Developing the Support, Teambuilding, and Referral (STAR) Intervention: A Research/Community Partnership

Area of Science:

• Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
• Mental Health Services Research
• Caregiver Support

Background:

• Caregivers of children with mental health challenges experience significant stress.
• Existing interventions may not fully address the practical needs or feasibility of delivery by peers.
• There is a need for community-based, accessible support for these families.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the collaborative process of developing a stress-reducing intervention.
• To identify challenges encountered in co-creating an intervention with peer family advisors.
• To ensure the intervention is relevant, palatable, and feasible for caregivers and advisors.

Main Methods:

• Community-based participatory research approach.
• Partnership between child mental health researchers and peer family advisors.
• Iterative development and refinement of intervention components.

Main Results:

• Successful co-creation of a stress-reducing intervention framework.
• Identification of key challenges including communication, role definition, and intervention adaptation.
• Insights into balancing scientific rigor with practical, peer-delivered support.

Conclusions:

• Collaborative development with peer advisors is crucial for creating effective caregiver interventions.
• Addressing practical challenges is essential for the successful implementation of support programs.
• This partnership model offers a pathway for developing responsive and accessible mental health supports for families.