Co-designing a digital mental health platform, "Momentum", with young people aged 7-17: A qualitative study

Kristiana Ludlow; Jeremy K Russell; Brooke Ryan; Renee L Brown; Tamsin Joynt; Laura R Uhlmann; Genevieve E Smith; Caroline Donovan; Leanne Hides; Susan H Spence; Sonja March; Vanessa E Cobham

doi:10.1177/20552076231216410

Co-designing a digital mental health platform, "Momentum", with young people aged 7-17: A qualitative study

Digit Health. 2023 Nov 28:9:20552076231216410. doi: 10.1177/20552076231216410. eCollection 2023 Jan-Dec.

Authors

Kristiana Ludlow¹, Jeremy K Russell², Brooke Ryan^{1

3}, Renee L Brown¹, Tamsin Joynt⁴, Laura R Uhlmann⁴, Genevieve E Smith², Caroline Donovan⁴, Leanne Hides¹, Susan H Spence⁵, Sonja March^{2

6}, Vanessa E Cobham^{1

7}

Affiliations

¹ School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Australia.
² Centre for Health Research, University of Southern Queensland, Springfield, Australia.
³ Speech Pathology, Curtin School of Allied Health, Curtin University, Bentley, Australia.
⁴ School of Applied Psychology, Griffith University, Mount Gravatt, Australia.
⁵ Australian Institute of Suicide Research and Prevention and School of Applied Psychology, Griffith University, Mount Gravatt, Australia.
⁶ School of Psychology and Wellbeing, University of Southern Queensland, Springfield, Australia.
⁷ Child and Youth Mental Health Services, Children's Health Queensland, South Brisbane, Australia.

Abstract

Introduction: Digital mental health interventions (DMHIs) offer a promising alternative or adjunct treatment method to face-to-face treatment, overcoming barriers associated with stigma, access, and cost. This project is embedded in user experience and co-design to enhance the potential acceptability, usability and integration of digital platforms into youth mental health services.

Objective: To co-design a digital mental health platform that provides self-directed, tailored, and modularised treatment for young people aged 7-17 years experiencing anxiety, depression and other related problems.

Methods: Sixty-eight participants, aged 7-17 years, engaged in one of 20 co-design workshops. Eight workshops involved children (n = 26, m = 9.42 years, sd = 1.27) and 12 involved adolescents (n = 42, m = 14.57 years, sd = 1.89). Participants engaged in a variety of co-design activities (e.g., designing a website home page and rating self-report assessment features). Workshop transcripts and artefacts (e.g., participants' drawings) were thematically analysed using Gale et al.'s Framework Method in NVivo.

Results: Six themes were identified: Interactive; Relatable; Customisable; Intuitive; Inclusive; and Personalised, transparent and trustworthy content. The analysis revealed differences between children's and adolescents' designs and ideas, supporting the need for two different versions of the platform, with age-appropriate activities, features, terminology, and content.

Conclusions: This research showcased co-design as a powerful tool to facilitate collaboration with young people in designing DMHIs. Two sets of recommendations were produced: 1) recommendations for the design, functionality, and content of youth DMHIs, supported by child- and adolescent-designed strategies; and 2) recommendations for clinicians and researchers planning to conduct co-design and intervention development research with children and adolescents.

Keywords: adolescents; anxiety; children; co-design; depression; digital mental health interventions; digital technology; mental health; qualitative; youth.