Co-designing digital mental health interventions with young people: 10 recommendations from lessons learned in low-and-middle-income countries

Background: Youth-focused co-design, involving active collaboration between researchers, designers, clinicians and end users, is essential for enhancing the acceptability, feasibility and effectiveness of digital mental health interventions (DMHIs). However, most literature on co-design comes from high-income countries and offers limited contextually relevant guidance to programme and intervention developers in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Aims: This paper presents 10 recommendations drawn from the co-authors’ experiences of co-designing youth-focused DMHIs as researchers, public engagement specialists and youth advisors. Methods: The recommendations emphasise key aspects of the co-design process including the use of conceptual frameworks, the involvement of diverse youth groups, contextual considerations, and the promotion of young people’s safety and well-being. Results: The recommendations highlight strategies and examples for involving young people, the importance of acknowledging young people’s contributions and evaluating experiences of co-design to improve the overall effectiveness and relevance of DMHIs in LMICs. Conclusion: By implementing these recommendations, DMHI developers can foster more effective and inclusive co-design processes that better meet the needs of young people in LMIC contexts.