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.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Heiervang E, Goodman R (2011) Advantages and limitations of web-based surveys: evidence from a child mental health survey. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 46:69–76
Freeman C, Tyrer P (1989) Reseach methods in psychiatry: a beginner’s guide. Royal College of Psychiatrists, Gaskell
Galea S, Tracy M (2007) Participation rates in epidemiologic studies. Ann Epidemiol 17:643–653
Morton SMB, Bandara DK, Robinson EM, Atatoa Carr PE (2012) In the 21st century, what is an acceptable response rate? Aust N Z J Public Health 36:106–108
Lundberg I, Damström Thakker K, Hällström T, Forsell Y (2005) Determinants of non-participation, and the effects of non-participation on potential cause-effect relationships, in the PART study on mental disorders. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 40:475–483
Sanders D, Clarke HD, Stewart MC, Whiteley P (2007) Does mode matter for modeling political choice? Evidence from the AC2005 British election study. Polit Anal 15:257–285
Wolke D, Waylen A, Samara M, Steer C, Goodman R, Ford T, Lamberts K (2009) Does selective dropout in longitudinal studies lead to biased prediction of behaviour disorders? Br J Psychiatry 195:249–256
Ford T, Goodman R, Meltzer H (2003) The British child and adolescent mental health survey 1999: the prevalence of DSM-IV disorders. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 42:1203–1211
Green H, McGinnity A, Meltzer H, Ford T, Goodman R (2005) Mental health of children and young people in Great Britain, 2004. Palgrave Macmillan, Basingstoke
Goodman R (1997) The strengths and difficulties questionnaire: a research note. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 38:581–586
Goodman R (2001) Psychometric properties of the strengths and difficulties questionnaire (SDQ). J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 40:1337–1345
Goodman R (1999) The extended version of the strengths and difficulties questionnaire as a guide to child psychiatric caseness and consequent burden. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 40:791–801
Goodman R, Renfrew D, Mullick M (2000) Predicting type of psychiatric disorder from strengths and difficulties questionnaire (SDQ) scores in child mental health clinics in London and Dhaka. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 9:129–134
Goodman R, Ford T, Richards H, Gatward R, Meltzer H (2000) The development and well-being assessment: description and initial validation of an integrated assessment of child and adolescent psychopathology. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 41:645–655
Ford T, Goodman R, Meltzer H (2003) The British child and adolescent mental health survey 1999: the prevalence of DSM-IV disorders. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 42:1203–1211
Craig R, Hirani V (2010) Health survey for England 2009. The Information Centre, London
Noble M, Wright G, Dibben C, Smith G, McLennan D, Anttila C et al (2004) Indices of deprivation 2004. Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, London
Goodman R, Graham P (1996) Psychiatric problems in children with hemiplegia: cross sectional epidemiological survey. BMJ 312:1065–1069
Goodman R, Yude C, Richards H, Taylor E (1996) Rating child psychiatric caseness from detailed case histories. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 37:369–379
Goodman R, Yude C (2000) Emotional, behavioural and social consequences. In: Neville B, Goodman R (eds) Congenital hemiplegia: clinics in developmental medicine, no 150. Mac Keith Press, London, pp 166–178
Ford T, Hamilton H, Meltzer H, Goodman R (2007) Child mental health is everybody’s business: the prevalence of contact with public sector services by type of disorder among British school children in a three-year period. Child Adolesc Mental Health 12:13–20
Fombonne E (2009) Epidemiology of pervasive developmental disorders. Pediatr Res 65:591–598
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Goodman, R. Online child and adolescent mental health surveys can be good enough. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 48, 1317–1325 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-013-0658-2
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-013-0658-2