Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38665881›Full record

ArticleDigital health

A pilot randomized control trial on the feasibility, acceptability, and initial effects of a digital-assisted parenting intervention for promoting mental health in Malaysian adolescents.

Nor Sheereen Zulkefly, Anis Raihan Dzeidee Schaff, Nur Arfah Zaini, Firdaus Mukhtar, Rahima Dahlan

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Digital health. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
5.8field-weighted citation impact, top 4% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 9 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. A Systematic Review of Parenting Programs for Southeast Asian Families.Clinical child and family psychology review · 2025
    Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Article
  4. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Nor Sheereen ZulkeflyDepartment of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2478-8157
Anis Raihan Dzeidee SchaffDepartment of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia.
Nur Arfah ZainiDepartment of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia.
Firdaus MukhtarDepartment of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia.
Rahima DahlanDepartment of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia.
Universiti Putra Malaysia · MY

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Objective: Online parenting interventions for enhancing child development, specifically mental health is relatively new in Malaysia. This pilot study tests the feasibility, acceptability, and initial effects of a universal digital-assisted parenting intervention (DaPI) in promoting mental health in adolescents by improving parental behaviors and self-efficacy. Methods: A two-arm pilot randomized controlled trial was conducted. Twenty-four mothers of adolescent aged 10 to 14 years from a non-clinical sample were recruited online and randomly allocated into two groups (intervention [DaPI] and waitlist-control [WLC]). Eight weekly sessions were delivered online via technological devices. Feasibility outcomes were based on the participants' engagement in DaPI and study retention. Primary (parental behaviors and self-efficacy) and secondary (adolescent mental health) outcomes were assessed using an online survey at baseline (T0), post-intervention (T1), and 1-month follow-up (T2). Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics and an intention-to-treat approach. Results: The DaPI was well received by the mothers. Retention was high (81.8%) in both groups and intervention adherence was excellent (91.6%). Within-group analyses showed a significant decrease in physical control at T2 and an increase in parental self-efficacy at T1 and T2 among the DaPI mothers. No significant differences were observed in adolescents' mental health at any time point. As for the WLC group, there were no significant differences in all the outcome variables across the three assessment moments. Between groups analyses revealed DaPI mothers had significant differences in proactive parenting at T1, and in positive reinforcement and lax control at T2. There were no significant differences in adolescents' mental health between the groups at any time point. Discussion: The DaPI is feasible and acceptable in the Malaysian context. Findings show promise regarding the initial effects of the DaPI. However, a larger RCT is needed to determine its effectiveness in promoting mental health of adolescents. Trial registration: https://www.irct.ir/; identifier: IRCT20211129053207N1.

Indexed as

adolescent mental healthdigital-assistedMalaysiaonline mediumParenting intervention

Identifiers

PMID38665881
PMCPMC11044793
OpenAlexW4395071606

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.