Your Mental Health, Your Choice

More and more people are using technology to help with their mental health. Naturally, here at Digital Voice, we are big supporters of this. However, we’re also aware of the many barriers that exist to accessing technology. In a mental health crisis, how do you reach everyone, particularly those considered ‘digitally excluded’? Digital exclusion means that some people aren’t able to use digital technology in ways that would allow them to fully participate in society. Things you take for granted when you have a smartphone, tablet or computer, are not easily accessible to everyone, which includes accessing mental health support. 

Last month, in partnership with Northumbria University, Everyturn Mental Health and The Recovery College Collective (Recoco), we launched a video which introduces a brand new decision aid. The decision aid is designed to support people to make an informed choice when negotiating the sometimes dizzying array of digital mental health resources. This project has been an ambition of Darren Flynn, Professor of Applied Health and Social Care Research & Practitioner Health Psychologist, for over ten years:


“The whole reason why the explainer was designed and required, really, was because a lot of the words that academics use are not really accessible to the majority of people. What's really, really good about the explainer is, first of all, it's been designed in collaboration with people who have lived experience of using mental health services, and secondly it reflects the language that people would use in everyday life. I would highly recommend Digital Voice as a partner in any future work.”


Our managing director, Julie Nicholson, reflects on our part in this important piece of work:


“I am so very proud that we were able to make this video explainer; a resource that helps people struggling with their mental health to work out if technology-assisted mental health support solutions are right for them. It was the perfect project for us!”


Digital Voice regular, Laura Crow, animated the film and was very pleased with the final result: 


“It’s been truly collaborative from start to finish, with input from all of the partners and people who have experience of accessing mental health services on the design, the animation and the script. I’ve had such a good time making it and seeing people’s reactions today.”


At the launch event, people involved in the creation of the film and staff at EveryTurn Mental Health, who will soon be testing the decision aid in practice, were delighted with the video explainer. responding really positively. 

Lucia Rehackova, Assistant Professor in Health and Social Care Research at Northumbria University, was part of the driving force behind the Decision Aid and the animation being created: 


“The video explainer is absolutely fantastic. Facilitating its development was the favourite part of the project for me. Today we had a premiere of that video. And so far, I've only heard great things about it. Great things about it being accessible, down to earth, non-patronising, well-paced, brilliantly designed, professional, polished, and all sorts of keywords that we were hoping for. So I'm really, really pleased.”


The next stage of testing the Decision Aid, is for staff from EveryTurn Mental Health to work through it with people using their service in Newcastle. This will allow for further refinement of the tool and test its effectiveness before it is shared more widely.

You can have a sneak peak at the trailer for the film here:

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Chanise Armstrong