Accepted for/Published in: JMIR Formative Research
Date Submitted: Aug 8, 2023
Date Accepted: May 2, 2024
Preferences for text-messaged supports during youth transition to adult mental health services: a theory-informed modified e-Delphi study
ABSTRACT
Background:
The transition from child to adult mental health services is a vulnerable time associated with treatment disengagement and illness progression. Text-message based interventions might be leveraged to support motivational, informational, and behavioural needs of youth during this time. Evidence about youth preferences for intervention content and functionality are scarce but necessary to inform better service design
Objective:
To investigate the level of consensus among youth on important content, technology features, and engagement supports for a transition-focused text message service.
Methods:
A cross-sectional online survey collected demographics, current levels of technology use, importance ratings on message content, technical features, and barriers and enablers to engagement, for youth in Canada between 16-26 years of age. Survey items on content were categorized according to the Information-Motivation-Behaviour (IMB) model. Survey items on technical features were categorized according to the Persuasive System Design (PSD) model. Descriptive statistics were computed, and a predefined consensus rating matrix was applied to identify the most and least important elements for a future intervention.
Results:
Participants (n=100) were predominantly non-White (47%), aged 20-26 (59%), and who had first accessed mental health services when they were between 13-19 years of age (62%). The majority (90%) identified as daily text message users. A high level of consensus on importance ratings was reported in 45% (9/20) of message content items. A high level of consensus on importance ratings was reported in only 20% (4/21) of feature and functionality items. Twenty-seven percent of youth (27/100) indicated that the most significant enabler for engaging with a transition-focused text message intervention was personalization of texts.
Conclusions:
Intervention scientists developing next-generation text-message interventions for this population need to consider how low levels of consensus on key features may impact feasibility. Youth can (and should) play an integral role in the early development of these interventions.
Citation
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