Co-Designing an Experience Sampling Method Digital Platform to Investigate Self-Harm Among Young People

Self-harm is particularly prevalent amongst young people, with adverse consequences in terms of later wellbeing, vocational outcomes, and increased risk of suicide. Although many studies have explored self-harm, it remains difficult to predict and prevent, in part because the mental states that typically precede self-harm are highly variable and triggers can be unclear. The Experience Sampling Method (ESM), where participants are asked to record personal data many times during the day, allows researchers to capture these variable mental states and their relation to self-harming behaviour. We conducted a series of co-design workshops involving young people with lived experience of self-harm and researchers with a special interest in ESM to identify the requirements of both groups for an ESM digital platform for investigating self-harm. We describe their key requirements, some of which are conflicting, and suggest ways that these could be addressed to develop an effective ESM platform.