Improving access to mental health support for young people: development and evaluation of the Afloat mobile app

Mental health problems have long-lasting impacts and often begin in adolescence, yet young people face multiple barriers to accessing care and support, including a fragmented system, limited awareness of services and stigma. Afloat was developed to guide users to suitable support.

This study aimed to (a) co-develop a mobile app to support young people's access to mental healthcare and support; and (b) evaluate its acceptability, potential impact on service use, mental health outcomes and economic implications.

Afloat was co-developed with young people to provide information on available support, and included personal stories from peers and links to care resources. A pilot evaluation involved 105 participants aged 16-25 years from London, UK. Participants completed surveys at baseline and 3 months to assess changes in mental health, service use, stigma and self-identification of mental health issues. App usage was monitored through analytics. A budget-impact analysis estimated financial implications of Afloat implementation.

Participants reported high acceptability and satisfaction. After 3 months, there was an increase in the likelihood of help-seeking and a reduction in mental health symptoms. The increase in actual service use was significant only among those with mild-to-moderate symptoms. Budget-impact analysis indicated potentially increased costs from additional service use.

Afloat shows preliminary promise as a tool associated with increased help-seeking and improved mental health. Long-term benefits of timely intervention may offset short-term costs from increased service use, although this requires formal evaluation. Further research is required to assess long-term outcomes and economic implications.