Abstract for: Tailoring GMB for Acute Mental Healthcare Co-Design: Insights and Innovations from Lived-Experience Engagement

This presentation explores the application and adaptation of Group Model Building (GMB) for co-design in acute mental healthcare settings in Victoria, Australia. The study involved 18 participants from a Mental Health Drugs and Alcohol Service (MHDAS) and employed a three-phase participatory design method. The research aimed to assess the value and acceptability of GMB in this context, and to collaborate with MHDAS lived experience workforce and healthcare professionals to tailor the GMB process. The findings highlight the necessity for a safe, inclusive environment, effective facilitation techniques, and design and content enhancement. Based on participant feedback, several adaptations were made to the GMB process, enhancing its suitability for co-design within the context of acute mental healthcare. The adapted GMB process was then piloted within the same acute mental healthcare unit for two studies. This research contributes to the growing evidence base supporting participatory approaches in mental healthcare and offers a flexible, inclusivity-focused blueprint for adapting GMB in mental healthcare across diverse contexts.