FYP Slay Index Interview Protocol
FYP Slay Index Interview Protocol
1. Introduction (5 minutes)
1. Greeting and Rapport Building
• Welcome the participant; thank them for volunteering.
• Briefly introduce yourself and your research team/organization.
2. Study Overview
• Purpose: “We are exploring how youth advocates become involved in mental health activism, what motivates them, and what supports or resources they need to be more effective.”
• Emphasize that their experiences and perspectives will help design better solutions for future youth advocates.
3. Ethical Assurances
• Reiterate informed consent:
• Participation is voluntary; they can withdraw at any time.
• Their responses will remain confidential/anonymous as agreed.
• Confirm permission to record (audio or video) for transcription and note-taking.
2. Personal Background & Lived Experiences (10–15 minutes)
Objective: Build a contextual understanding of the participant’s personal history (4 Ls: Lived, Loved, Labored, Learnt), setting the stage for their advocacy journey.
1. Could you tell me a bit about your background and how you first became interested in mental health advocacy?
• Possible Follow-ups:
• “Were there any personal experiences (Lived) that sparked your interest?”
• “What supportive relationships (Loved) influenced you early on?”
2. What aspects of your daily life or work (Labored) overlap with your advocacy?
• Possible Follow-up:
• “How did learning experiences (Learnt)—like formal education, training, or even online resources—shape your approach to advocacy?”
3. Could you describe any specific turning points or ‘aha’ moments that made you decide to take action in mental health?
• Possible Follow-up:
• “Was there a particular event or challenge that motivated you to shift from awareness to active advocacy?”
4. What does flourishing meant to you?
3. Advocacy Journey & Motivational Drivers (10–15 minutes)
Objective: Map out how Capability, Opportunity, and Motivation (COM-B) have influenced their activist behaviors, and uncover the evolution of their advocacy work.
1. How did you start your advocacy work?
• Possible Follow-ups:
• Capability: “Which skills or knowledge did you feel you had (or needed) at the start?”
• Opportunity: “What kinds of opportunities or enabling factors helped you get started?”
• Motivation: “What internal or external motivators kept you going in the early stages?”
2. What challenges or barriers have you faced in your advocacy journey?
• Possible Follow-ups:
• “How did these challenges affect your motivation or ability to continue?”
• “Were there times you felt you lacked the capability or opportunity to push forward?”
3. Has your motivation changed over time?
• Possible Follow-ups:
• “Were there new personal experiences or external events that boosted or diminished your commitment?”
• “Did you develop new skills or gain different kinds of support that shifted the way you advocate?”
4. Needfinding & Resource Gaps (10–15 minutes)
Objective: Identify the specific resources, support systems, or interventions that could better enable youth to engage in mental health advocacy—core “user needs.”
1. Thinking back on your journey, what resources or supports do you wish you’d had early on?
• Possible Follow-ups:
• “Were you looking for mentorship, peer networks, funding, training?”
• “What would have made the biggest difference in overcoming barriers?”
2. What are the biggest unmet needs or gaps you still encounter as a youth mental health advocate?
• Possible Follow-ups:
• “Are these gaps related to funding, policy support, organizational backing, emotional well-being, or something else?”
• “Where do you currently turn for help, and what do you struggle to find?”
3. If you could design or improve a program or platform to support youth advocates, what would it look like?
• Possible Follow-ups:
• “What key features or tools would it need to include?” (e.g., mental health resources, leadership training, policy education)
• “How could it address issues like burnout, stigma, or lack of institutional support?”
4. In your opinion, what do emerging youth advocates need most to become effective social change agents in mental health?
• Possible Follow-ups:
• “Could you list the top 2–3 supports (e.g., skill-building, networking, mentorship, technology, funding) that are essential?”
5. Cross-Cultural / Intersectional Considerations (Optional, 5 minutes)
Objective: Understand how cultural, socioeconomic, and identity factors influence participants’ advocacy experiences and needs.
1. How do you think your cultural or community context has shaped your advocacy work?
• Possible Follow-up:
• “Have you encountered cultural norms or beliefs about mental health that made it harder or easier to advocate?”
2. In what ways do your various identities (race, gender, socioeconomic status, etc.) interact with your activism?
• Possible Follow-up:
• “Are there unique barriers or enablers tied to these intersectional identities?”
6. Reflection & Future Directions (5–10 minutes)
1. What do you hope the future of youth mental health advocacy looks like in your community or globally?
• Possible Follow-up:
• “How do you see your role evolving as part of that future?”
2. What advice or insights would you share with someone new to mental health advocacy?
• Possible Follow-up:
• “Is there a single piece of advice you wish you had when you started?”
3. Is there anything we haven’t discussed that you feel is important for us to understand about your advocacy journey or the needs of youth advocates?
4. Any questions you would like to ask other advocates?
7. Closing (2–5 minutes)
1. Express Gratitude
• Thank the participant for their honesty and time.
2. Next Steps
• Briefly explain how their input will be used (e.g., to inform solution design, develop an advocacy toolkit, shape subsequent research).
3. Invitation for Follow-Up
• Ask if they would like to stay informed about the project outcomes, publications, or pilot programs.
• Offer contact information for any follow-up questions or clarifications.
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