Promoting Mental Health of Adolescents with a Mild Intellectual Disability

Abstract

Promoting mental health in adolescents is crucial to minimize the development of mental health disorders, especially for those with a mild intellectual disability who face more mental health challenges. In general, they have more difficulty controlling their feelings and show an overrepresentation in feelings of loneliness, anxiety, and other emotional problems. To improve their mental health, traditional teaching methods are unsuitable. Digital mental health intervention is a promising approach to do this in a fun, rewarding, and personally relevant manner. This PhD research uses a participatory approach to (1) identify the needs of these adolescents and (2) how to design, develop, and evaluate a digital intervention for mental health promotion. First school observations and interviews with staff suggest to improve self-reliance skills, finding help, and reflecting on wellbeing. The design process will focus on developing a personalized intervention that suits each adolescent's needs, as home context and support network vary.