Partnering with Stakeholders in the Design of Digital Mental Health Services Supporting Underserved Youth

• In Event: How to Design Just and Equitable Digital Experiences to Support Adolescent Wellbeing

Abstract

Introduction: There is an incredible public health potential for developing digital mental health tools that can be easily integrated into people’s lives. Such tools have the potential to extend reach and maximize impact. Prior to implementing digital tools into new settings, it is critical to understand what is important to the organizations and individuals who will implement and use these tools. This presentation will focus on partnerships with two groups of stakeholders to design digital mental health tools for underserved youth. The aims of Study 1 were to interview community mental health care providers working with youth, primarily from lower socioeconomic status households, to learn about their perspectives on incorporating digital tools into practice. The goal of Study 2 was to partner with a community organization that serves underserved youth to design a technology-enabled prevention service targeting mental health.

Methods: For Study 1, we worked with a large community service organization that provides care to >27,000 people annually. The majority of their patients are of lower socioeconomic status. Six focus groups were conducted with clinical staff members and supervisors from that organization who work with youth. For Study 2, we worked with a community-based teen program within a public library, which is a social service system serving socioeconomically diverse neighborhoods with variant access to mental health resources. The teen program is designed for teens, and by teens, and focuses on social-emotional and academic development and providing a platform for teens’ voices to be heard and make an impact in their community. Individual interviews were conducted with program staff who directly interact with teens. Sessions were audio-recorded, transcribed, and coded using thematic analysis approach.

Results: For Study 1, clinicians provided insight into the digital tools they incorporated into treatment sessions with youth, such as videos on YouTube and Headspace. They explained considerations in utilizing digital tools in sessions. Benefits, such as engagement of adolescents in treatment, were expressed, along with potential challenges (e.g., privacy concerns) and developmental considerations (e.g., taking phone away as punishment). For Study 2, program staff and librarians talked about the resources and programs offered for teen patrons (e.g., “Living History,” social justice program) as well as their roles and technology used in mentoring youth at the library around mental health. Most mentoring took place directly in the programs, and also through teens asking librarians for book recommendations on sensitive topics, leading to further conversations. Finally, program staff and librarians discussed digital resources that would be helpful for teens around mental health, such as a repository of trustworthy resources, and tools for the staff themselves (e.g., risk management decision-tree).

Conclusions: Consideration of the organization, and individuals within that organization, who will implement digital tools are critical to design tools that can be sustainably incorporated into organizations. Themes focused on implications of implementing digital tools into community organizations for underserved youth will be discussed. We will end the discussion talking about the next steps in the design of these digital tools, including individual interviews and design workshops with teens.

Authors

• Ashley A Knapp, Northwestern University
  Presenting Author

• Katherine Cohen, Northwestern University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Robert Simmons, Oak Park Public Library
  Non-Presenting Author

• Stephen Jackson, Oak Park Public Library
  Non-Presenting Author

• Darcel Washington, Oak Park Public Library
  Non-Presenting Author

• Emily Lattie, Northwestern University
  Non-Presenting Author