Gabrielle Tracy McClelland

A qualitative study of the experiences of mothers involved in street-based prostitution and problematic substance use

Abstract This study aimed to enable a cohort of women to describe their personal experiences of motherhood in the context of problematic substance use and street-based prostitution. The study also aimed to describe the impact upon women of separation from their children. Findings that emerged from focus group data were organised into four over-arching themes: children and motherhood, personal accounts of drug use and street-based prostitution, risks to women and their children and supportive/unsupportive factors in the women’s lives. Each theme consisted of many categories that illustrated the impact of dependent drug use and involvement in prostitution on the lives of the women and their children. This article describes the theme of children and motherhood. Involvement in street-based prostitution is extremely risky, frequently characterised by calculated risk taking, with consequences for both the woman and her children. Parental responsibilities and lifestyle contribute to stress, which is typically compounded by problematic substance use. Risks are increased for both the woman and her children when timely and appropriate support is unavailable. Emphasis should be placed upon the proactive identification and implementation of positive supportive strategies. Ethical approval was obtained via the Local Research Ethics Committee to undertake this research study.

A participatory mobile application (app) development project with mental health service users and clinicians

Objective: The aim of this study was to establish the utility of a bespoke mobile app for mental health service users and clinicians. Design: Qualitative design using four focus groups. Methods: Work was conducted in three stages. The first stage involved a focus group with mental health service users and eight clinicians from a mental health early intervention service to discuss the utility of a bespoke mobile app. Visual, verbal and written prompts were used to demonstrate a mobile app and to prompt discussion. The results of the focus groups were used to create a ‘visual walk through, non-interactive mock up’ mobile app which was used to aid discussion with the same service users and clinicians in stage 2 focus groups. Stage 3 involved development of a mobile app prototype based on focus group feedback. Results: Key ideas emerging from the focus groups were adopted in the design of the app prototype. These were as follows: the use of colour to convey mood; simple mood tracking using familiar trigger icons; a calendar integrated with the service user’s care plan; a help button linked to personal support; an avatar to personalise the app; and the inclusion of evidence-based information. Conclusion: Digital health technology is an extremely important asset with scope to improve people’s lives when combined with behaviour change techniques. Co-design with service users, clinicians and digital technologists is critical to product design and adoption. The use of quality standard criteria and evidence-based content in app development and evaluation is essential.