Stakeholder Experiences in Participatory Mental Health Model Development: A Focus Group Study

Area of Science:

• Computational modeling in mental health research.
• Participatory research methodologies.

Background:

• Stakeholder involvement in computational model development enhances relevance for decision-making.
• Limited understanding exists regarding stakeholders' experiences in these engagement processes.
• This study explored stakeholder experiences in developing a youth mental health model.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore stakeholder experiences in the participatory development of a youth mental health computational model.
• To identify challenges and facilitators in stakeholder engagement for model development.
• To provide guidance for improving stakeholder contributions in computational modeling.

Main Methods:

• Focus groups were conducted with four stakeholder groups: experts by experience, young adults, mental health professionals, and researchers.
• Fourteen focus groups and one interview involved 43 participants across three rounds.
• Thematic content analysis was used to analyze qualitative data from focus groups and questionnaires.

Main Results:

• Participants valued cross-group idea comparison and integrating lived experiences.
• Concerns were raised regarding the validity of contributions and transparency of the modeling process.
• Complexities included simplifying mental health concepts and addressing factor interactions.

Conclusions:

• Tailored information and process transparency can mitigate participatory modeling challenges.
• Practical guidance is offered to enhance stakeholder input in computational model development.
• Improved stakeholder engagement can enhance model quality and support mental health policy-making.