Barriers and enablers to the delivery of email communication for a helpline service for young people

OBJECTIVE: This qualitative study utilises the Behaviour Change Wheel (BCW) approach to identify barriers and enablers to the delivery of email communication in a mental health helpline service for young people, which are then linked to specific intervention strategies for improvement. METHODS: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten volunteers working for a free online helpline service for young people. Transcripts of the interviews were coded according to deductive then inductive themes. RESULTS: Ten core themes were identified. These were barriers or enablers, depending on the volunteers’ level of experience with the email service. Enablers included the volunteers’ skills, the resources and support offered to them. Barriers related to the asynchronous nature of email communication, need for additional training and volunteers’ lack of confidence and motivation in responding to emails. INNOVATION: This study expands current research on online mental health support by showing how the BCW can be a useful tool to identify influences on email helpline provision and offer strategies for its optimisation. CONCLUSION: Offering training targeted to the email service, increasing the level of practice with mock-up emails, and introducing newsletters featuring positive feedback on the email service may improve the delivery of email helpline services for young people.