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Symposia

Technology/Digital Health

Bridging Gaps in Access to Care: Designing, Adapting, Testing, and Disseminating Single-Session Interventions for Young People

2 - (SYM 11) Engaging Stakeholders and Experts by Experience to Adapt Parent-directed Digital Single Session Interventions

Friday, November 21, 2025
3:22 PM - 3:39 PM CST
Location: Empire B, Level 2
Keywords: Child, Technology / Mobile Health, Treatment/ Program Design
Recommended Readings: Schleider, J. L., Zapata J.P., Rapoport, A., Wescott, A., Ghosh, A., Kaveladze, B., Szkody, E., & Ahuvia I. (in press). Single-session interventions for mental health problems and service engagement: Umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, 21. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-clinpsy-081423-025033,   Peters-Corbett, A., Parke, S., Bear, H., & Clarke, T. (2024). Barriers and facilitators of implementation of evidence-based interventions in children and young people’s mental health care – a systematic review. Child and Adolescent Mental Health, 29(3), 242-265. https://doi.org/10.111/camh.12672,   Joseph, J., & Rajan, S. K. (2024). Evolution of single-session therapy: A bibliometric analysis. The American Journal of Psychotherapy, 77(2), 71-78. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.psychotherapy.20230054,   Kazdin, A. E. (2019). Annual research review: Expanding mental health services through novel models of intervention delivery. The Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 60(4), 455-472. https://doi.org/doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.12937,  
Abstract Body

Single session interventions (SSIs) have shown promise in addressing a range of mental health issues in a rapid and resources-efficient manner. Project EMPOWER, a web-based SSI, has demonstrated efficacy in reducing a key maintenance factor in child anxiety, parental accommodation, as well as increasing parental distress tolerance and reducing child anxiety. 


Parental accommodation refers to changes in caregiver behaviors or routines that facilitate or maintain their child’s avoidance due to anxiety. While accommodation has been primarily investigated within the context of child anxiety, it involves caretaking behaviors that may also play a significant role in maintaining other areas of psychopathology; adjusting daily routines to aid the avoidance of triggers and/or directly participating in strategies to reduce child’s distress in the moment. In fact, accommodating behaviors have been examined in parents rearing children struggling with eating disorder, tic disorder, hoarding disorder, somatoform disorder, externalizing disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, and autism spectrum disorder. Thus, Project EMPOWER has been iteratively adapted in collaboration with stakeholders and experts by experience to help caregivers with children struggling with eating disorders and developmental disabilities. 


Three clinical psychologists specializing in the treatment of eating disorders in outpatient and acute care settings took part in the iterative adaptation of Project EMPOWER for eating disorders (Empower-ED). Further, one clinical scientist with expertise in developmental disabilities (DD) as well as 6 primary caregivers of a child with developmental disabilities took part in the iterative adaptation of project EMPOWER-DD. Project EMPOWER-ED has been deployed as an adjunctive service during medical hospital admissions to rapidly increase accessibility of care and reduce strain on clinical resources. Focus groups with caretakers are underway for EMPOWER-DD. Models for creating meaningful collaborations across systems of care and engaging parents will be discussed. The presentation will also explore practical steps and challenges involved in iteratively adapting SSIs. We will also report (1) the effectiveness, feasibility, and acceptability data from the Project EMPOWER-ED pilot trial, projected to complete in August 2025 and (2) the qualitative coding of the parent focus groups, projected to be completed by May 2025.