Working with Multiple Methods and Partners in Mental Health Research: Insights from the Improving Peer Online Forums Project

The Improving Peer Online Forums (IPOF) project is a mixed-methods realist evaluation of UK mental health communities. Its primary aim was to develop a comprehensive programme theory explaining how forums operate while employing co-design methods to create clinically useful tools.

In this talk, IPOF researchers Paul Marshall and Zoe Glossop will share key insights from the project, addressing questions such as: Who uses forums and why?, What makes forums feel safe?, and How can psychological theory inform forum design? They will also reflect on practical, methodological, and ethical challenges encountered during the three-year study.

Topics include the integration of methods from psychology and linguistics, experiences co-designing research outputs, and collaboration with partners from the NHS, third sector, and corporate organisations.

Dr Paul Marshall & Zoe Glossop are part of the Improving Peer Online Forums (IPOF) team at Lancaster University. Their aim is to find out: how online mental health forums work; why some work better than others; and why some people find them helpful and others do not. Based on what we find, we will work with people who use forums; people employed to support forums, and people who set up and fund forums; to develop tools to improve the design and support of online mental health forums.