Research gives Australians living with schizophrenia a say in digital support

New Federation University research is working with Australians living with schizophrenia to develop a digital tool designed around their needs, with the aim of helping people build greater independence and work towards their own goals.

Federation University PhD researcher Shelci Martin is focusing on adults aged 45 and over, a group whose needs can be overlooked in the design of digital health and wellbeing tools.

Rather than adapting an existing platform or assuming what people need, the research will use the real-life experiences and perspectives of people living with schizophrenia to guide the development of the tool.

Ms Martin is now inviting people from across Australia to take part in a survey exploring how they currently use technology, the challenges they experience in everyday life and where digital tools could potentially provide useful assistance.

Ms Martin said the ultimate goal was to create something personalised that could help people build their capacity and achieve greater independence in their everyday lives.

“Recovery means something different for everyone. It's not necessarily about having no symptoms, it's about being able to live well and do the things that are meaningful to you,” Ms Martin said.

“For one person that might mean being able to visit a family member each week, while for someone else it could be something completely different.

“We want to understand what people themselves want to achieve and how a digital tool could help them work towards those goals.”

The research recognises that many existing digital health and wellness platforms are designed for people already comfortable using apps and websites, potentially creating barriers for people with different levels of digital experience or accessibility needs.

The survey will help build a clearer picture of participants' digital and functional needs, including how they currently use technology and areas of everyday life where additional assistance could be useful.

“The most important part is making sure we capture the voices of people who are actually living with schizophrenia and who could ultimately use the tool,” Ms Martin said.

“We're also speaking with mental health professionals, but we don't want to design something based only on what professionals or researchers think people need.

“We want people with lived experience to tell us what would genuinely be useful to them.”

Participants who complete the survey will also have the opportunity to express interest in the next stage of the research, involving co-design workshops where they can help shape how the proposed tool could work in practice.

Ms Martin said the aim was not to replace existing services or human support, but to explore another way people could build their own capacity and independence.

“The idea is that it could be something people use to help them reach their own goals and become more independent, rather than creating another thing they have to depend on,” Ms Martin said.

The research is being undertaken through the ARC Optimal Ageing Centre in partnership with Flourish Australia, a mental health service provider and National Disability Insurance Scheme provider.

Australians aged 45 and over living with schizophrenia are invited to participate in the survey, with participants welcome from anywhere in the country.

To participate in the survey or find out more, visit https://federation.syd1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_7UKPcLhLzu1lNFc?Q_CHL=qr