Citation

Goodman R. Soc. Psychiatry Psychiatr. Epidemiol. 2013; 48(8): 1317-1325.

Affiliation

King's College London Institute of Psychiatry, London, SE5 8AF, UK, robert.goodman@kcl.ac.uk.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2013, Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1007/s00127-013-0658-2

PMID

23377755

Abstract

PURPOSE: To assess the value and practicability of online child mental health surveys. METHODS: Study 1 followed up an existing low-risk sample from the general population. Study 2 recruited a new high-risk sample via a parents' organization for children with a neurological condition. Both studies invited parents of 2-17 year olds to complete the online development and well-being assessment. Pre-existing data on the Study 1 sample made it possible to examine selective participation. RESULTS: Response rates were low (20 % for Study 1, 8 % for Study 2). Participation in Study 1 was lower for parents who rented rather than owned their home, for non-traditional families, for parents living in more deprived areas, and for Asian families. Nevertheless, studies 1 and 2 generally replicated the findings of previous interviewer-based surveys with higher response rates. CONCLUSIONS: Online surveys can be quick and easy to carry out and can potentially generate good enough data for service planning and other purposes despite low response rates, selective participation and missing data. Web-based assessments are a useful addition to the researcher's toolbox, but they do not render the other tools redundant.

Language: en