BEAM Program for Parental Mental Health
(BEAM Trial)
Recruiting in Palo Alto (17 mi)
Overseen byLeslie E Roos, PhD
Age: 18+
Sex: Any
Travel: May Be Covered
Time Reimbursement: Varies
Trial Phase: Academic
Recruiting
Sponsor: Leslie E. Roos
Disqualifiers: Outside Manitoba, Child not 2-5, others
No Placebo Group
Trial Summary
What is the purpose of this trial?Children are highly sensitive to adversity during their first five years of life, with exposure to chronic parental mental illness (MI) consistently linked to socio-emotional impairments and mental health problems in children. Children born during the COVID-19 pandemic were exposed to unprecedented level of parental distress, with parental MI reported at three times the pre-pandemic rates. This situation underscored a pressing need for scalable solutions to foster positive mental health and developmental outcomes for a generation of children. In response, the investigators developed the Building Emotional Awareness and Mental Health (BEAM) program, an innovative mobile health (mHealth) solution for parents of young children. Clinical trials to date evaluating BEAM have shown promising results, demonstrating reductions in parent depression, anxiety, and harsh parenting practices. This trial involves an effectiveness-implementation hybrid design with co-primary aims of (1) determining BEAM's effectiveness in improving child mental health and developmental outcomes, and (2) evaluating the implementation of BEAM in the community through metrics such as feasibility, acceptability, and uptake. The secondary aim of this trial is to measure BEAM's effectiveness in improving long-term biopsychosocial family outcomes using administrative data. A final exploratory aim of this trial will measure the cost-utility of delivering BEAM relative to extant health programming.
This trial will evaluate the effectiveness of implementing the BEAM intervention in the community with a sample of 400 parent participants with a child aged 24-71 months. Study participants will complete 12 weeks of psychoeducation modules in the BEAM app, with access to an online social support forum and check ins with a peer coach. Assessments of parent and child symptoms will occur at pre-test before BEAM begins (T1), immediately after the last week of the BEAM intervention (post-test, T2), 6-month follow-up (T3), and 12-month follow-up (T4).
The BEAM program offers a promising solution to addressing elevated parental mental health symptoms, parenting stress, and related child functioning concerns. The present implementation trial aims to extend the groundwork established by an open pilot trial and RCT of the BEAM program, in a next step of testing BEAM's readiness for nationwide scaling.
Will I have to stop taking my current medications?
The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications. It seems likely that you can continue your medications, especially since the trial focuses on a mobile health program rather than medication changes.
What data supports the effectiveness of the BEAM Program for Parental Mental Health treatment?
Research on similar emotional awareness-based parenting programs shows promising results, with participants experiencing reduced stress and improved emotional awareness. Additionally, emotion-focused family therapy has been effective in helping parents resolve emotional issues and gain confidence in supporting their children's mental health.
12345How is the BEAM treatment different from other treatments for parental mental health?
The BEAM program is unique because it is an app-based treatment that simultaneously targets both maternal mental health and parenting skills, addressing the gap where most programs focus on one or the other. It is designed to be accessible and mitigate the impacts of pandemic stress on family well-being, making it particularly relevant during times when traditional services are limited.
678910Eligibility Criteria
The BEAM trial is for parents with a child aged 2-5 years, who may be experiencing depression, stress, or other mental health issues. It's designed to help improve the parent-child relationship and support child development.Inclusion Criteria
I am 18 years old or older.
At eligibility screening, participants must have access to an electronic device for viewing videos and participating in Zoom meetings. The research team may provide devices for those who do not have access
Participants must have IP addresses within Manitoba, Canada, as determined by IP address in REDCap at the time of eligibility screener questionnaire completion. Participants need to upload a photo with valid Manitoba government identification and their face
+6 more
Exclusion Criteria
Living outside of Manitoba
Previous participation in an earlier BEAM trial
I am a parent or primary caregiver of a child who is not between 2 and 6 years old.
+1 more
Trial Timeline
Screening
Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial
2-4 weeks
Treatment
Participants complete 12 weeks of psychoeducation modules in the BEAM app, with access to an online social support forum and check-ins with a peer coach.
12 weeks
Weekly virtual check-ins
Follow-up
Participants are monitored for safety and effectiveness after treatment, with assessments at 6-month and 12-month intervals.
12 months
Assessments at 6-month and 12-month intervals
Participant Groups
This study tests the BEAM program, a mobile app providing psychoeducation modules and social support for parents. Its effectiveness on children's mental health and developmental outcomes will be measured over one year.
1Treatment groups
Experimental Treatment
Group I: The BEAM Program GroupExperimental Treatment1 Intervention
All study participants will complete 12 weeks of the BEAM program. Each week of BEAM includes: (a) 15-20 minutes of therapeutic mental health and parenting video content, (b) exercises to practice key skills, (c) access to the online forum to cultivate social support through interaction with other parents and peer coaches, (d) individual check ins with peer coaches (i.e., trained and supervised staff with lived experience) via Zoom for Healthcare, phone, or direct messaging, and (e) a brief in-app survey for symptom monitoring to track progress. Participants will also be invited to virtual group drop-in sessions facilitated by peer coaches and be connected with a systems navigator who can support participants in accessing other community resources (e.g., childcare programs, legal aid, housing).
Find a Clinic Near You
Research Locations NearbySelect from list below to view details:
University of Manitoba - Department of Psychology & PediatricsWinnipeg, Canada
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Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?
Leslie E. RoosLead Sponsor
George & Fay Yee Centre for Healthcare InnovationCollaborator
Children's Hospital Research Institute of ManitobaCollaborator
Family Dynamics, Manitoba, CanadaCollaborator
Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)Collaborator
Manitoba Centre for Health PolicyCollaborator
References
Family assessment conversations as a tool to support families affected by parental mental illness: a retrospective review of electronic patient journals. [2022]Previous research has shown a link between parental mental illness and adverse development in their offspring. In Norway, it is mandatory for health professionals to identify if patients in adult mental health services have children, and subsequently to provide support for the children. An important tool to detect if families are affected by parental mental illness and to assess if there is a need for further intervention is the Family Assessment Conversation. Family Assessment Conversations is potentially a powerful tool for communication with families affected by parental mental illness because it facilitates early identification of children at risk of various adversities due to the family situation. Additionally the tool may initiate processes that enable children and parents to cope with the situation when a parent becomes seriously ill. Little is however known about how the mental health practitioners use the family assessment form in conversations, and to what extent they record relevant information in the electronic patient journals.
Assessing an Internet-based parenting intervention for mothers with a serious mental illness: a randomized controlled trial. [2014]This study examined the effectiveness of an Internet parenting education and support intervention among mothers with a serious mental illness (SMI).
An Emotional Awareness Based Parenting Group for Parents with Mental Illness: A Mixed Methods Feasibility Study of Community Mental Health Nurse Facilitation. [2017]There has been limited examination of the use of relationship based structured parenting programs that focus on emotional interactions in the parent-child dyad in families where a parent has a mental illness. There is also a lack of awareness of the practicalities of providing such interventions within adult mental health services. This study explores the process and outcomes of a nurse led emotional awareness based parenting program for adult clients of a mental health service. Participants demonstrated a significant reduction in difficult parenting moments and associated stress and distress as well as promising improvements in overall distress and emotional awareness.
Processes and outcomes of an emotion-focused family therapy two-chair intervention for transforming problematic parenting patterns. [2022]Emotion-focused family therapy (EFFT) is a therapy model which includes a two-chair intervention aimed at facilitating awareness and an interruption of problematic patterns of parenting as well as a reconnection to healthy caregiving instincts. The present study employed a task analysis to examine the process of this intervention with parents in a therapeutic setting and report on preliminary outcomes. Four trained EFFT therapists conducted chair work interventions with four parents (total of 16) and parents completed questionnaires directly following the intervention. Results indicated that most parents experienced significant emotional resolution of their love-based fears and an increase in confidence in supporting their children struggling with mental health issues. Use of the intervention in clinical settings is an effective and efficient way to support parents in responding to their children's mental health challenges.
A web-based mental health program: reaching parents at work. [2022]The purpose of the project was to test a web-based program providing working parents with the knowledge and skills necessary for prevention and early intervention of mental health problems in youth.
The Building Emotional Awareness and Mental health (BEAM) program developed with a community partner for mothers of infants: protocol for a feasibility randomized controlled trial. [2023]Drastic increases in the rates of maternal depression and anxiety have been reported since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Most programs aim to improve maternal mental health or parenting skills separately, despite it being more effective to target both concurrently. The Building Emotional Awareness and Mental health (BEAM) program was developed to address this gap. BEAM is a mobile health program aiming to mitigate the impacts of pandemic stress on family well-being. Since many family agencies lack infrastructure and personnel to adequately treat maternal mental health concerns, a partnership will occur with Family Dynamics (a local family agency) to address this unmet need. The study's objective is to examine the feasibility of the BEAM program when delivered with a community partner to inform a larger randomized controlled trial (RCT).
Building Emotional Awareness and Mental Health (BEAM): study protocol for a phase III randomized controlled trial of the BEAM app-based program for mothers of children 18-36 months. [2022]The prevalence of maternal depression and anxiety has increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, and pregnant individuals are experiencing concerningly elevated levels of mental health symptoms worldwide. Many individuals may now be at heightened risk of postpartum mental health disorders. There are significant concerns that a cohort of children may be at-risk for impaired self-regulation and mental illness due to elevated exposure to perinatal mental illness. With both an increased prevalence of depression and limited availability of services due to the pandemic, there is an urgent need for accessible eHealth interventions for mothers of young children. The aims of this trial are to evaluate the efficacy of the Building Emotion Awareness and Mental Health (BEAM) app-based program for reducing maternal depression symptoms (primary outcome) and improve anxiety symptoms, parenting stress, family relationships, and mother and child functioning (secondary outcomes) compared to treatment as usual (TAU).
Building Emotional Awareness and Mental Health (BEAM): A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial of an App-Based Program for Mothers of Toddlers. [2023]Families have faced unprecedented challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to increased maternal mental health problems and barriers to accessing care. Innovative programs are needed to support both maternal mental health and parenting, and to buffer the long-term impacts of stress on young children. Using a patient-oriented approach, our research team aimed to co-develop and pilot test an App-based psychoeducation and social-connection platform: Building Emotional Awareness and Mental Health (BEAM).
Intervention programs for children whose parents have a mental illness: a review. [2019]To identify and describe intervention programs to improve outcomes for children whose parents have a mental illness.
['NischE - Nicht von schlechten Eltern' - Evaluation of a Multidisciplinary Teamwork Approach to Support Children in Families with Mentally Ill Parents]. [2018]Objective: Evaluation of a project offering low-threshold anonymous counseling services jointly by mental health services and child and youth services to support children in families with mentally ill parents Methods: Evaluating performance data and completed questionnaires returned by parents included in the project. Results: Between 2011-2014, 150 families received up to 10 sessions of family-oriented counseling. The survey results indicate a high level of satisfaction with the services of the cooperation project. The vast majority of respondents said that they would recommend this service to others or would themselves take advantage of the services again. Conclusion: A collaboration of service providers from psychiatry and child and youth welfare department resulting in continuous availability of counseling with a common family medical perspective represents a forward-looking model for families with a mentally ill parent.