Human Factors for Digital Health

Digital Mental Health Case Study | Amid Ayobi

Self-Care
Self-Tracking The design of digital mental health
technologies and services tends to
draw on self-centric approaches [1].
Self-Awareness
We also need to leverage community-

Self-Knowledge led approaches to foster social mental

health experiences, from altruism to
connectedness and belonging [3,4].

Self-Diagnosis
Self-Help
Murnane et al. 2018
 1. Human
Mental health is someth
ing we all 1. Hum
r the
a n Context: Digital Mental Health and Ethnic Minorities
have. People from all ove
ut their
world think and talk abo
mental health in many way
s. Collaborators: (1) Knowle West Media Centre, (2) a charity
for women from refugee backgrounds, and

What th
(3) an online community for knowledge
oughts
you hea come to
mind w
r the te
rm men
tal hea
hen
lth?
workers from ethnic minority backgrounds
Can yo
u imag
ine wha
and frie t your fa
mental
nds thin
health?
k ab o u t the to
mily
Studies: (1) design of visual cards; (2) online survey,
pic

and (3) semi-structured interviews

Publications: ACM DIS’21, ACM CSCW’22


Human
Mental health is something we all have. People
from all over the world think and talk about their
mental health in many ways.
Coping
Being able to cope with emotions can be helpful
to support your mental health. For example,
realising that you had a stressful day and
deciding to go for a walk.
Emotions
People may experience a wide range of
emotions: from happiness and excite-ment to
anger and fear. Our emotions can change over a
period of time.
Environment
What does mental health entail?
The world around us may influence our emoti-
“Mental health is a dynamic state of internal
ons: our family, friends and work as well as
equilibrium which enables individuals to use their
food, the weather, and illness.
abilities in harmony with universal values of society.
Basic cognitive and social skills; ability to recognize,
express and modulate one’s own emotions, as well
as empathize with others; flexibility and ability to
Mental Illness
cope with adverse life events and function in social
roles; and harmonious relationship between body
If life events cause distress or trauma, people
and mind represent important components of
may develop mental illnesses. Mental illnesses
mental health which contribute, to varying degrees,
can seriously affect people’s family, work and
to the state of internal equilibrium.” [2]
social lives. Anxiety disorder and depression are
examples of common mental illnesses.
Support
Our abilities, such as being able to take care
of a child or go to work, can influence our
mental health. Sometimes we may need
support to live a mentally healthy life.
Participants thought
that the woman is
looking into a mirror.

The third iteration shows clearer how

a woman is having a video call.
 1. Human
ng we all
Mental health is somethi
er the
have. People from all ov 1. Huma
world think and talk abou
t their n
ys.
mental health in many wa

What tho
ughts co
you hear me to m
ind when
the term
mental h
ealth?
Can you
imagine
what you
and frien r family
ds think
about th
mental h e topic
ealth?
 Human
1. 4. Coping
ng we all
Mental health is somethi
Being able to cope with emotions
have. People from all ov
er the 4. Coping
1. Huma
can be helpful: for example, realising
world think and talk abou
t their n
that you had a stressful day and
ys.
mental health in many wa
deciding to go for a walk.

WhaWhat do you do when you’ve

t though
ts cday?
ome to m
you hhad a tough
ear the t ind when
erm men
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h?
Can yWhat
ou imag
advice would you offer a
inehad
whaat ytough
and frfriend
iends th
who our faday?
mily
ink abou
mental h t the top
ealth? ic
 Human
1. 4. Coping
7. Technology
something we all
Mental health is
74.. TCoping
1.eH
Being able to cope with emotions
People
have.There fromany over the
m all different chnology
are types of
can be helpful: for example, realising
out their uman
nk and talk- ab
world thitechnology such as laptops,
that you had a stressful day and
me many
ntal health inand ways.
smartphones tablets. Technology
deciding to go for a walk.
can affect our mental health.

WhaWhat do you do when you’ve

t thWoha
ugthare your favourite
ts cday?
ome to m
had a tough
you heater chnologies ind when
the term ?
mental h
ealth?
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Can youAre there any te you offer a
imagine chnologies
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Digital Mental Health Needs of Women
from Refugee Backgrounds

Conducted in partnership with a charitable

organisation for women from refugee
backgrounds

15 participants completed the online survey

Nine participants decided to take part in the

follow-up interview (two community workers
and seven community members)
 Volunteering for and Taking Part in Community
5. Support Events to Experience Social Connectedness

It was another experience, and every kind

of tribe, different tribe [...]. Yes, I loved it.

Well, with [name of charitable

Can you think of any situations in
which you were happy about
organisation], everybody’s the same. They
getting support?
treat us the same. But in basic life, I think
Can you think of any day-to-day
it’s hard for a refugee woman, a single
challenges that you wish you had
support for? mum. I don't know, it feels different [...].
 Leveraging Digital Technologies to Support
7. Technology Community Experiences
There are many different types of
technology - such as laptops,
smartphones and tablets. Technology Technology [...], it helps so much that it
can affect our mental health.
changed our lives.

So, imagine if they've only got maybe one

laptop, maybe they used to use the library
when the child needs using the computer.
So those are really, they were at risk, and
they didn't know who to ask.
 Mental Health Supportive Experience of
7. Technology Non-Mental Health-Focused Apps

There is this lady, and she’s a mum of

four kids and really, she is a very
independent – she empowers the women
What are your favourite
technologies? to be, ‘You can do it, you can be anything,
Are there any technologies you can do everything.’ So those kinds, I
that you avoid?
follow people who really inspire me.
Towards Inclusive Digital Mental Health
Research and Technologies
Rather than focusing only on predominant psychotherapeutic approaches to
self-care, mental health research and design need to explore community-led
approaches to foster inherently social mental health experiences, from altruism
to companionship and belonging.

Future human-centred and participatory research projects need to support

charitable organisations in raising mental health awareness, addressing digital
inequalities, and strengthening their mental health supportive initiatives and
volunteering networks.
References
1. Elizabeth L. Murnane, Tara G. Walker, Beck Tench, Stephen Voida, and Jaime
Snyder. 2018. Personal Informatics in Interpersonal Contexts: Towards the
Design of Technology that Supports the Social Ecologies of Long-Term
Mental Health Management. Proc. ACM Hum.-Comput. Interact. 2, CSCW,
Article 127 (November 2018), 27 pages. https://doi.org/10.1145/3274396
2. Galderisi S, Heinz A, Kastrup M, Beezhold J, Sartorius N. Toward a New
Definition of Mental Health. World Psychiatry. 2015 Jun;14(2):231-3. doi:
10.1002/wps.20231. PMID: 26043341; PMCID: PMC4471980
3. Amid Ayobi, Annali Grimes, Sue Mackinnon, Ewan Soubutts, Rachel Eardley,
Zoe Banks Gross, Rachael Gooberman-Hill, and Aisling Ann O'Kane. 2021.
Designing Visual Cards for Digital Mental Health Research with Ethnic
Minorities. In Designing Interactive Systems Conference 2021 (DIS '21).
Association for Computing Machinery, New York, NY, USA, 942–954.
https://doi.org/10.1145/3461778.3462085
4. Amid Ayobi, Rachel Eardley, Ewan Soubutts, Rachael Gooberman-Hill, Ian
Craddock, and Aisling Ann O'Kane. 2022. Digital Mental Health and Social
Connectedness: Experiences of Women from Refugee Backgrounds. Proc.
ACM Hum.-Comput. Interact. 6, CSCW2, Article 507 (November 2022), 27
pages. https://doi.org/10.1145/3555620