Estwick, Michele; (2025) “Mood.”- the development and evaluation of a digital peer support intervention for adolescents with social, emotional, and mental health (SEMH) needs. Doctoral thesis (D.Ed.Psy), UCL (Univeristy College London).

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Abstract

Globally, the concerns about the social, emotional, and mental health (SEMH) needs of children and young people (CYP) are increasing (World Health Organisation, 2021). In the UK, there is currently a high referral rate for mental health resources as the number of CYP who require mental health treatment has increased by 6% in 2021 (NHS, 2022). Moreover, young people between the ages of 10 -19 years old are seen to be more vulnerable as mental health conditions can lead to things such as social exclusion, risk-taking behaviours, and educational difficulties (Beal, 2022; World Health Organisation, 2021). What should also be considered as a developmental factor of the CYP of today is their experience of an entirely digital world. They are heavily influenced by information they can easily access through technology and by their peer relationships (online and physical). What they value, the things that motivate them and even their means of communicating are much different to older generations (Prensky, 2001; McCrindle & Fell, 2020). This begs for a review of the resources used to currently support CYP. The current study aimed to explore these factors by developing and evaluating a digital peer support intervention for young people with SEMH needs. This two-phase feasibility pilot study explored the support offered to CYP with SEMH needs in London and the logistics and potential effects of a digital peer support intervention. The first phase of the study used a small scale survey to collect information of the existing support offered to young people with SEMH needs by Educational Psychology Services in London. For the second phase, a digital peer support intervention for adolescents who presented with SEMH needs was developed and evaluated. The intervention created was text-based and in the form of an online chatroom. To monitor the impact of the intervention, mechanisms and moods of the adolescent participants; semi-structured interviews were conducted and the Mood, and Feelings Questionnaire (MFQ) was administered before and after the intervention (Angold & Costello, 1987). To record the behaviours displayed by the adolescents in the chatroom for each session, an observation schedule was developed. Field notes were also recorded for each session by the researcher to ensure reflexive practice and provide context of the behaviours recorded. In total, there were 15 participants, 12 Educational Psychologists (EPs) and 3 adolescents who took part in the study. The data collected from the small scale survey with the EPs in London in the first phase of the study was analysed using thematic analysis (Braun and Clarke 2006, 2019). The findings from this seem to suggest that majority of the support offered to young people with SEMH needs is by external third sector organisations specifically charities. The findings also appear to highlight a gap in the support offered by EPs, the lack of peer support as a framework and inconsistencies in the approach taken to support CYP among the EP profession. In the second phase of the study where the intervention was trialled and evaluated; the scores for the MFQ (1988) pre and post-intervention were calculated and compared, pointing to a possible decrease in low moods by two of the adolescent participants. The scores for the other adolescent participant seemed to suggest an increase in their low moods but this was later on revealed to be caused by other external factors. The behaviours displayed in each session recorded on the observation schedule were tallied and presented. The two most frequently recorded behaviours displayed in the chatroom were ‘Engaging with Others’ and ‘Giving Information’; which were categorised as task-oriented behaviours. ‘Withdrawing’ was the third most recorded behaviour and was categorised as self-oriented behaviour. These findings suggested that adolescents are willing to engage with each other using a peer-support framework and a digital medium. The semi-structured interviews were analysed using content analysis and the data revealed that the adolescent participants had an overall positive experience of the digital peer support intervention (Hsieh & Shannon, 2005; Luo, 2022). Seven themes were developed from the post-interview data, these were ‘Hybrid Design of Support Services’, ‘Power of Choice’, ‘Importance of Anonymity’ ‘Appreciation of Space’, ‘Duration of Sessions’ , ‘Concerns of Intervention’ and ‘Peer Support’. Finally, the strengths and limitations of the current study are outlined as well as the implications for EP practice. The next steps in the development of this digital mental health resource are also considered and detailed.

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