Technology to Improve Health and Wellbeing in the Armed Forces Community

Most mHealth apps for AFV focus on treating mental health conditions and addictions rely on national-wide government-based systems. There is scant research that investigates how technology could be developed in a way that builds upon and leverages what AFV have already in place in their local communities for exchange of information, resources, and peer-support. Thus, we propose to co-design a prototype of a technological intervention that will leverage the resources and assets already available in the AFV’s local community based on assets-based design approach. We will co-create an online intervention (it could be app-based or web-based) that centralizes resources available in the community and that are offered or mediated by community leaders who are also AFV. The app would also facilitate the process of finding local trusted resources or liaisons that could connect with and explain the use of such resources.

We envision that a co-created assets-based technology with AFV and stakeholders will allow AFV to find and access available local community-based resources in an easier and more effective way while minimizing barriers related to stigma and distrust among AFV and support providers.

The study will gather data by having people from the Armed Forces Veterans community via participatory design workshops to co-produce initial paper-based prototypes for a technology-based tool. The resulting prototypes will be evaluated via qualitative interviews and survey instrumentation to workshop participants.

How can we co-create technology that could improve the overall wellbeing of Armed Forces Veterans?

What features and functionality would a technological intervention have in order to leverage local resources and assets in the community?

Any person older than 18 years old of any gender who is an Armed Forces Veteran or a person who provides services to Armed Forces Veterans (e.g., employment, mental health, housing, legal, etc.)