Wellcome Trust
Empower young people to shape mental health research
Usable design tools to support young people with anxiety and/or depression when applying or participating in mental health research.
The Challenge
Wellcome Trust, is a biomedical research charity based in London. Funding research to improve human and animal health. Our challenge was to change the way people engage with mental health research and encourage young people to participant in these life-changing studies to better improve medicine and interventions.
As design researcher it was my responsibility to gather personal experience from young people who previously or experience anxiety and/or depression, their awareness of mental health research and their involvement in research or interventions.
My Role
Lead Researcher
Duration
12 Week engagement
Skills
Research planning
Stakeholder interviews
Recruitment
Screening
Customer interviews
Diary studies
Insight synthesis
Storytelling
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The Process
Working in close collaboration with the mental health public engagement team at Wellcome Trust and designers we devised a structured approach to collect qualitative insight and begin concept development.
With the guidance of advisories in mental health organisations, scientists and advocates we advertised for recruitment through social media and websites. It was imperative to recruit through channels young people would see, then feel comfortable to reach out to take part in our research.
Mental health can be a sensitive subject to talk about to a stranger, it was my responsibility to ensure the young person, my team and myself were all safe in this scenario. To create trust between myself and the interviewee I built rapport throughout the conversation, making it very clear that the interview could stop if they felt uncomfortable. I paid particular attention to GDPR regulations, sending consent forms prior to the interview and reiterating consent verbally at the beginning of the interview.
Key Findings
It was a privilege to speak to these young people about their personal experience, themes started to emerge and validations to our assumptions started to be answered.
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Young people had low to little awareness of mental health research and how to take part
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Terribly long waiting lists for support through National health service
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Trial and error to self manage anxiety and/or depression
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Technology enabled young people to track, monitor or reduce heightened emotions
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Recruitment and onboarding to studies is daunting, intimidating and requires the person contacting someone over the phone or through email
The Outcome
Supported by qualitative insight, patterns and stories we were able to produce an alpha prototype, Andi - an online platform where young people can register to take part in research studies. Focus around the on-boarding the design would be calming, reassuring and motivating for people with anxiety and/or depression.
All the insights from this project informed a million-pound bid for the future resource at Wellcome Trust. Amplifying the voice of the public, those who experience first-hand anxiety and/or depression.
