Participatory Design of a Mobile App to Safeguard Mental Resilience in the Context of Drug Use in Young Adults (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ofri Ben-Yehuda ◽  
Efrat Dreazen ◽  
Danny Koren ◽  
Mor Peleg
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Young People ◽  
Drug Use ◽  
Focus Groups ◽  
Participatory Design ◽  
Perceived Usefulness ◽  
Warning Signs ◽  
Design Study ◽  
High Interest ◽  
Healthy Young People

BACKGROUND Existing mental health apps are largely not aimed at generally healthy young people who may be experimenting with addictive subbstances and mind-altering experiences. It is unknown whether healthy young people would make use of and benefit from an app that could lower the risk of mental breakdowns associated with drug use and engagement in mind-altering spiritual experiences. OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to examine the interest and expectations of young people regarding a proposed smartphone app designed to help protect and promote mental health and resilience in the face of risks associated with substance abuse. METHODS The study was based on agile system development and had three empirical sub-studies. Study 1 comprised a feasibility survey among 339 Israelis aged 18-30. This survey examined the potential interest of young people in this type of app. Study 2 was a participatory design study involving seven focus groups of 5-7 participants each (a total of 38 young people aged 18-35). Persona development, open discussion, and a technology acceptance model questionnaire were used to elicit users' expectations and requirements for the app, and to understand the perceived usefulness and usability of the proposed features. Study 3 comprised in-depth interviews with experts in the field of youth mental health and drug use, to enlist their professional opinion regarding the value of such an app and recommendations about the features it should include. RESULTS The mockup for the proposed app had five key features: personalized assessment of risk for a drug-associated mental crisis, support for self-monitoring, useful information (eg, warning signs and first-aid guidelines), resilience-building exercises, and a support center. Participants rated highly the usefulness of all five main features and 24 of the 25 specific features we proposed within those main categories. Participants also suggested additional features as well as a new user persona we had not considered: the parents or family members of the young person. The focus groups highly rated the perceived usability of the app. Most experts saw value in all the main features and suggested specific knowledge sources for the app’s content. Finally, participants of both the feasibility study and the participatory design study expressed moderate to high interest in using the app for self-help, and high interest in using the app to help their friends. CONCLUSIONS The findings provide preliminary encouraging support for the five main features suggested by the research team, and reinforce recommendations for mHealth apps found in the literature. The findings emphasize the insight that this kind of app should be designed primarily for use by individuals seeking to help others.

scholarly journals Involving End Users in Adapting a Spanish Version of a Web-Based Mental Health Clinic for Young People in Colombia: Exploratory Study Using Participatory Design Methodologies

10.2196/15914 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. e15914
Author(s):  
Laura Ospina-Pinillos ◽  
Tracey A Davenport ◽  
Alvaro Andres Navarro-Mancilla ◽  
Vanessa Wan Sze Cheng ◽  
Andrés Camilo Cardozo Alarcón ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Young People ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Participatory Design ◽  
Self Report ◽  
User Testing ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Middle Income Countries

Background Health information technologies (HITs) hold enormous promise for improving access to and providing better quality of mental health care. However, despite the spread of such technologies in high-income countries, these technologies have not yet been commonly adopted in low- and middle-income countries. People living in these parts of the world are at risk of experiencing physical, technological, and social health inequalities. A possible solution is to utilize the currently available HITs developed in other counties. Objective Using participatory design methodologies with Colombian end users (young people, their supportive others, and health professionals), this study aimed to conduct co-design workshops to culturally adapt a Web-based Mental Health eClinic (MHeC) for young people, perform one-on-one user-testing sessions to evaluate an alpha prototype of a Spanish version of the MHeC and adapt it to the Colombian context, and inform the development of a skeletal framework and alpha prototype for a Colombian version of the MHeC (MHeC-C). Methods This study involved the utilization of a research and development (R&D) cycle including 4 iterative phases: co-design workshops; knowledge translation; tailoring to language, culture, and place (or context); and one-on-one user-testing sessions. Results A total of 2 co-design workshops were held with 18 users—young people (n=7) and health professionals (n=11). Moreover, 10 users participated in one-on-one user-testing sessions—young people (n=5), supportive others (n=2), and health professionals (n=3). A total of 204 source documents were collected and 605 annotations were coded. A thematic analysis resulted in 6 themes (ie, opinions about the MHeC-C, Colombian context, functionality, content, user interface, and technology platforms). Participants liked the idea of having an MHeC designed and adapted for Colombian young people, and its 5 key elements were acceptable in this context (home page and triage system, self-report assessment, dashboard of results, booking and video-visit system, and personalized well-being plan). However, to be relevant in Colombia, participants stressed the need to develop additional functionality (eg, phone network backup; chat; geolocation; and integration with electronic medical records, apps, or electronic tools) as well as an adaptation of the self-report assessment. Importantly, the latter not only included language but also culture and context. Conclusions The application of an R&D cycle that also included processes for adaptation to Colombia (language, culture, and context) resulted in the development of an evidence-based, language-appropriate, culturally sensitive, and context-adapted HIT that is relevant, applicable, engaging, and usable in both the short and long term. The resultant R&D cycle allowed for the adaptation of an already available HIT (ie, MHeC) to the MHeC-C—a low-cost and scalable technology solution for low- and middle-income countries like Colombia, which has the potential to provide young people with accessible, available, affordable, and integrated mental health care at the right time.

Knowing Your Early Warning Signs and Preventing a Relapse

2021 ◽  
pp. 129-138
Author(s):  
Beth Broussard ◽  
Michael T. Compton
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Young People ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Early Warning ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Young Person ◽  
Warning Signs ◽  
First Episode ◽  
Her Family ◽  
Early Warning Signs

This chapter explains early warning signs, which are mild symptoms that occur before another episode of illness, or a relapse. To help prevent a relapse, young people can stick with treatment, watch for early warning signs, and work with their mental health professional to intervene promptly. Young people can identify their unique warning signs by thinking back to the time just before the first episode to identify the two or three early warning signs that they should watch for. Family, friends, and mental health professionals can help identify the changes they observed as well. Open communication between the young person and his or her family, friends, and mental health professionals is important when early warning signs start to occur. By carefully monitoring early warning signs, young people, their families, and their mental health professionals can work together to help lessen the severity of any future episode of psychosis that a person may have—or prevent a relapse altogether.

scholarly journals Using Participatory Design Methodologies to Co-Design and Culturally Adapt the Spanish Version of the Mental Health eClinic: Qualitative Study

10.2196/14127 ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (8) ◽  
pp. e14127 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Ospina-Pinillos ◽  
Tracey Davenport ◽  
Antonio Mendoza Diaz ◽  
Alvaro Navarro-Mancilla ◽  
Elizabeth M Scott ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Young People ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Participatory Design ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Self Report ◽  
User Testing ◽  
Spanish Speaking ◽  
English Speaking

Background The Mental Health eClinic (MHeC) aims to deliver best-practice clinical services to young people experiencing mental health problems by making clinical care accessible, affordable, and available to young people whenever and wherever they need it most. The original MHeC consists of home page with a visible triage system for those requiring urgent help; a online physical and mental health self-report assessment; a results dashboard; a booking and videoconferencing system; and the generation of a personalized well-being plan. Populations who do not speak English and reside in English-speaking countries are less likely to receive mental health care. In Australia, international students have been identified as disadvantaged compared with their peers; have weaker social support networks; and have higher rates of psychological distress. This scenario is acquiring significant relevance as Spanish-speaking migration is rapidly growing in Australia, and the mental health services for culturally and linguistically diverse populations are limited. Having a Spanish version (MHeC-S) of the Mental Health eClinic would greatly benefit these students. Objective We used participatory design methodologies with users (young people aged 16-30 years, supportive others, and health professionals) to (1) conduct workshops with users to co-design and culturally adapt the MHeC; (2) inform the development of the MHeC-S alpha prototype; (3) test the usability of the MHeC-S alpha prototype; (4) translate, culturally adapt, and face-validate the MHeC-S self-report assessment; and (5) collect information to inform its beta prototype. Methods A research and development cycle included several participatory design phases: co-design workshops; knowledge translation; language translation and cultural adaptation; and rapid prototyping and user testing of the MHeC-S alpha prototype. Results We held 2 co-design workshops with 17 users (10 young people, 7 health professionals). A total of 15 participated in the one-on-one user testing sessions (7 young people, 5 health professionals, 3 supportive others). We collected 225 source documents, and thematic analysis resulted in 5 main themes (help-seeking barriers, technology platform, functionality, content, and user interface). A random sample of 106 source documents analyzed by 2 independent raters revealed almost perfect agreement for functionality (kappa=.86; P<.001) and content (kappa=.92; P<.001) and substantial agreement for the user interface (kappa=.785; P<.001). In this random sample, no annotations were coded for help-seeking barriers or the technology platform. Language was identified as the main barrier to getting medical or psychological services, and smartphones were the most-used device to access the internet. Acceptability was adequate for the prototype’s 5 main elements: home page and triage system, self-report assessment, dashboard of results, booking and video visit system, and personalized well-being plan. The data also revealed gaps in the alpha prototype, such as the need for tailored assessment tools and a greater integration with Spanish-speaking services and communities. Spanish-language apps and e-tools, as well as online mental health information, were lacking. Conclusions Through a research and development process, we co-designed and culturally adapted, developed and user tested, and evaluated the MHeC-S. By translating and culturally adapting the MHeC to Spanish, we aimed to increase accessibility and availability of e-mental health care in the developing world, and assist vulnerable populations that have migrated to English-speaking countries.

Experience of psychotropic drug use among young people with mental health problems

2015 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
pp. 241-248 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne Kjersti Myhrene Steffenak ◽  
Bodil Wilde-Larsson ◽  
Ingeborg Hartz ◽  
Gun Nordström
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Young People ◽  
Drug Use ◽  
Psychotropic Drug ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Psychotropic Drug Use

scholarly journals Developing a Mental Health eClinic to Improve Access to and Quality of Mental Health Care for Young People: Using Participatory Design as Research Methodologies

2018 ◽  
Vol 20 (5) ◽  
pp. e188 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Ospina-Pinillos ◽  
Tracey A Davenport ◽  
Cristina S Ricci ◽  
Alyssa C Milton ◽  
Elizabeth M Scott ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Young People ◽  
Mental Health Care ◽  
Participatory Design ◽  
Research Methodologies ◽  
Improve Access

scholarly journals Perceptions and Attitudes Toward a Mobile Phone App for Mental Health for College Students: Qualitative Focus Group Study (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bree E Holtz ◽  
Alexis M McCarroll ◽  
Katharine M Mitchell
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
College Students ◽  
Focus Group ◽  
Focus Groups ◽  
Mobile Phone ◽  
Technology Acceptance ◽  
Mobile App ◽  
Perceived Usefulness ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Perceptions And Attitudes

BACKGROUND Many college students who have mental health issues do not receive professional care for various reasons. Students who do not receive help often have both short- and long-term adverse health outcomes. Mobile apps for mental health services such as MySSP, a service provided to college students through their university, may help eliminate barriers to seeking mental health care and result in more positive outcomes for college students. OBJECTIVE This qualitative study aims to better understand college students’ perceptions and attitudes toward the adoption and use of a mobile phone app for mental health, MySSP, using the technology acceptance model (TAM). METHODS A series of nine focus groups were conducted with college students (N=30) between February and May 2019 at a large, public Midwestern university. The moderator’s guide was based on the TAM, and focus group sessions primarily focused on the use and knowledge of apps for mental health, specifically, MySSP. The focus group transcriptions were hand-coded to develop a set of themes that encompassed students’ perceptions and attitudes toward MySSP. RESULTS The analysis of the focus groups suggested the following themes: (1) existing awareness of the app, (2) perceived usefulness, (3) perceived ease of use, (4) attitudes toward apps for mental health and MySSP, and (5) social influence. CONCLUSIONS The results of this study provide deeper insights into the perceptions of a mobile app for mental health among college students. Future research should explore the specific contexts in which an app for mental health will be most effective for college students.

Coming of age in a conflict area: Mental health, education, employment, migration and family formation in the southernmost provinces of Thailand

2018 ◽  
Vol 64 (3) ◽  
pp. 225-234 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathleen Ford ◽  
Aree Jampaklay ◽  
Aphichat Chamratrithirong
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Young People ◽  
Drug Use ◽  
Family Formation ◽  
Psychiatric Symptoms ◽  
World Health ◽  
Daily Lives ◽  
Perceived Effects ◽  
Self Reporting Questionnaire ◽  
Mental Health Questionnaire

Objectives: Three southern provinces of Thailand – Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat – have been involved in a long period of unrest. Young people in these provinces have lived with this violence for many years. The objectives of this article are to assess the prevalence of psychiatric symptoms of young adults aged 18–24 years and to examine the perceived effects of the conflict on education, employment, social and religious life. Methods: Data were drawn from a probability sample of 2,053 Muslim adults aged 18–59 years conducted in 2014. Mental health was assessed using World Health Organization’s (WHO) Self Reporting Questionnaire (SRQ) of 20 questions, the Thai Mental Health questionnaire and a Happiness scale. In-depth interviews with 30 respondents were also used to assess the perceived effects of the conflict on daily life, education, employment and settlement. Results: Most respondents reported low levels of psychiatric symptoms, though a small proportion reported a large high enough number to be of concern. Most of them also reported high levels of happiness. Respondents who wished to migrate to work in another area reported more psychiatric symptoms and lower levels of happiness. Many respondents reported concerns about the violence in their daily lives, although some may have become habituated to its effects. There were many obstacles reported toward obtaining education including the threat of violence, financial cost and drug use. Male respondents had concerns about consequences of being suspected to be involved in the violence and drug use. The limited employment and the threat of violence were related to the plan to migrate or to settle in the three provinces. Conclusion: In summary, most young people in the area move forward with their lives and many display some habituation to the violence. However, the economic depression due to the violence and the threat of violence often affected their daily lives.

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