Finally, Thank You to our commissioning team at @wellcometrust: @niallpboyce @AFaridWT Rebecca Giles, Dan Robotham, Sophie Ul-Haq, Veronica Wanyee. And thanks to all those who took part in the research and shared their knowledge, experience and time. 🙏

🧑‍💻Shared platforms to enable multiple projects and reduce duplication of efforts and resources 🦺Adaptive, pluralistic ethical frameworks for citizen-initiated projects. More recommendations and examples in our report: https://t.co/rtsEOkiPXI 11/

@_BrainExplorer @ProjectSoothe @BiAffect @neurekaApp @hoegekisnl @OpenSystemsUB @sophiacol @EdinUniMentalH @AliveNational How to refine & progress citizen #mentalhealth science? 📈 Larger scale co-created projects ✋Citizen-initiated projects by people with lived experience of mental health conditions 🌳Projects on better understanding social & environmental determinants of mental health 10/

@_BrainExplorer @ProjectSoothe @BiAffect @neurekaApp @hoegekisnl @OpenSystemsUB @sophiacol @EdinUniMentalH @AliveNational 🧭 Ethical standards and governance frameworks tailored to the specific needs of citizen mental health science projects are missing. 9/

@_BrainExplorer @ProjectSoothe @BiAffect @neurekaApp @hoegekisnl @OpenSystemsUB @sophiacol @EdinUniMentalH @AliveNational 🔍 It is not yet clear how common types of #citizenscience projects can be carried out in #mentalhealth research; projects where citizens observe their environment or analyse images are rare in mental health research and more can be done to explore their potential. 8/

@_BrainExplorer @ProjectSoothe @BiAffect @neurekaApp @hoegekisnl @OpenSystemsUB @sophiacol @EdinUniMentalH @AliveNational 🙅 Contributory and co-created types of citizen mental health science are often in tension because of their distinct origins and visions – one grounded in mass data collection/analysis and another in democratising science. 7/

@_BrainExplorer @ProjectSoothe @BiAffect @neurekaApp @hoegekisnl @OpenSystemsUB @sophiacol @EdinUniMentalH @AliveNational While #citizenscience has potential, there are also challenges: 📑The term is currently loosely and inconsistently used in mental health research, with little differentiation from other data-gathering methods, and overlap with existing collaborative approaches. 6/

@_BrainExplorer @ProjectSoothe @BiAffect @neurekaApp @hoegekisnl 🤝 Co-created projects focus on democratising science; citizens work together with researchers to jointly design and carry out research projects. Eg: CoAct for Mental Health by @OpenSystemsUB , #DepressionDetectives by @sophiacol & @EdinUniMentalH, BigaagARri by @AliveNational 5/

🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Contributory projects focus on mass data collection and/or analysis; a large number of citizens contribute to a specific part of the research process, often by collecting, contributing or analysing data. Eg: @_BrainExplorer @ProjectSoothe @BiAffect @neurekaApp @hoegekisnl 4/

We found 45 examples of self-described #citizenscience projects exploring mental health-related questions across the world (3 in LMICs). Two types stood out: contributory and co-created. 3/

Citizen science projects can accelerate research by opening up the scientific process and enabling large-scale data collection and observations from diverse participants from all over the world. In #mentalhealth research, the potential of #citizenscience is still emergent. 2/

New @wellcometrust report out on how #citizenscience is used in #mentalhealth science, challenges & opportunities. https://t.co/rtsEOkiPXI A @sciencepractice & @McPinFoundation collaboration, with advisors Stefan Rennick-Egglestone, @LamideAyo, Mike Slade @MentalHealthCsi 🧵1/

Recently supported @UKHIH_Hub with developing a directory of UK #humanitarian academic research centres to make this expertise easier to find, access, and bring to the service of those tacking humanitarian crises. For the directory and project details 👇

@lynsey_bilsland @elenanetsi @DhritiSarkar1 Thanks also to our expert advisors @Prof_Nick_Allen, @sbucci76, @MWCvitkovic, Dr Seema Mehrotra, and @Vctr_ugo. And to our governance group members Huguette Diakabana, @AsmaeDoukani, @digitechnurse, @Manvi_Tiwari_, and @tanyamarwaha_.

And now, a round of thanks! First to the commissioning team: @lynsey_bilsland, Caitlín Hastings, Nicola Haines, @elenanetsi, and @DhritiSarkar1 .

Overall, we think there’s some very clear opportunities for funders to help nurture this space – and we’re excited to see how this could help make more high-quality, research-backed digital mental health solutions available to populations around the world! 11/

We also see opportunities to support non-profit digital mental health solutions with low potential for revenue, but high potential for impact. 10/

3️⃣ Create new or modified grantmaking programmes. Funders should consider how existing offerings help vs. hinder digital mental health research translation (i.e., prioritise impact metrics, speed up funding allocation, have pots for implementation-specific activities). 9/

2️⃣ Drive change in digital mental health markets and healthcare systems. This would require additional scoping to understand country-specific barriers to commercial viability and integration with healthcare systems, and cross-sector coordination to address systemic challenges. 8/

1️⃣ Fund a venture builder focused on digital mental health. The model shows potential, yet is under-explored in digital mental health. However, creating new companies won’t alone be enough to enable this field to reach its potential, so we also propose that funders... 7/