Development of a Lived Experience-Based Digital Resource for a Digitally-Assisted Peer Support Program for Young People Experiencing Psychosis

Abstract

This paper describes the creation of a web-based digital resource designed for tablet computer use during peer work sessions to structure discussion about recovery in early psychosis. The resource consisted of a series of videos featuring young people who have used early psychosis services discussing how they navigated issues in their own recovery. A participatory process was used to create the resource. Researchers held a series of collaborative development workshops with early psychosis service users, peer workers, other mental health practitioners, and academics. These were used to derive a framework of recovery processes relevant to young people experiencing psychosis, which was considered as useful areas of discussion within a peer work relationship. A semi-structured interview guide based on this framework was then used in video-recorded interviews with young people in recovery from psychosis. Footage was edited into 14 videos and organized into six final themes: My Journey, Self-Care, Connections, My Identity, Life, and Mental Health. The combined expertise of young mental health service users, peer support workers, mental health practitioners, and digital mental health researchers throughout the development process enabled the creation of tailored digital resource for peer work in an early psychosis service.

mHealth for Young Adults with Early Psychosis: User Preferences and Their Relationship to Attitudes About Treatment-Seeking

“…The average young adult spends four times longer on smartphones than on Internet-connected computers (Nielsen, 2018 ), and both individuals with chronic schizophrenia-spectrum disorders (Firth et al, 2016 ; Gay et al, 2016 ) and young adults with early psychosis report high rates of smartphone ownership and interest in mobile health (Bonet et al, 2018 ; Camacho et al, 2019 ). A number of clinician-supported mHealth interventions have shown promise and feasibility in early psychosis, targeting self-management support (Terp et al, 2018 ), ongoing assessment and relapse prevention (Bonet et al, 2020 ), and increased social connection (Peck et al, 2020 ; Schlosser et al, 2016 , 2018 ).…”

A qualitative exploration of the acceptability of a cognitive behavioural therapy self-help book for people with psychosis in Nicaragua

“…Our data extends this to Central American contexts and points to the potential value of personal stories, self-management strategies and short exercises in supporting recovery cross-culturally in both highand middle-income settings. Stories of lived experiences have the potential to be used successfully in interventions (Peck et al, 2020) and our data suggest that self-help interventions in Nicaragua would benefit from a wide range of personal stories which reflect the cultural diversity in Nicaragua that a wider range of service-users could relate to.…”

Learning About the Current State of Digital Mental Health Interventions for Canadian Youth to Inform Future Decision-Making: Mixed Methods Study

“…Most of the articles focused on the development and use of mobile apps targeting child and youth experiences with anxiety and depression [ 13 - 16 ]. There was a paucity of research on other types of digital mental health interventions as well as any digital interventions for eating disorders and many complex mental illnesses, with only one article identified on youth experiences with psychosis [ 17 ].…”