Reimagining mental health waiting periods through co-designed digital social connection

Millions of young people in the United Kingdom find themselves in a difficult limbo: they have recognized a need for mental health support, yet they are stuck waiting for treatment. This waiting period is not merely a delay; it is a time of active deterioration. Statistics show that a quarter of a million people under the age of twenty-five are currently on waiting lists, with some waiting up to two years for care. During this time, anxiety and loneliness often deepen, and for many, the wait becomes a crisis in itself. While digital tools exist to offer support, most are designed for immediate use or general wellness, leaving a gap for those specifically navigating the long, uncertain journey between referral and the first appointment. The core question facing researchers and clinicians is whether technology can do more than just provide information during this wait; can it offer a sense of connection that prevents young people from feeling isolated and forgotten?

A team of researchers and designers set out to answer this question by creating a new digital tool called Torchlight. Rather than building an app in a laboratory and testing it on young people later, they invited young people with lived experience of waiting for mental health treatment to design the solution from the very beginning. This approach, known as co-production, ensured that the final product reflected the actual needs and preferences of its intended users. The team worked with over one hundred young people and twelve professional stakeholders, including doctors and service managers, over the course of eight months. They moved through a structured design process, starting by mapping out the emotional and practical challenges of the waiting period, then defining what a helpful digital intervention should look like, and finally building a working prototype.

The most significant discovery from this process was a fundamental disagreement about what "social connection" means in a digital space. Professional stakeholders, including clinicians and service managers, tended to define social connection as direct, one-to-one interaction, such as a chat with a peer or a forum discussion. They worried that without direct conversation, young people would remain isolated. The young people involved in the design, however, offered a different perspective. They described connection not as a conversation, but as a shared experience. They wanted to know that others were going through the same thing at the same time. They valued seeing that someone else was reading the same article, listening to the same story, or doing the same calming exercise. This concept, often called "body doubling" in other contexts, allows a person to feel less alone simply by knowing others are present in the same digital space, even if they never speak directly to one another.

This insight shaped the entire design of Torchlight. The researchers rejected the idea of open chat rooms or direct peer-to-peer messaging, which the young people felt could be overwhelming or unsafe. Instead, they built an app centered on shared content and parallel activities. The app includes a library of stories and information created by both young people who have waited for treatment and the professionals who support them. These stories cover what to expect from therapy, how to manage daily struggles, and how to navigate the healthcare system. The content is presented in short, digestible formats like videos, audio clips, and brief articles, avoiding long blocks of text that might feel daunting.

A key feature of the prototype is the "Today" section, which offers guided activities that users can do at a specific time, such as a group meditation or a creative exercise. When a user joins an activity, they can see a counter showing how many other people are participating at that exact moment. This provides a tangible sense of community without requiring anyone to reveal their identity or speak to a stranger. The app also includes a personalized "path" that adapts to the user's specific situation, asking them about their current feelings and what kind of support they are waiting for, then tailoring the content to match their journey.

The development process also highlighted a preference for tone and language. While professionals initially suggested using clinical tools and symptom checklists to monitor mental health, the young people felt that such an approach would make the app feel like a medical instrument rather than a supportive friend. They preferred language that was gentle, empowering, and focused on wellbeing rather than illness. Consequently, the app avoids clinical jargon and instead uses a calm, muted color palette and a design that feels like a companion rather than a diagnostic tool. The young people described the ideal app as a "wise uncle" or a "friend who cares," someone who offers support without lecturing or giving unsolicited advice.

The final prototype, which is a clickable model that demonstrates how the app would function but is not yet a fully operational software product, has been reviewed by both young people and professionals. The feedback confirmed that the design successfully bridges the gap between the need for safety and the desire for connection. By focusing on shared experiences rather than direct interaction, the app offers a low-pressure way for young people to feel part of a community. The researchers note that while the app is not a replacement for professional treatment, it aims to transform the waiting period from a time of isolation into a time of clarity and support. The next step involves testing the app in real-world settings with university students and young people referred by doctors to see if it can effectively reduce feelings of loneliness and prevent mental health from worsening while waiting for care.