Project Overview
"The Well" is a product developed by Welfie, an ed-tech company that lives at the intersection of health and education, aimed at providing students with access to vetted and rated mental health resources. As an intern at Welfie, my goal was to determine factors blocking youth and their families from accessing mental healthcare and how the solution could be incorporated into the existing product concept.
Goal:
To understand factors blocking youth and their families from accessing mental healthcare in two tiers. The first is barriers to physical in-person care. The second is why teens are not engaging with existing informative mental health content.
Design Process:
To address both tiers of the research goal, I followed a structured approach:
Competitor Analysis:
I began by conducting a competitor analysis to identify themes and opportunities within existing mental health resources available for youth. This analysis revealed a consistent opportunity: the need to aggregate resources specifically designed for youth. Many existing resources are targeted towards educators or other trusted adults, rather than directly addressing the needs and preferences of young users. For "The Well," the task was to curate valuable information on mental health topics and have Welfie’s youth interns remix the content into engaging pieces that would resonate with the target audience.
Identification of Social Determinants of Health:
Next, I focused on identifying specific social determinants of health that impact various hard-to-reach youth groups. Through research presented by the AAKOMA (African American Knowledge Optimized for Mindfully Health Adolescents), as well as demographics in the San Diego area, key groups were identified: African American, Latinx, Asian American Pacific Islander, lower and lowest socioeconomic status, and LGBT youth.
Youth and Usability:
Informed by usability research from the Nielsen Norman Group's "Teenager’s UX: Designing for Teens," I reviewed key insights that shaped my approach. Considering social determinants such as outdated devices emerged as crucial, highlighting the importance of accessibility for all users. Additionally, the research emphasized the significance of giving teens control over sharing, as privacy is paramount in their online interactions. Furthermore, the study reinforced the effectiveness of "for youth by youth" models, as teens prefer solutions that respect their autonomy and avoid talking down to them.
Challenges and Solutions:
One of the challenges was collecting data with limited resources, especially considering the constraints of being part of an intern team for a non-profit project. Interviewing users under 18 years old posed limitations, so for the initial stage of identifying knowledge gaps, I leveraged my undergraduate education and access to academic resources. I conducted a literature review of existing peer-reviewed journal articles, focusing on those that included qualitative data. Using a Miro board, I organized the findings through card sorting to compile themes consistent across groups and unique to individual demographics.
Outcomes:
The research yielded three main recommendations:
Empowering Teens to Connect with Mental Health Resources:
Specific tools were identified to empower teens to access mental health resources effectively. For example, providing resources that educate students on the purpose and abilities of their school counselors. Many students expressed reluctance to utilize school resources because they believed counselors solely focused on academics.
Curriculum Development for Engagement:
A recommendation was made for the development of a curriculum that integrates "The Well" platform into school projects or volunteer hours, as many students expressed a general mistrust or disinterest in solutions provided by their schools. This approach serves as a motivational tool to engage students with the product.
User Journeys and Autonomy:
The user journeys for students outlined a distinction between sharing and saving tools. Based on existing user research findings, it is crucial for users to have autonomy over the way they share resources they find. This autonomy allows them to maintain privacy on their individual mental health journey if needed.
Reflection:
Through multiple iterations and feedback from dedicated mentors, I mastered the art of presenting research in a concise, easy-to-understand, and enjoyable context. While boiling down research findings can be challenging, I successfully highlighted important information while making it easy to read.
I learned the importance of leveraging existing research, especially when working with sensitive populations or limited startup resources. By tapping into pre-existing studies and literature, I was able to gain valuable insights into the unique needs and challenges of marginalized communities. This approach not only saved time and resources but also ensured that our solutions were informed by evidence-based practices and tailored to the specific context of our target users.