Date of Award
2025
Degree Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology
Specialization
Clinical Psychology
Department
Psychology
First Advisor
Ellen Flannery-Schroeder
Abstract
The present study examined the impact of The Greatest 8Ô text messaging service on parental involvement in promoting children’s mental health and wellness. A quasi-experimental design compared 63 subscribers and 115 non-subscribers of the service. Parents completed an online survey assessing confidence, engagement, beliefs about eight core mental health skills, and perceived child improvement, along with exploratory measures regarding information sources, preferred communication methods, and barriers to accessing resources. It was hypothesized that subscribers would report higher confidence, engagement, and beliefs than non-subscribers, that duration in the program would predict these outcomes, and that engagement would moderate the relationship between duration and confidence/beliefs. ANCOVA analyses controlling for demographic covariates revealed that subscribers reported stronger beliefs about children’s social-emotional development (F(1,141) = 4.36, p = .039, partial η² = .030) but unexpectedly lower confidence (F(1,157) = 5.60, p = .019, partial η² = .034); engagement did not differ (F(1,157) = 0.09, p = .767). Duration did not predict outcomes, and moderation effects were unsupported. Regression analyses indicated that engagement strongly predicted confidence (β = .64, p < .001), and confidence predicted perceived child improvement (β = .44, p = .018). Skill-specific analyses showed highest confidence and engagement in diversity awareness and emotional understanding, and lowest confidence in conflict resolution and problem-solving. Findings suggest that The Greatest 8Ô effectively reinforces parental beliefs about children’s social-emotional development but may require additional strategies to enhance confidence and engagement. Future research should employ longitudinal designs and validated measures to examine sustained effects.
Recommended Citation
Michel, Rebecca, "THE INFLUENCE OF THE GREATEST 8TM TEXT MESSAGE SERVICE ON PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT IN CHILDREN’S MENTAL HEALTH" (2025). Open Access Dissertations. Paper 4531.
https://digitalcommons.uri.edu/oa_diss/4531