Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41749374›Full record

ArticleBMC psychology2026

Developing an animation-based mental health measure for children and young people.

Victoria Christodoulides, Navya Malik, Angelika Labno, Giulia Ravaccia, Eleanor Grace, Ashton Ferguson, Omowumi Obi, Grizelda Khaling, Hotri Alapati, Melissa Cortina and 3 more

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In one paragraph

Article in BMC psychology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
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0citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

13 authors.

Victoria ChristodoulidesAnna Freud Centre, 4-8 Rodney Street, London, N1 9JH, UK.
Navya MalikAnna Freud Centre, 4-8 Rodney Street, London, N1 9JH, UK.
Angelika LabnoAnna Freud Centre, 4-8 Rodney Street, London, N1 9JH, UK.
Giulia RavacciaAnna Freud Centre, 4-8 Rodney Street, London, N1 9JH, UK.
Eleanor GraceAnna Freud Centre, 4-8 Rodney Street, London, N1 9JH, UK.
Ashton FergusonAnna Freud Centre, 4-8 Rodney Street, London, N1 9JH, UK.
Omowumi ObiAnna Freud Centre, 4-8 Rodney Street, London, N1 9JH, UK.
Grizelda KhalingAnna Freud Centre, 4-8 Rodney Street, London, N1 9JH, UK.
Hotri AlapatiAnna Freud Centre, 4-8 Rodney Street, London, N1 9JH, UK.
Melissa CortinaAnna Freud Centre, 4-8 Rodney Street, London, N1 9JH, UK.
Liffy McDonnell-BondAnna Freud Centre, 4-8 Rodney Street, London, N1 9JH, UK.
Chloe EdridgeAnna Freud Centre, 4-8 Rodney Street, London, N1 9JH, UK.
Julian Edbrooke-ChildsAnna Freud Centre, 4-8 Rodney Street, London, N1 9JH, UK. Julian.Childs@ucl.ac.uk.

Funding

UK Research and Innovation MR/X028941/1
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThere is a need to increase the accessibility, inclusivity, and representation of mental health measures for young people, particularly for those who may struggle with traditional text-based formats due to literacy, language, or cognitive barriers. We aimed to develop an animation-based mental health measure for young people.

methodsThis study involved a community-based participatory action research (CBPAR) process, including 10 four-hour in-person workshops with young co-researchers and two rounds of 90-min focus groups with different stakeholders. We also conducted think-aloud interviews with 31 young people to explore comprehension, engagement, and usability of the measure.

findingsThe resulting tool, Animi, assesses seven symptoms of depression and anxiety through animated characters. Each scenario is depicted by an animated character (Animi) that indicates whether the symptom is present or absent. Users respond by selecting the animation that most closely matches their experience, using either a multiple-choice or Likert-scale format. In the think-aloud interviews, young people reported they generally understood the animations as intended and described the measure as engaging and easy to use. Feedback identified areas for improvement, like clarifying the instructions and further developing accessibility features (e.g., subtitles, customisation options). Participants also highlighted the tool’s potential relevance for younger children, neurodivergent youth, and those with additional needs.

conclusionAnimi represents a promising and innovative approach to mental health measurement that prioritises accessibility and co-production. Future research will revise the instrument based on feedback from the think-aloud interviews, evaluate its psychometric properties, and explore its use across clinical and educational settings. We hope this research can be used by others seeking to increase the accessibility, inclusivity, and representativeness of mental health measures for young people.

Indexed as

AnxietyCartoons as TopicDepressionMental HealthAdolescentChildCommunity-Based Participatory ResearchFemaleFocus GroupsHumansMaleYoung AdultImage-basedMeasure developmentMental healthWellbeingYoung people

Identifiers

PMID41749374
PMCPMC13040877

What Socratic holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.