What criteria are young people using to select mobile mental health applications? A nominal group study.

Objective: The popularity of smartphone technology provides a unique opportunity to make mental health support widely accessible, especially among young people. Despite the promising results of some mobile mental health support applications, the overwhelming number of available applications (apps) on the market makes it difficult to make a choice that will be safe and effective. Currently, widely available tools are either developed by experts, without end user input or are solely based on usability rankings. Thus, it remains unclear what aspects of mental health apps are important for young people. The purpose of this study was to determine what criteria young adults use when they select mental health applications and what is the relative importance of these criteria to inform the development of a user-driven app-rating platform. Methods: We conducted 4 group sessions with 47 youth and young adults aged 15-25 in British Columbia, Canada using a modified nominal group technique. This method allows for establishing the relative importance of criteria in a structured group discussion. We recorded, transcribed and analysed the resulting data using qualitative content analysis and quantitative methods. Results: Criteria that are the most important to young adults when selecting mental health apps include accessibility, security and grounding in scientific evidence. We identified specific aspects of the discussed criteria which were ranked in the order of importance. Conclusion: Consulting end users about their priorities when evaluating mental health apps ensures that their values and priorities are incorporated into future app-rating platforms, alongside expert opinions. The present study also outlines the common contexts in which apps are used as well as their desirable features to inform mental health app development.

Supporting youth 12-24 during the COVID-19 pandemic: how Foundry is mobilizing to provide information, resources and hope across the province of British Columbia.

Foundry is a province-wide network of integrated health and social service centres for young people aged 12-24 in British Columbia (BC), Canada. Online resources and virtual care broaden Foundry's reach. Its online platform - foundrybc.ca - offers information and resources on topics such as mental health, sexual wellness, life skills, and other content suggested by youth and young adults. The COVID-19 pandemic has presented significant and unique challenges to the youth and their families/caregivers served by Foundry. Disruptions to school, access to essential healthcare services such as counselling, familial financial security and related consequences has left young people with heightened anxiety. The Foundry team mobilized to respond to these extenuating circumstances and support BC youth and their families/caregivers during this hard time through three goals: (1) to amplify (and translate for young people and their families/caregivers) key messages released by government to support public health responses to the COVID-19 pandemic; (2) to develop content that supports the needs of young people and their families/caregivers that existed before COVID-19 and are likely to be exacerbated as a result of this pandemic; and (3) to develop and host opportunities through social media and website articles to engage young people and their families/caregivers by creating a sense of community and promoting togetherness and social connection during the COVID-19 pandemic. Each goal and plan integrated the leadership, feedback and needs of youth and their families through engagement with Foundry's provincial youth and family advisory committees. Our study evaluated Foundry's media response to the COVID-19 pandemic by recording/measuring (1) the website/social content created, including emerged thematic topic areas; (2) the process of topic identification through engagement with youth and young adults; (3) the social and website analytics of the created content; and (4) the constant, critical team-reflection of our response to the pandemic. Following measurement and reflection, our team offers recommendations to health promotion organizations for future preparedness.

Evaluation of a campaign to improve awareness and attitudes of young people towards mental health issues.

PURPOSE: This study evaluated the effectiveness of the In One Voice campaign for raising mental health awareness and improving attitudes of youth and young adults towards mental health issues. The campaign featured a prominent male sports figure talking about mental health issues and used online social media. METHODS: A successive independent samples design assessed market penetration and attitudinal changes among the young people. Two samples completed an online questionnaire either immediately before (T1: n = 403) or 2 months after (T2: n = 403) the campaign launch. Website analytics determined changes in activity levels of a youth-focused mental health website (mindcheck.ca). RESULTS: One-quarter (24.8 %, n = 100) of the respondents remembered the campaign. The proportion of respondents who were aware of the website increased significantly from 6.0 % at T1 to 15.6 % at T2. Average overall scores on standardized measures of personal stigma and social distance were not significantly different between T1 and T2 respondents. Attitudes towards mental health issues were statistically similar between respondents who were or were not exposed to the campaign. Those who were exposed to the campaign were significantly more likely to talk about and seek information relating to mental health issues. CONCLUSIONS: The proximal outcomes of the campaign to increase awareness and use of the website were achieved. The distal outcome of the campaign to improve attitudes towards mental health issues was not successfully achieved. The brief social media campaign improved mental health literacy outcomes, but had limited effect on personal stigma and social distance.