— Co-design / Co-production with LGBTIQ+ Communities

Co-design research and evaluation methodologies are being increasingly adopted as a preferred approach for mental health research. However, research on the effectiveness and impacts of co-design involving carers is scarce. This article discusses how to conduct research using an integrated experience-based co-design method. It includes issues considered during the formation of the research team and during the study design and implementation.

Meridian engaged Collective Action to lead a co-design process to design a mental health service for LGBTIQA+ people in the ACT. The co-design process involved a series of co-design workshops with an LGBTIQA+ service user reference group, as well as with mental health practitioners, and a survey of the LGBTIQA+ community. We received excellent feedback from the service user reference group who expressed that it was a genuine co-design process that gave service users the power to design a service that meets their needs. We also received positive feedback from the funding body, and Meridian was funded to implement the model.

Background: Sexual and gender minority youth (SGMY) are at an increased risk of a range of mental health problems. However, few evidence-informed interventions have been developed specifically to support their mental well-being. Interventions that are evidence-informed for the general population and are fine-tuned specifically with SGMY in mind proffer considerable potential. A particular opportunity lies in the delivery of engaging interventions on the web, where the focus is on enhancing the coping skills and building the resilience of SGMY, in a way that is directly relevant to their experiences. On the basis of earlier work related to an intervention called Rainbow SPARX (Smart, Positive, Active, Realistic, X-factor thoughts), we seek to create a new resource, especially for SGMY in the United Kingdom.