Academic Team Research Articles

Co-producing evidence to inform universal health coverage implementation in Ireland: 2019-2024

Abstract Background In 2017, Ireland’s parliamentary health committee published a ten-year health reform plan, entitled Sláintecare, with the aim of delivering universal healthcare. Endorsed by government in 2018, progressing Sláintecare remains government policy in 2024. In 2019, Prof Burke was awarded public funding to co-produce knowledge for the design and implementation of the regions, a key aspect of Sláintecare. In 2020, with the arrival of COVID-19, regional reform was paused and the research pivoted to capture the learning from the COVID-19 health system response to inform Sláintecare. In 2022/3, the research returned to focus on the regions. Methods Foundations’ research resulted in 14 peer-reviewed publications between 2019 and 2023. These were mixed-methods using qualitative and quantitative data and analysis. Coproduction with health system leaders that were devising and implementing the regions and the COVID-19 health system response underpinned the research. Results There are 14 academic publications from the Foundations Research (2019-2023). At the core of co-production is trust and good working relationships. Co-producing research with senior policy makers and implementers has benefits and drawbacks. The benefits include access to resources and data and that the data and knowledge generated are more likely to be adopted. Drawbacks include control over areas researched, denial of access to data and lack of openness to research findings. Producing controversial findings, unpopular with government, minister or health system leaders can also lead to difficulties for the research team. Discussion/conclusions Details of the coproduction process with senior health system and policy leaders will be presented. It will detail specific examples of the research which were initiated by the health system and those that came from the academic research team. It will give examples of how the research influenced the policy making and implementation processes. Key messages • Co-producing research between academics and health system and policy leaders leads to better use of evidence. • Trust and good workign relationships are key to co-producing research that is used in policy making and implementation processes.

Innovation in Teacher Training: Curricular and Operational Keys in Pedagogy Programs

This study addresses the curricular components and operational conditions required for the success of curricular innovations in teacher education programs. This quantitative study analyzed components related to epistemic meanings, organization, design, and curricular policies, as well as operational conditions for the development of curricular innovations in teacher training. A Likert-scale survey was administered to academics from public universities in Chile that train teachers. The method of analysis used SPSSv28 software, establishing a descriptive and inferential analysis through descriptive statistics of sex, age, gender, and position in the organization. The results show that operational conditions, academic teams, organizational aspects, updating of regulatory frameworks, infrastructure, and curricular policies are essential for the success of curricular innovations. We conclude that curricular innovations at the institutional level require the generation of curricular policies that contemplate the design, monitoring, and evaluation of the curriculum to favor the processes of curriculum review and quality assurance.

Living and Researching the COVID-19 Pandemic: Autoethnographic Reflections from a Co-Research Team of Older People and Academics.

This article describes and reflects upon the work of a co-research team on the Healthy Ageing in Scotland (HAGIS) 'COVID-19 Impact and Recovery' study (January 2021 to November 2022). The co-research team (seven older adults and three academics) was constituted near the start of this project; the team contributed to the development of recruitment materials and research tools and undertook qualitative research and analysis with older adults living across Scotland. This article provides a collaborative autoethnography about the activities undertaken by the team, the impact of the co-research process on the individuals involved, and the research findings and reflects the realities of co-research during the COVID-19 pandemic. Team members describe benefits, including increased confidence, new skills, and social connections, and reflect on the increased validity of the findings through their close involvement in the co-creation of knowledge. The process of team building and the adoption of an 'ethics of care' in our practice underpinned the success of this project and the sustainability of the group during and after the challenging circumstances of the pandemic.

Investigating Co‐Authorship Networks of Academic and Industry Researchers in Artificial Intelligence

ABSTRACTResearch teams from the industry, especially big technology companies, have been pushing impactful research work in the field of artificial intelligence (AI), changing the prospects of the field and the careers of many researchers. Research teams from big technology companies usually possess more data, bigger computing infrastructure, and research talent, granting them the advantages in advancing AI research. While most previous work focuses on investigating the advantages the industry has in the field of AI, and how their research publication is different from those published by academic teams, few research has been done to investigate whether working as an industry researcher is beneficial at the individual level. In this work, by analyzing co‐authorship networks of researchers published in AI conferences, we investigate whether working in the industry gives researchers advantages in “intangible” forms, such as social capital, represented by the collaborative relationships they gained or maintained. Our result shows that the many advantages industry researchers possess correlate with the social capital they have, measured by degree centrality, eigenvector centrality, betweenness centrality, and effective size.

The Languages of Love Support Group: Exploring quality of life and relationship satisfaction among couples experiencing cancer.

206 Background: Based on Dr. Gary Chapman’s The Five Love Languages (5LL), love is given and received in different ways. By identifying preferences for reciprocating love, relationships are enhanced through strengthened bonds and improved communication. Study goals were to optimize quality of life and reduce pain through improved dyadic communication via support group curriculum adapted from Dr. Chapman’s work. Methods: A research collaboration was established between an academic pharmacy research team and a large community oncology practice. A group of Masters prepared Social Workers (MSWs) within the oncology practice developed a virtual 6-week, cancer specific curriculum targeting the patient-partner couple (dyad). Participants completed 5LL quiz to determine their preferred love language. In each group session facilitated by MSWs, dyads were educated on each love language meaning (words of affirmation, acts of service, receiving gifts, quality time, physical touch) and potential impact following a cancer diagnosis. Weekly sessions included collective discussion and breakout groups consisting of patients and partners separately. Participants took a researcher-designed, pre- and post-test survey. Participants shared their preferred love language and were encouraged to perform actions accordingly. Dyads were mailed infographics with application examples for each love language and received a welcome starter kit including $50 of items. Results: A pilot group of 24 dyads consisting of 3 cohorts were enrolled in the 6-week intervention. Eleven dyads completed pre- and post-tests (45.8%); 100% of dyads were married, greater than 50% more than 20 years. Greater than 80% of participants were 50 years or older, greater than 70% White; 81.8% of patients female and 63.3% of partners male. Patient relationship satisfaction increased significantly (p<0.10) while trend for improved partner relationship satisfaction was not significant. There was a trend of decreased patient depression and anxiety despite patients’ reported pain increasing significantly (p<0.10). The comments regarding intervention were overwhelmingly positive. Conclusions: Educating dyads within the 5LL virtual support group demonstrated a novel and effective way to provide emotional support and enhance intimate relationships. Through this innovative group, participants learned to identify and express partners’ love language. Pilot intervention shows how this approach is useful in improving relationship satisfaction during the cancer journey. Following group participation, patients also reported increased quality of life and decreased depression and anxiety even while reporting increased pain. Based on this evidence, a couples support group constructed from the 5LL paradigm is a promising approach to improve the quality of life of cancer patients.

Building a community-academic partnership to expand services for childhood cancer survivors in a rural, low-income region in California.

360 Background: Community-engaged research is an effective approach to address health disparities that is well-established in the public health domain and has not been widely applied in childhood cancer survivorship. We present our multi-year experience building a community-academic partnership and community-engaged childhood cancer survivorship research portfolio. Methods: We have developed a partnership between Jacob’s Heart Children’s Cancer Support Services, a nonprofit community-based organization (CBO) and an academic pediatric cancer survivorship team, with the goal of improving health outcomes for childhood cancer survivors and their families in the Salinas Valley, a rural, low-income region in California with majority Hispanic/Latino/a/e residents. Our partnership process is guided by principles of community-based participatory research, prioritizing trust and involving community members as equal partners in all phases of research. Results: In year 1 (2021-2022), we held successive meetings which identified common goals and shared values, established the collaboration, and sought funding to advance our goals. In year 2 (2022-2023), with internal grant funding, we conducted a qualitative needs assessment interviewing childhood cancer survivors, parents, and CBO staff. Teamwork enriched the data analysis and allowed us to identify problems in communication as an area of need, which directly informed subsequent grant proposals. In year 3 (2023-2024), with external funding we began a multi-year study to understand and improve survivorship-related communication among Hispanic/Latino/a/e young adult childhood cancer survivors, their parents, and clinicians. Current and future projects include collaborative design and pilot testing of a novel communication intervention, formation of a dedicated community advisory board, and a CBO-driven program evaluation. Findings from our community-engaged studies have prompted new sets of research questions and illustrate opportunities for institutional change in the clinic setting. In parallel, the CBO has leveraged research findings in real-time to identify barriers to seeking support among childhood cancer survivors and families, and adapted and improved programming for families in response. Through our joint research portfolio, we have incorporated training and mentorship for staff at the CBO and medical trainees at the academic center. Conclusions: A community-academic partnership in a rural, low-income region has the potential to reduce health disparities and improve childhood cancer survivors’ health outcomes through collaborative program development and community-engaged research. Fueled by mutual investment and strong momentum, our partnership facilitates an interconnected cycle of research and practice change that is grounded in community needs.

Advancing gender equality through context-sensitive work-family support for breastfeeding: lessons from a participatory intervention in South Africa

ABSTRACT The return to work is a key reason for breastfeeding cessation worldwide. Where workplace breastfeeding support is available, it is shaped by universal policies that overlook local realities and needs. Our collaborative research, involving an academic team and government partners, sought context-specific solutions for supporting breastfeeding in a provincial government in South Africa. Using a participatory approach, we conducted qualitative interviews with 12 government-employed mothers and senior managers. We identified three key challenges to workplace breastfeeding support: (1) Lack of awareness and communicating of reliable information on maternity and breastfeeding rights, (2) Workplace cultures pressurising mothers into silence, secrecy, and supra-performance that perpetuate breastfeeding as ‘taboo’ at work, and (3) Inadequate context-sensitive and practicable interventions for supporting maternity and breastfeeding at work. Based on these findings, we co-created tailored, practical interventions with the interviewees and refined them iteratively to enhance support for workplace breastfeeding. This research informed updates to a provincial government department policy document on workplace breastfeeding support, moving beyond national legislation to create a breastfeeding-friendly workplace. Our study highlights the value of participatory approaches for the development of context-sensitive solutions for workplace breastfeeding support with implications for organizations, social policy, and future research.

Collaborative strategies for designing employability curriculum in a liberal arts context

In Australian higher education, the push for curriculum innovation to enhance graduate employability is crucial but faces contention and debate. While the importance of integrating employability skills is widely recognised, perspectives on how and whether to incorporate these as curricular objectives vary, especially in liberal arts programs. This paper explores a multidisciplinary academic team’s experiences of embedding employability units into the Bachelor of Arts and undergraduate Communication and Creative Arts degrees at one Australian university. It addresses the challenges of diverse disciplinary perspectives on employability, career education, and work-integrated learning (WIL), and the design for a diverse student cohort, including career starters, career advancers, and career changers from multiple disciplinary contexts. Utilising Tuckman’s ‘forming, storming, norming, and performing’ model, the paper evaluates the team’s dynamics, offering insights and guidance for academics and institutions undertaking similar curriculum innovation projects to enhance graduate employability. This case study highlights the institutional support necessary for fostering sustainable curriculum reforms and the positive effects of collaborative curriculum design on the professional development and teaching capabilities of the educators involved.

Abstract B076: Qualitative insights into building an effective community advisory board for cancer disparities research

Abstract To address cancer disparities in minority and underserved communities, many organizations and research studies use a community advisory board (CAB) to better understand the needs, preferences, and perceptions of communities experiencing health inequities. Researchers have described a range of problems resulting in less than optional engagement of CAB members. Academic members of an NCI-funded cancer partnership interviewed 15 of the 20 members of their CAB to better understand their perceptions of their roles and expectations, as well as barriers and facilitators of engagement. Two trained team members coded the transcripts and conducted qualitative analysis using an iterative inductive/deductive framework. Deductively, we used principles of community-engaged research, and inductively we used coded quotes to identify details in the CAB members’ perspectives. The research team collaborated in organizing major themes into a conceptual framework to describe context, expectations, barriers and facilitators, and recommended strategies for strengthening involvement and benefit of CAB participation for its members. CAB members identified individual factors associated with their involvement including skills (communication, problem solving, interpersonal, leadership, professional, and advocacy), and motivations (community commitment, personal or family experience with cancer). The interviews indicated that there is a gap between CAB members’ perceptions of their roles and what they expect from participation and attendance in CAB meetings, and those of the academic team as conveyed verbally, in the CAB manual, and during onboarding activities. Barriers to enthusiastic engagement include disruptions associated with the COVID experience, members’ competing priorities, and role ambiguity. The CAB members’ resources and connections to the community were identified as facilitators. All these factors influenced the amount and quality of engagement of members with the academic partners and the community at large. Participants suggested many useful adaptations of the CAB-academic partnership, including enhanced training, improved communication, explicit role definitions, clear expectations around engagement with research, and better onboarding for new members. Scientists using a CAB to enhance community engagement should approach building a robust CAB as a deliberate process involving considerable planning, organization, and attention. Projects using a CAB can use the findings from this project to organize a community-academic partnership that will effectively and efficiently contribute to clinical, translational, and community-engaged work addressing cancer health disparities. Citation Format: Leah Alexander, Jennifer Erves, Rebecca Selove, Ila McDermott, J'la Jenkins, Phillip Morris, David Schlundt. Qualitative insights into building an effective community advisory board for cancer disparities research [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 17th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2024 Sep 21-24; Los Angeles, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2024;33(9 Suppl):Abstract nr B076.

Work readiness of student nurses voluntarily supporting NHS during COVID-19 pandemic: a mixed methods investigation into students’ experiences

Background: Transition from education to the workforce has been recognised as difficult and linked to ‘reality shock.’ Due to the unprecedented circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic, many student nurses opted in for NHS emergency placements and prematurely transitioned to the workplace, which calls for an in-depth investigation of the work readiness and transition experiences of this cohort. Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate self-perceived work readiness, the effectiveness of support provided by the universities and the NHS as well as explore the experiences of student nurses who responded to the COVID-19 crisis to understand the impact of this early transition to the clinical workforce. Design: A mixed methods study was conducted. It included two stages: (1) an online survey consisting of a work readiness questionnaire and close- and open-ended questions about received support; and (2) online semi-structured interviews that were thematically analysed. Methods: Participants were nursing students from Scottish universities who took on emergency NHS placements. Thirty-three (30 females and 3 males) participants completed the survey and 8 of them (all female) participated in semi-structured interviews. The Work Readiness Scale for graduate nurses along with questions about the support received were completed in the first stage of the study. Results: Organisational acumen was perceived by participants as higher than social intelligence, work competence and personal work characteristics. Three superordinate themes emerged: (1) participants expressed appreciation of and need for coordination of support from the university and the NHS as a key factor in easing into their role; (2) they indicated the sense of obligation as the key driver for taking up this placement; (3) placement was seen as an opportunity to understand their role and develop their professional identity. Conclusions: The findings found the importance of support from the clinical placement and academic teams to help with the integration and application of theory into practice.

Integrating academic medical education into vocational general practitioner training: how do these combined training posts impact on subsequent career paths?

ABSTRACT Background In the UK, to encourage academic careers, extended education posts (EEPs) exist, where standard three-year, general practice vocational training is extended, offering trainees dedicated time to spend in another specialty such as medical education (Med Ed). Little is known about whether this impacts positively on their subsequent careers. Aims To explore general practitioners’ (GPs’) experiences and career trajectories after undertaking Med Ed EEPs. Method Twenty-eight GPs who completed a Med Ed EEP between 2013 and 2021 were invited to participate. Semi-structured interviews were held virtually. Transcripts were coded with NVivo software and underwent thematic analysis using Braun and Clarke’s six-phase framework to ensure a reiterative process of internal validation. Results Eight GPs took part. All were working as NHS GPs, alongside other roles. Four themes emerged: ‘growing as an academic educator’, ‘research can be interesting’, ‘the academic environment’ and ‘juggling multiple roles is stressful’. Most were still teaching, involved in research and had undertaken formal Med Ed training. Role models and immersion in academic teams were influential. Significant tensions and stresses were experienced when balancing multiple roles. The absence of ongoing academic training tracks contributed to this. Conclusion EEPs impact positively on academic career development and the acquisition of appropriate skills. However, managing multiple roles is challenging and stressful. Short-term university contracts, difficulties obtaining flexible working and resultant lack of partnership or salaried clinical work highlight an urgent need to explore fixed academic training pathways after vocational training, if sustainable recruitment into primary care academia is to be achieved.

Championing student participation in co-designing digital education resources: A student experience

The aim of this contemporary piece is to discuss the student experience of co-design and the process involved in the co-creation of developing digital educational resources. A discussion of the need for digital educational resources in the era of pre-registration nursing students being digital natives is explored and the potential benefits or barriers for nursing education and practice are outlined. The need for co-design as a methodology in nurse education which is inclusive of the student-led role is discussed and a personal account of student experience will be detailed. By focusing on the student voice this article aims to provide a first-hand experience of working alongside academic and educational research teams, whilst also promoting student participation within co-design projects further than simply tokenistic involvement, highlighting the comprehensive benefits associated for all. The importance of support, knowledge sharing, and effective communication will be detailed to allow other students to gain insight and empower them to participate in a co-designed project should it arise in their university education.

Co-designing with high-performance athletes and stakeholders: The AHEAD intervention for personal development

The overall purpose of this study was to describe the development of a personal development intervention for high-performance sport. More specifically, the primary objective of the study was to present the results of the co-design phases of the intervention development process. The academic research team initiated the process of intervention development, informed by a grounded theory and using a logic model and the Template for Intervention Description and Replication checklist for Population Health and Policy (TIDieR-PHP). During the co-design phases of intervention development, 28 participants (15 athletes, 8 coaches, 5 technical leaders) were engaged via focus groups or individual interviews. We used qualitative description methodology and analyzed data using an abductive content analysis procedure. Participant engagement helped inform the development of the intervention logo, activity bank, delivery format, scheduling, and individualized approach. By the end of the development phase, the intervention comprised five personal development strategies: self-awareness, goal setting, reflecting, perspective-taking, and evaluating.

Creating a Culturally Safe Online Data Collection Instrument to Measure Vaccine Confidence Among Indigenous Youth: Indigenous Consensus Method.

Participating in surveys can shape the perception of participants related to the study topic. Administering a vaccine hesitancy questionnaire can have negative impacts on participants' vaccine confidence. This is particularly true for online and cross-cultural data collection because culturally safe health education to correct misinformation is typically not provided after the administration of an electronic survey. To create a culturally safe, online, COVID-19 vaccine confidence survey for Indigenous youth designed to collect authentic, culturally relevant data of their vaccine experiences, with a low risk of contributing to further vaccine confusion among participants. Using the Aboriginal Telehealth Knowledge Circle consensus method, a team of academics, health care providers, policy makers, and community partners reviewed COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy surveys used in public health research, analyzed potential risks, and created a framework for electronic Indigenous vaccine confidence surveys as well as survey items. The framework for safer online survey items is based on 2 principles, a first do-no-harm approach and applying a strengths-based lens. Relevant survey domains identified in the process include sociodemographic information, participants' connection to their community, preferred sources for health information, vaccination uptake among family members and peers, as well as personal attitudes toward vaccines. A total of 44 survey items were developed, including 5 open-ended items to improve the authenticity of the data and the analysis of the experiences of Indigenous youth. Using an Indigenous consensus method, we have developed an online COVID-19 vaccine confidence survey with culturally relevant domains and reduced the risk of amplifying misinformation and negative impacts on vaccine confidence among Indigenous participants. Our approach can be adapted to other online survey development in collaboration with Indigenous communities.

North-South research collaboration during complex global emergencies: Qualitative knowledge production and sharing during COVID-19

Large multinational teams of academics and activist-practitioners that span the Global North-South divide have become common in qualitative research because of the reliance of field of peace and conflict studies on “local” knowledge and expertise. Complex global emergencies, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, present the opportunity to (re)shape and (re)consider these endeavors in key some ways. This article focuses on the involvement of South-based activist-practitioners in three large North-South collaborations, one pre-pandemic (Beyond Words: Implementing Latin American Truth Commission Recommendations), one ongoing when the pandemic began (Gender, Justice, and Security Hub), and one launched during the pandemic (Truth Commissions and Sexual Violence: African and Latin American Experiences). Drawing on center-periphery framework, we adopt an autoethnographic approach, to reflect on how the pandemic has not only reinforced existing structural and institutional asymmetries through reduced funding, professional uncertainty, and personal loss and insecurity but also added some new ethical concerns. This reality has tested both our capacity and commitment to work toward the decolonization of knowledge in the field. In making this argument, we seek to contribute to the discussion on research ethics and the politics of knowledge production and sharing in qualitative peace and conflict research.

Utilizing a patient advocacy-led clinical network to engage diverse, community-based sites in implementation-effectiveness research

BackgroundIncreased engagement with community-based practices is a promising strategy for increasing clinical trials access of diverse patient populations. In this study we assessed the ability to utilize a patient-advocacy organization led clinical network to engage diverse practices as field sites for clinical research.MethodsGO2 for Lung Cancer led recruitment efforts of 17 field sites from their Centers of Excellence in Lung Cancer Screening Network for participation in an implementation-effectiveness trial focused on smoking cessation integration into screening programs for lung cancer. Sites were engaged by one of three methods: 1) Pre-Grant submission of letters of support, 2) a non-targeted study information dissemination campaign to network members, and 3) proactive, targeted outreach to specific centers informed by previously submitted network member data. Detailed self-reported information on barriers to participation was collected from centers that declined to join the study.ResultsOf 17 total field sites, 16 were recruited via the targeted outreach campaign and 1 via pre-grant letter of support submission. The sites covered 13 states and 4 United States geographic regions, were varied in annual screening volumes and years of screening program experience and were predominantly community-based practices (10 of 17 sites). The most reported reason (by 33% of sites) for declining to participate as a field site was inadequate staffing bandwidth for trial activities. This was especially true in community-based programs among which it was reported by 45% as a reason for declining.ConclusionsOur results suggest that this model of field site recruitment leveraging an existing partnership between an academic research team and an informal clinical network maintained by a disease-specific patient advocacy organization can result in engagement of diverse, community-based field sites. Additionally, reported barriers to participation by sites indicate that solutions centered around providing additional resources to enable greater capacity for site staff may increase community-practice participation in research.

Rolf Loeber – Machteld Hoeve – N. Wim Slot – Peter H. van der Laan (eds.): Persisters and Desisters in Crime from Adolescence into Adulthood. Ashgate, Surrey, 2012, 461 oldal

The volume “Persisters and Desisters in Crime from Adolescence into Adulthood”. edited by Rolf Loeber, Machteld Hoeve, Wim Slot and Peter van der Laan, gathers an international team of academics for an interdisciplinary challenge. The authors provide an overview of the most important criminological questions and problematic issues of the transition period from adolescence to adulthood.

Feasibility Study of a Mobile Health Parenting Intervention Among Somali/Somali Americans From Refugee Families in the United States

Mobile health parenting interventions often do not account for inequities in parenting education and health resources for racial minority, refugee, and low-income families. We examined the feasibility of a mobile health intervention to address maternal and child wellness needs in Somali/Somali Americans from refugee families. Using a community-engaged research approach, our interdisciplinary academic team, in collaboration with Somali/Somali American community members, healthcare providers, and state, county, and local health officials, developed a culturally sensitive audio-based messaging intervention. The messages contained four topics (parent–child relationships, child nutrition, child health, and maternal self-care) and were delivered in an audio-based format upon the community’s needs. Forty-six Somali/Somali American parents ( Mage = 31) participated in the feasibility study, and 12 parents provided feedback. Based on thematic analysis, Somali/Somali American parents found the content and delivery style helpful in caring for their children and themselves and expressed interest in continuing this intervention. We discuss the implications for using mobile health interventions to address health inequities in marginalized communities.

Integrating Health Informatics into Pre-Registration Nursing Education: Insights from a Participatory Workshop.

The implementation of health informatics in pre-registration health professional degrees faces persistent challenges, including curriculum overload, educator workforce capability gaps, and financial constraints. Despite these barriers, reports of successful implementation of health informatics pre-registration nursing programs exist. A virtual workshop was held during thein 15th International Nursing Informatics Conference in 2021 with the aim to explore successful implementation strategies for incorporating health informatics into the nursing curriculum to meet the accreditation standards. This paper reports recommendations from the workshop emphasising the importance academic-clinical partnerships to develop innovative approaches to enhance theof capacity of academic teams and access to contemporary point of care digital technologies that reflect applications of health informatics in interdisciplinary clinical settings.

Make (digital) space for and with the young: Arts-inspired co-design of civic tech for youth mental health policies

Public engagement, digital or in-person, is mostly adult-centric and ableist, often universalising the experience of participation of a narrow demographic (white, older and middle class). In Mindset Revolution we combined arts-based and creative methods with civic tech to co-design participatory spaces with a diverse group of young people, where to discuss and influence mental health policy and practice. The paper examines the digital element of the project, where young people, supported by a team of academics and digital designers, used the Decidim civic tech platform to engage with their peers and policymakers. This co-design work helped inform changes to the platform towards more accessible and margin-responsive participation that can better support active engagement of traditionally excluded groups. The young people evaluated their own participation and social impact, challenging assumptions about youth participation. The flexibility afforded by the digital platform was crucial to sustain engagement. However, although often branded as digital natives, the young people we worked with perceived digital participation as an enabler but not a central element of their work on social change. Follow-up work on the platform is shaping it as a space for collective oversight, with opportunities for open-ended dialogue between young people, the community and policymakers to identify and navigate barriers to implementation of young people’s proposals.