Abstract
Background: Many young people (YP) struggle with their mental health and look online for help. To capitalise on their digital presence, we need to better understand how and where they seek information online and what they think of what they find.
Method: We recruited 24 YP (aged 13-18). Online interviews were coconducted by research team members and trained young researchers. We presented a persona with depression symptoms and asked about potential sources of information/support they might seek. They were also asked to think aloud while searching online and reviewing mental health resources (NHS, Young Minds). We used reflexive thematic analysis.
Results: Analysis generated four themes: (1) the online help-seeking process, showcasing where YP look for information and why; (2) the mismatch between the information YP expected to find and the reality; (3) the strategies YP employed to determine a source’s trust and credibility; (4) individual differences that can influence help-seeking.
Conclusion: Participants initiated their online search by Googling symptoms. They trusted NHS websites for basic medical information, while charities provided detailed content. Despite scepticism, social media offered validation. Online resources should prioritise visual appeal, user-friendliness, age-appropriate and personalised content, and peer insights. Codesign is imperative to ensure high-quality, impactful research.
Method: We recruited 24 YP (aged 13-18). Online interviews were coconducted by research team members and trained young researchers. We presented a persona with depression symptoms and asked about potential sources of information/support they might seek. They were also asked to think aloud while searching online and reviewing mental health resources (NHS, Young Minds). We used reflexive thematic analysis.
Results: Analysis generated four themes: (1) the online help-seeking process, showcasing where YP look for information and why; (2) the mismatch between the information YP expected to find and the reality; (3) the strategies YP employed to determine a source’s trust and credibility; (4) individual differences that can influence help-seeking.
Conclusion: Participants initiated their online search by Googling symptoms. They trusted NHS websites for basic medical information, while charities provided detailed content. Despite scepticism, social media offered validation. Online resources should prioritise visual appeal, user-friendliness, age-appropriate and personalised content, and peer insights. Codesign is imperative to ensure high-quality, impactful research.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Specialist publication | Psychology and Psychotherapy: Theory, Research and Practice |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | E-pub ahead of print - 14 Oct 2024 |
Bibliographical note
With thanks to Louise McCarthy who also conducted interviews and Dr Debbie Desrochers who shared the study advert and consulted at an early stage of this project. We also appreciate the ideas about recruitment shared by the spotLight on Adolescent Mood Problems (LAMP) Young Person’s Advisory Group.Data collected during this study may be made available to other researchers for future data analyses following publication of primary findings at the conclusion of the study. We will share data with other investigators within and outside our university upon submission of a reasonable written request
Funding
MEL (Advanced Fellowship 302929) is funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) for this research project. The views expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the NIHR, NHS or the UK Department of Health and Social Care. NH-S was supported by the Economic and Social Research Council [grant number ES/P000630/1].
