title: Access and completion of a Web-based treatment in a population-based sample of tornado-affected adolescents.
abstract: Although Web-based treatments have significant potential to assess and treat difficult-to-reach populations, such as trauma-exposed adolescents, the extent that such treatments are accessed and used is unclear. The present study evaluated the proportion of adolescents who accessed and completed a Web-based treatment for postdisaster mental health symptoms. Correlates of access and completion were examined. A sample of 2,000 adolescents living in tornado-affected communities was assessed via structured telephone interview and invited to a Web-based treatment. The modular treatment addressed symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, and alcohol and tobacco use. Participants were randomized to experimental or control conditions after accessing the site. Overall access for the intervention was 35.8%. Module completion for those who accessed ranged from 52.8% to 85.6%. Adolescents with parents who used the Internet to obtain health-related information were more likely to access the treatment. Adolescent males were less likely to access the treatment. Future work is needed to identify strategies to further increase the reach of Web-based treatments to provide clinical services in a postdisaster context.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychological Science, University of Vermont.
authors.forename: Matthew
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Price
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Tampa.
authors.forename: Erica K
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Yuen
authors.affiliation: National Crime Victims Research and Treatment Center, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina.
authors.forename: Tatiana M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Davidson
authors.affiliation: National Crime Victims Research and Treatment Center, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina.
authors.forename: Grace
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hubel
authors.affiliation: Technology Applications Center for Healthful Lifestyles, College of Nursing, MUSC Charleston Health Equity.
authors.forename: Kenneth J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Ruggiero
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000628:therapy; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy*; D004190:Disasters; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D008297:Male; D008491:Medical Informatics Applications; D010349:Patient Compliance / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D011613:Psychotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D011897:Random Allocation; D012737:Sex Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000628:therapy; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy*; D055869:Tornadoes