Partnering with Canadian Youth and Families to Co-design a User-centered Digital Health Tool to Manage the Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic and Future Public Health Crises on Youth Mental Wellbeing

On March 11, 2020 the World Health Organization declared the novel coronavirus COVID-19 disease a global pandemic. The Canadian government implemented physical distancing measures and widespread closure of public institutions. This resulted in social isolation, reduced access to support within schools and community settings, as well as fewer opportunities to engage in protective activities such as physical activity. These impacts are likely to have detrimental short- and long-term effects on youth mental wellbeing. Care for youth with mental health disorders was already overstretched and underfunded before the pandemic. Thus, there is a pressing need to partner with youth and families to target and improve youth mental wellbeing prior to the onset of a mental health disorder, as well as to conduct research on youth mental wellbeing needs related to pandemic recovery. Our team will address this gap through a national research study that will result in the development of a catalogue of recommendations specific to supporting youth mental wellbeing, and a digital tool to support youth mental wellbeing. This will be achieved in three phases of work: 1) expert consultation on data related to supporting youth mental wellbeing existing within our Pandemic Preparedness research program; 2) development of an innovative digital tool for youth mental wellbeing; and 3) assessment of the tool's usability and acceptability. This study will complement ongoing parallel research in youth currently being conducted by our team that involves partnering with Canadian youth and families to understand the unique implications of the pandemic on this vulnerable population. The ultimate goal of the proposed work is to build on this foundation by cataloguing recommendations specific to supporting youth mental wellbeing and developing a digital health tool in partnership with youth and families to support pandemic recovery and resilience in the face of emerging public health crises.