Sms4dads: Providing information and support to new fathers through mobile phones - A pilot study

Fletcher, R; May, C; Lambkin, FK; Gemmill, AW; Cann, W; Nicholson, JM; Rawlinson, C; Milgrom, J; Highet, N; Foureur, M; Bennett, E; Skinner, G

Sms4dads: Providing information and support to new fathers through mobile phones - A pilot study

Fletcher, R May, C Lambkin, FK Gemmill, AW Cann, W Nicholson, JM Rawlinson, C Milgrom, J Highet, N Foureur, M

Bennett, E Skinner, G

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Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Advances in Mental Health, 2017, 15 (2), pp. 121 - 131
Issue Date:: 2017-01-01

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Fletcher, R	en_US
dc.contributor.author	May, C	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Lambkin, FK	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Gemmill, AW	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Cann, W	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Nicholson, JM	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Rawlinson, C	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Milgrom, J	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Highet, N	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Foureur, M https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0454-0165	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Bennett, E	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Skinner, G	en_US
dc.date.issued	2017-01-01	en_US
dc.identifier.citation	Advances in Mental Health, 2017, 15 (2), pp. 121 - 131	en_US
dc.identifier.issn	1838-7357	en_US
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/124359
dc.description.abstract	© 2016 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. Objective: The objective of this paper was to inform the development of a mobile phone-optimised, SMS-based, informative and interactive telephone-linked support system for new fathers. Methods: The SMS4dads intervention was designed to support fathers with helpful and encouraging text messages, links to relevant web resources, mood monitoring and connection to a crisis telephone support if needed. Forty-six participants were recruited through clinics and social media across Australia. Outcome measures evaluated uptake, user engagement and acceptability. Results: Forty men (87%) remained engaged with the SMS4dads intervention for the full six-week period. Users’ feedback indicated that SMS4dads had good acceptability and that the content was helpful. An embedded tool to allow tracking of users’ mood was utilised by slightly less than half of the study participants. Concerning levels of psychological distress may have been detected in several participants. Conclusion: The results provide tentative support for the use of mobile phone technology to deliver parenting and mental health information to men in the perinatal period. Participants’ engagement and positive responses suggest that this technology could provide a welcome conduit for essential information and support for new fathers, and could potentially be further developed as a feasible medium for collecting information on fathers’ levels of psychological distress.	en_US
dc.relation.ispartof	Advances in Mental Health	en_US
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1080/18387357.2016.1245586	en_US
dc.title	Sms4dads: Providing information and support to new fathers through mobile phones - A pilot study	en_US
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	2	en_US
utslib.citation.volume	15	en_US
utslib.for	1117 Public Health and Health Services	en_US
utslib.for	1701 Psychology	en_US
utslib.for	1103 Clinical Sciences	en_US
pubs.embargo.period	Not known	en_US
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Health
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Health/Midwifery
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Strength - CHSP - Health Services and Practice
utslib.copyright.status	closed_access
pubs.issue	2	en_US
pubs.publication-status	Published	en_US
pubs.volume	15	en_US

Abstract:

© 2016 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. Objective: The objective of this paper was to inform the development of a mobile phone-optimised, SMS-based, informative and interactive telephone-linked support system for new fathers. Methods: The SMS4dads intervention was designed to support fathers with helpful and encouraging text messages, links to relevant web resources, mood monitoring and connection to a crisis telephone support if needed. Forty-six participants were recruited through clinics and social media across Australia. Outcome measures evaluated uptake, user engagement and acceptability. Results: Forty men (87%) remained engaged with the SMS4dads intervention for the full six-week period. Users’ feedback indicated that SMS4dads had good acceptability and that the content was helpful. An embedded tool to allow tracking of users’ mood was utilised by slightly less than half of the study participants. Concerning levels of psychological distress may have been detected in several participants. Conclusion: The results provide tentative support for the use of mobile phone technology to deliver parenting and mental health information to men in the perinatal period. Participants’ engagement and positive responses suggest that this technology could provide a welcome conduit for essential information and support for new fathers, and could potentially be further developed as a feasible medium for collecting information on fathers’ levels of psychological distress.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/124359