Young People’s Experiences Of Searching For Mental Health Information Online

Mental health difficulties often emerge during adolescence due to biological, psychological, and social changes.

Depression, anxiety, and other issues can significantly impact a young person’s life. Many adolescents turn to online resources for help, driven by the desire for privacy, anonymity, and instant access to information.

The internet’s prevalence in their lives makes it a natural first step for seeking support, understanding symptoms, and exploring potential solutions without the perceived barriers of traditional help-seeking methods.

Loades, M. E., Higson‐Sweeney, N., Teague, B., Leas, J., Payne‐Cook, C., Slastikova, A. V., ... & Biddle, L. (2024). What do they look for and what do they find? A coproduced qualitative study on young people's experiences of searching for mental health information online. Psychology and Psychotherapy: Theory, Research and Practice. https://doi.org/10.1111/papt.12550

Key Points

1. The primary methods of young people’s online help-seeking for mental health include Google searches, NHS websites, charities, and social media platforms.
2. Factors like visual appeal, user-friendliness, age-appropriate content, personalization, and inclusion of lived experience perspectives significantly affect young people’s engagement with online mental health resources.
3. This research has certain limitations such as lack of representation from younger adolescents (13-14 years old) and potential bias due to the sample being predominantly female.
4. Understanding how young people seek mental health information online is universally relevant as it can inform the development of more effective and accessible digital resources for early intervention and support.

Rationale

Depression becomes more common during adolescence, with one in ten young people experiencing clinically significant depression by age 18 (Solmi et al., 2021).

However, many who need evidence-based help struggle to access it due to limited service capacity and help-seeking barriers (Pimenta et al., 2021; Radez et al., 2020; Valentine et al., 2024).

As “digital natives,” young people spend considerable time online, making the internet a potential platform for providing accessible mental health information and support.

Previous research has identified potential benefits of online help-seeking, such as accessibility and anonymity (Pretorius et al., 2019; Wong et al., 2021), but also barriers like lack of trust and confidentiality concerns (Barrow & Thomas, 2022; Best et al., 2016).

To capitalize on young people’s digital presence and provide effective early help for depression symptoms, it is crucial to understand how and where they seek information online and what they think of the resources they find.

This study aimed to explore these aspects, focusing on young people aged 13-18 years in the United Kingdom.

Method

The study employed a qualitative approach using semi-structured interviews co-conducted by research team members and trained young researchers.

Participants were presented with a persona experiencing 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). Reflexive thematic analysis was used to analyze the data.

Sample

24 young people aged 13-18 years were recruited through social media, mailing lists, schools, and community organizations.

The sample was diverse in terms of gender identities, ethnicities, and perceived social status.

Most participants (70.8%) scored ≥2 on the Patient Health Questionnaire-2 (PHQ-2), indicating at least moderate depression symptoms.

Results

The analysis generated four main themes:

1. The online help-seeking process: Participants primarily used Google for initial searches, often looking for symptom-based information. They trusted NHS websites for basic medical information and charities for more detailed content. Social media was seen as validating but untrustworthy.

Quote: “You just go straight to Google, really” (Participant pseudonym)

2. Mismatch between hopes and reality: Young people desired visually appealing, user-friendly websites with age-appropriate and personalized content. However, many resources they found did not meet these expectations.

Quote: “I feel like sometimes it’s more created for adults” (Participant pseudonym)

3. Strategies to determine trust and credibility: Participants used various strategies to assess the trustworthiness of online resources, including reputation, visual appearance, and resonance with lived experiences.

Quote: “It doesn’t look trustworthy” (Participant pseudonym)

4. Help-seeking is a personal journey: Young people emphasized that individual differences could affect the help-seeking process, and no single resource would work for everyone.

Quote: “It just depends on the person, like, everyone’s different” (Participant pseudonym)

Insight and Depth

This study provides valuable insights into the nuanced ways young people navigate online mental health resources.

It highlights the importance of user-centered design in creating digital mental health support, emphasizing the need for visually appealing, age-appropriate, and personalized content.

The research also reveals the complex relationship young people have with social media as a source of mental health information, valuing its validation potential while recognizing its limitations in terms of credibility.

Strengths

This study had several methodological strengths, including:

1. Co-production approach involving young researchers in study design, data collection, and analysis.
2. Diverse sample in terms of gender identities, ethnicities, and perceived social status.
3. Use of think-aloud techniques to capture real-time experiences of online help-seeking.
4. Triangulation of data sources, including interviews and observed online searches.
5. Rigorous qualitative analysis using reflexive thematic analysis.

Limitations

This study also had several methodological limitations, including:

1. Lack of representation from younger adolescents (13-14 years old).
2. Predominantly female sample, limiting insights into male perspectives.
3. Potential bias due to recruitment of participants who could engage in virtual interviews.
4. Possible influence of social desirability in participants’ responses.
5. Limited generalizability to other cultural contexts beyond the UK.

Implications

The findings have significant implications for the design and dissemination of online mental health resources for young people. They suggest that:

1. Websites should prioritize visual appeal, user-friendliness, and age-appropriate content.
2. Incorporating lived experience perspectives can enhance engagement and credibility.
3. Resources should be easily findable through symptom-based searches on popular platforms.
4. A balance is needed between professional authority and relatable content.
5. Personalization options could help address individual differences in help-seeking preferences.

These insights can inform the development of more effective digital mental health interventions and support services for young people, potentially improving early help-seeking and access to mental health support.

Conclusion

Understanding how young people seek and evaluate online mental health information is crucial for developing effective digital resources that can support early intervention and help-seeking.

This study highlights the complex interplay between content, design, and credibility in young people’s online help-seeking experiences.

Future research should explore the needs of specific underserved populations and investigate ways to balance professional authority with relatable, youth-friendly content.

As digital platforms continue to evolve, ongoing research and co-design with young people will be essential to ensure that online mental health resources remain relevant, accessible, and effective.

References

Primary reference

Loades, M. E., Higson‐Sweeney, N., Teague, B., Leas, J., Payne‐Cook, C., Slastikova, A. V., … & Biddle, L. (2024). What do they look for and what do they find? A coproduced qualitative study on young people’s experiences of searching for mental health information online. Psychology and Psychotherapy: Theory, Research and Practice. https://doi.org/10.1111/papt.12550

Other references

Barrow, E., & Thomas, G. (2022). Exploring perceived barriers and facilitators to mental health help-seeking in adolescents: a systematic literature review. Educational Psychology in Practice, 38(2), 173-193. https://doi.org/10.1080/02667363.2022.2051441

Best, P., Gil-Rodriguez, E., Manktelow, R., & Taylor, B. J. (2016). Seeking help from everyone and no-one: Conceptualizing the online help-seeking process among adolescent males. Qualitative health research, 26(8), 1067-1077. https://doi.org/10.1177/1049732316648128

Pimenta, S. M., Hunter, S. C., Rasmussen, S., Cogan, N., & Martin, B. (2024). Young people’s coping strategies when dealing with their own and a friend’s symptoms of poor mental health: A qualitative study. Journal of Adolescent Research, 39(3), 612-638. https://doi.org/10.1177/07435584211062115

Pretorius, C., Chambers, D., & Coyle, D. (2019). Young people’s online help-seeking and mental health difficulties: Systematic narrative review. Journal of medical Internet research, 21(11), e13873.

Radez, J., Reardon, T., Creswell, C., Lawrence, P. J., Evdoka-Burton, G., & Waite, P. (2021). Why do children and adolescents (not) seek and access professional help for their mental health problems? A systematic review of quantitative and qualitative studies. European child & adolescent psychiatry, 30(2), 183-211. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-019-01469-4

Solmi, M., Radua, J., Olivola, M., Croce, E., Soardo, L., Salazar de Pablo, G., … & Fusar-Poli, P. (2022). Age at onset of mental disorders worldwide: large-scale meta-analysis of 192 epidemiological studies. Molecular psychiatry, 27(1), 281-295. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41380-021-01161-7

Valentine, A. Z., Hall, S. S., Sayal, K., & Hall, C. L. (2024). Waiting-list interventions for children and young people using child and adolescent mental health services: a systematic review. BMJ Ment Health, 27(1). https://doi.org/10.17639/nott.7375

Wong, K., Chan, C. S., Chan, M., Wong, C., Cheng, Q., Xiong, C., & Yip, P. (2021). Who seeks help online? Comparing online and offline help-seeking preferences amongst youths with suicidal ideation. Journal of Affective Disorders, 292, 21-29. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2021.05.056

Keep learning

Suggested Socratic questions for a college class to discuss this paper:

1. How might the online help-seeking behaviors of young people differ across various cultural contexts? What factors could influence these differences?
2. In what ways could the increasing use of artificial intelligence in mental health apps and websites impact young people’s trust and engagement with online resources?
3. How can we balance the need for professional, evidence-based information with young people’s desire for relatable, peer-generated content in online mental health resources?
4. What ethical considerations should be taken into account when designing online mental health resources for young people, particularly regarding data privacy and potential risks of misinformation?
5. How might the findings of this study inform the development of mental health education programs in schools? Should digital literacy skills specific to mental health information be incorporated into curricula?
6. Given the rapid evolution of social media platforms, how can mental health professionals and organizations stay relevant and effective in reaching young people through these channels?
7. How might the COVID-19 pandemic have influenced young people’s online help-seeking behaviors for mental health? How could future research address this?
8. What role should parents, educators, and healthcare providers play in guiding young people’s use of online mental health resources?
9. How can we address the potential digital divide in access to online mental health resources among different socioeconomic groups?
10. In what ways could gamification or interactive elements be incorporated into online mental health resources to increase engagement while maintaining credibility and effectiveness?