Challenge

Young people aged between 16 and 25 are particularly vulnerable to mental health difficulties (Ogden & Hagen, 2013). In the UK, 10-20% meet the criteria for mental health difficulties (Knapp et al., 2016), with 75% of serious mental health difficulties emerging by age 24 (Kessler et al., 2007). Early intervention is evidently crucial, yet just 25% receive professional health in the UK (Davies, 2013).

Given young people's heightened internet use during depression, digital mental health services can bridge the gap in treatment. However, despite their benefits, engagement rates vary greatly through digital peer support platforms (Fortuna et al., 2020). Prioritising engagement in digital mental health interventions has therefore been identified as a high priority focus (Graham et al., 2019), providing a strong argument for targeting engagement to ensure the efficacy of peer support services.

Project

As part of my Master’s degree, I conducted a research project (graded a First) focused on identifying key barriers and facilitators influencing engagement with the peer support services of The Mix, the UK's leading online mental health platform for under-25s, and to provide recommendations for enhancing engagement.

• Qualitative research: Designed and carried out qualitative research, including interviews and open-ended questionnaires with service-users and moderators, to gather in-depth insights into user experiences.

• Behavioural frameworks: Utilised the Theoretical Domains Framework to design data collection measures and structure data analysis.

• Behaviour design: Identified key behaviour change techniques to enhance engagement, tailored to meet the needs of The Mix's service users.

The findings can be applied to design structured interventions to increase engagement and, in turn, improve mental health outcomes among young people in the UK.