Loades M E, Higson-Sweeney N, Teague B, Leas J, Payne-Cook C, Slastikova A V, Peel H, Chamberlain G, Ferguson L, Janes K, Rhodes T, Roupa E C, Biddle L
Department of Psychology, University of Bath, Bath, UK.
NSFT Research, Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust, Norwich, UK.
Psychol Psychother. 2025 Jun;98(2):373-395. doi: 10.1111/papt.12550. Epub 2024 Oct 14.
Many young people (YP) struggle with their mental health and look online for help. To capitalise on their digital presence, we need to better understand how and where they seek information online and what they think of what they find.
We recruited 24 YP (aged 13-18 years). Online interviews were co-conducted by research team members and trained young researchers. We presented a persona with depression symptoms and asked about potential sources of information/support they might seek. They were also asked to think aloud while searching online and reviewing mental health resources (NHS, Young Minds). We used reflexive thematic analysis.
Analysis generated four themes: (1) the online help-seeking process, showcasing where YP look for information and why; (2) the mismatch between the information YP expected to find and the reality; (3) the strategies YP employed to determine a source's trust and credibility and (4) individual differences that can influence help-seeking.
Participants initiated their online search by Googling symptoms. They trusted NHS websites for basic medical information, while charities provided detailed content. Despite scepticism about content, social media offered validation. Online resources should prioritise visual appeal, user-friendliness, age-appropriate and personalised content and peer insights. Codesign is imperative to ensure high-quality, impactful research.
许多年轻人在心理健康方面存在困扰，并在网上寻求帮助。为了利用他们在数字领域的存在，我们需要更好地了解他们如何以及在何处在线寻求信息，以及他们对所找到内容的看法。
我们招募了24名13至18岁的年轻人。在线访谈由研究团队成员和经过培训的年轻研究人员共同进行。我们展示了一个有抑郁症状的角色，并询问他们可能寻求的信息/支持的潜在来源。他们还被要求在在线搜索和查看心理健康资源（英国国家医疗服务体系、青少年心理）时边思考边说出来。我们采用了反思性主题分析。
分析产生了四个主题：（1）在线求助过程，展示了年轻人寻找信息的地点及原因；（2）年轻人期望找到的信息与现实之间的不匹配；（3）年轻人用来确定信息来源的可信度和可靠性的策略；（4）可能影响求助行为的个体差异。
参与者通过谷歌搜索症状来开始他们的在线搜索。他们信任英国国家医疗服务体系网站提供的基本医疗信息，而慈善机构提供详细内容。尽管对内容持怀疑态度，但社交媒体提供了认可。在线资源应优先考虑视觉吸引力、用户友好性、适合年龄的个性化内容以及同伴见解。共同设计对于确保高质量、有影响力的研究至关重要。
