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An online intervention for vulnerable young adults : Identifying mechanisms of change using a grounded theory approach
Reupert, Andrea Maybery, Darryl Bartholomew, Catherine Cuff, Rose Matar, Jodie Pettenuzzo, Laura Foster, Kim
Reupert, Andrea
Maybery, Darryl
Bartholomew, Catherine
Cuff, Rose
Matar, Jodie
Pettenuzzo, Laura
Foster, Kim
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to qualitatively identify the mechanisms of change as young adults, whose parents have a mental illness and/or substance use issue, navigate their way through a 6-week, moderated online intervention.
Methods
Using a qualitative, grounded theory approach, data were collected and triangulated for analysis from participants before, during, and after engaging in the intervention. First, 31 young people’s motivations for enrolling in the intervention were identified from one open ended question on an online survey. Second, online chat sessions were analysed to identify those topics the 31 participants engaged in throughout the intervention. Finally, 19 interviews were conducted 2 weeks post-intervention, to ascertain participants’ perceptions of the impacts of the intervention and how the intervention promoted changes.
Results
The main storyline was that of participants “making sense” of their parents, themselves and other relationships, in collaboration with peers, in a safe online space. This storyline of “making sense” drove their motivation to join the intervention and was the focus of the online chats. After the intervention, some were closer to having “made sense” of their families while others struggled differentiating themselves away from their families. An anonymous, professionally moderated online site afforded participants opportunities to think about who they were and for some, who they wanted to be.
Conclusion
Generating an explanatory theory of how vulnerable young people navigate their way through an online intervention provides important information that can be used to inform future services, interventions, and research.
Keywords
online intervention, young adults, parents, mental illness, substance use problem
Date
2022
Type
Journal article
Journal
Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology
Book
Volume
57
Issue
Page Range
293-303
Article Number
ACU Department
School of Nursing, Midwifery and Paramedicine
Faculty of Health Sciences
Faculty of Health Sciences
Relation URI
Source URL
Event URL
Open Access Status
License
All rights reserved
File Access
Controlled