Co-production of a flexibly delivered relapse prevention tool to support self-management for long-term mental health conditions: A co-design and user-testing study

Supported self-management interventions, which assist individuals to understand and manage their own health condition, have a strong evidence base for chronic physical illnesses but are not often used for long-term mental health conditions. This research was conducted to co-design a self-management intervention for mental health conditions and test the intervention with end users.

The research highlights four key findings: (1) self-management tools should be flexible and well-integrated into mental health services; (2) language is important and preferences vary between individuals; (3) self-management should have the option of being supported when delivered in services; (4) digitising the intervention could allow for greater customisation and features based on the individual’s unique preferences and needs.

When designing self-management mental health interventions, involving end-users from the beginning is vital to address their need for personalised and customised interventions, and choice in how interventions are delivered. A co-production approach to research and design is also recommended, where lived experience is central to informing the planning, design, delivery and evaluation of the intervention.