Abstract
Aims:A 10-month project funded by the NewMind network sought to develop the specification of a visualisation toolbox that could be applied on digital platforms (web- or app-based) to support adults with lived experience of mental health difficulties to present and track their personal wellbeing in a multi-media format.Methods:A participant co-design methodology, Double Diamond from the Design Council (Great Britain), was used consisting of four phases: Discover – a set of literature and app searches of wellbeing and health visualisation material; Define – an initial workshop with participants with lived experience of mental health problems to discuss wellbeing and visualisation techniques and to share personal visualisations; Develop – a second workshop to add detail to personal visualisations, for example, forms of media to be employed, degree of control over sharing; and Deliver – to disseminate the learning from the exercise.Results:Two design workshops were held in December 2017 and April 2018 with 13 and 12 experts-by-experience involved, respectively, including two peer researchers (co-authors) and two individual-carer dyads in each workshop, with over 50% of those being present in both workshops. A total of 20 detailed visualisations were produced, the majority focusing on highly personal and detailed presentations of wellbeing.Discussion:While participants concurred on a range of typical dimensions of wellbeing, the individual visualisations generated were in contrast to the techniques currently employed by existing digital wellbeing apps and there was a great diversity in preference for different visualisation types. Participants considered personal visualisations to be useful as self-administered interventions or as a step towards seeking help, as well as being tools for self-appraisal.Conclusion:The results suggest that an authoring approach using existing apps may provide the high degree of flexibility required. Training on such tools, delivered via a module on a recovery college course, could be offered.
Highlights
Digital technology is readily available in the hands of many individuals
The results suggest that an authoring approach using existing apps may provide the high degree of flexibility required
Due to the nature of the visualisations produced by the groups of experts-byexperience, as we continue the Deliver phase of our NewMind project, the view of the project team has changed somewhat from its preconception about designing an app toolbox
Summary
Digital technology is readily available in the hands of many individuals. It holds promise for supporting improved public health through the exploitation of its sophisticated and user-friendly multimedia functions as well as its always-on connectivity. The deployment of digital technology in healthcare, typically termed e-Health (electronic) and more recently m-Health (mobile), is to be found on platforms such as personal computers, smartphones, tablet and wearables. A strong focus on digital mental health has emerged.[1] In the UK, the NewMind network,[2] funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), was founded to explore ‘the potential for technology to transform the management & treatment of mental health conditions, whilst seeking to address underlying EPS research challenges’.
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