Co-producing an ecological momentary assessment measurement burst mental health study with young people: the MHIM co-production protocol

We present a protocol for co-production, co-developed with young people that describes the planned approach to involving young people in the Mental Health in the Moment (MHIM), across its lifecycle. MHIM will use an accelerated longitudinal cohort design that will combine ecological momentary assessment, sleep measurement, bio-sampling, and online questionnaires to examine the reciprocal links between daily life experiences and mental health development from age 11-19. The protocol describes how young people will be involved in MHIM (which aspects and stages and how and what the study will offer to them as benefits) and how the impact of their involvement will be evaluated. It combines the latest guidance on best practices for involving young people with young people’s views. As one of the first protocols of its kind, our co-production protocol informed by the literature and consultations with young people can provide a template for planning and reporting co-production in mental health studies of adolescence.