How Parents Can Boost Teens' Online Therapy Outcomes

You know how anxiety is a big deal for many teens these days? One way to help might be through something called internet-delivered acceptance and commitment therapy, or iACT. This is just a fancy name for online therapy. It's convenient and cost-effective, especially for those who have trouble getting to traditional therapy sessions. Now, let's talk about something interesting. Not many studies have looked into how well this online therapy works for teens in regular health settings. And, not much is known about how parental support can make a difference. A recent study followed teens with anxiety who were doing iACT for a year. Guess what they found? When parents get involved and support their kids through the sessions, things seem to get better. This could mean reminding them to log in or even sitting with them while they do the exercises. But, let's think about this. What if not all parents can be as supportive? Or what if teens don't want their parents involved at all? These are important questions to ponder. Another cool thing about this study is that it happened in a real-world setting. This makes it more like what you might experience outside of a lab or a controlled environment.