A Caregiver Digital Intervention to Support Shared Decision Making in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services: Development Process and Stakeholder Involvement Analysis

BACKGROUND: Parents and caregivers are generally recognized by literature and the law as key to child and adolescent mental health decisions. Digital interventions are increasingly being used to support care and treatment in child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS). However, evidence of the design and development process is generally not made available. OBJECTIVE: In light of calls for more transparency, this paper aims to describe the development of an evidence-based, theoretically informed digital decision support intervention for parents and caregivers of young people accessing CAMHS. METHODS: The intervention was developed in line with the UK Medical Research Council framework for developing complex interventions. The process incorporated the steps for developing patient decision aids, as follows: assessing need, assessing feasibility; defining objectives; identifying the framework of decision support; and selecting the methods, designs, and dissemination approach. We synthesized theory, research, international guidelines, and input from relevant stakeholders using an iterative design approach. RESULTS: The development steps resulted in Power Up for Parents, a decision support intervention, with five key features (ie, decisions, goals, journey, support, and resources). The intervention aims to encourage discussion, allow parents to ask questions during sessions or seek further information between sessions, and allow service providers to tailor the shared decision-making process to accommodate the needs of the parent and child. CONCLUSIONS: We confirmed that it is possible to use input from end users—integrated with theory and evidence—to create digital interventions to be used in CAMHS. Key lessons with implications for practice, policy, and implementation science, along with preliminary findings, are presented. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): RR2-10.2196/14571