uptake decreased when the program cost was A$300.
Within their respective choice sets, parents placed particular value on demonstrated program effectiveness, while adolescents placed particular value on access to professional support. Programs offering flexible, optional professional input, and low or no cost may maximize appeal and accessibility while informing future policy and design of scalable youth e-mental health solutions.

PMID:
42565954
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 07 Aug 2026.

Read full publication at:
Please sign in to see all details.

Stats

1-terrible, 9-excellent. How would you rate this publication? Sign in in to submit your rating.

Post a comment

You need to be signed in to post comments. You can sign in here.

Comments

There are no comments yet.