Study protocol for the co-design of a mental health program for young people with language difficulties

Young people experiencing oral language difficulties are at heightened risk of mental health challenges, yet existing child and adolescent mental health programs are inaccessible to these individuals. This paper outlines the protocol for a study aimed at co-designing a mental health intervention program suited to young people with language difficulties. Stakeholders (young people aged 10-16 with language difficulties, their parents/caregivers, and service providers) will be involved in an experience-based co-design process for intervention development. Intervention development will follow a four-step Intervention Mapping process: (1) conduct a needs assessment to identify the problem; (2) develop matrices of change objectives by identifying behaviours and behavioural determinants relating to the problem; (3) select theory-based intervention methods; and (4) design a program. Quantitative and qualitative data from surveys, interviews, and co-design workshops will be analysed using methods such as frequency analyses and content analyses. The outcomes will be the co-design of a mental health intervention program based on theory and the needs and preferences of stakeholders. This is the first known study to co-design a mental health program for young people with language difficulties. Implementation and evaluation of the program will be reported in a future phase of this research.