The prevalence of anxiety, depression, and other mood disorders is rising among Black youth compared to White youth. Black youth are less likely to utilize mental health services due to barriers like cultural mistrust, affordability, stigma, and accessibility, and are more likely to prefer self-reliance and personal coping. Digital mental health platforms have the potential to increase access to evidence-based, culturally relevant mental health supports and services. This study develops and validates a measure of digital help-seeking among Black adolescents. Goodwin and colleagues will work with an advisory board of Black adolescents to develop the Mental Health Technological and Cultural Help-seeking Scale (MH-TeCH Scale), which they will then refine through cognitive interviews with Black adolescents and expert reviews. They will use exploratory factor analysis to establish the initial factor structure of the scale and confirmatory factor analysis to validate the scale, examine measurement invariance, and explore population heterogeneity. The scale can be used to enhance the ability to assess and utilize digital mental health and technology to improve the reach and utilization of mental health supports and services for underserved Black adolescents.
How can digital help-seeking be measured in ways that support increased access to mental health care and service utilization among Black adolescents?
