Bridging the Gap: Comparing an eHealth Mental Health and Parenting Treatment among Mothers with and Without At-Risk Substance Use
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Background: Several eHealth treatments, including the Building Emotional Awareness and Mental health (BEAM) program, are feasible and effective for mothers experiencing mental health concerns. However, little research examines these programs among mothers with mental health concerns and at-risk substance use (ARSU; ARSU+). Prior BEAM trials have identified high rates of alcohol and cannabis use among participants, despite not recruiting based on substance use. To date no studies have evaluated whether implementation and symptom change outcomes differ between mothers with ARSU+ and those without (ARSU-) when participating in BEAM (i.e., a mental health program that does not directly address substance use). This represents an important gap, as integrated treatments are often difficult to access, especially for postpartum mothers.Objectives: To address this gap, BEAM implementation (e.g., retention, perceived usefulness) and symptom outcomes (e.g., depression, anxiety) were compared between ARSU subgroups.Design: This was a secondary data analysis of two BEAM trials for mothers of infants (6-18 months) and toddlers (18-36 months).Methods: A total of 110 mothers (M age = 20.72) participated in BEAM. Implementation metrics were compared against a-priori benchmarks. Mental health symptom trajectories were examined across time using two-level mixed models.Results: Treatment adherence, safety, and questionnaire completion time benchmarks were met in both groups, while retention, perceived usefulness, and overall questionnaire completion benchmarks were not. Changes in mental health and parenting stress symptoms did not differ between ARSU subgroups.Conclusion: BEAM demonstrated similar feasibility and symptom change across ARSU subgroups. This study adds to literature examining single-focus eHealth treatments for mothers with ARSU+ and highlights refinements to enhance implementation metrics in future BEAM iterations.
