Necessary but not sufficient? Engaging young people in the development of an avatar-based online intervention designed to provide psychosocial support to young people affected by their own or a family member's cancer diagnosis

Abstract

Objective: This paper discusses the challenges and successes of engaging young people in a project aimed at developing an online counselling intervention for young people affected by cancer. Context: For younger people with a diagnosis of cancer or who are caring for someone with cancer the psychosocial consequences can create significant challenges for their social and educational development. Whilst young people have been shown to be reluctant to make use of traditional face-to-face counselling, research is beginning to suggest that effective therapeutic relationships can be formed with young people online. Design: The first phase of the study involved working with a “Young Persons Panel” of healthy school pupils and university students to develop and pilot an online counselling intervention and study materials in preparation for a pilot evaluation of the intervention. Intervention: An avatar-based virtual reality counselling world was created where young people can create their own avatar and receive counselling over the internet from a qualified counsellor via an avatar in a virtual reality world. Findings: The process of engaging young people in the C:EVOLVE project enabled a unique intervention to be developed and demonstrated positive developmental opportunities. However, despite the rigorous approach to the development of the intervention, initial attempts within the pilot evaluation phase of the study showed difficulties recruiting to the study and this phase of the study has currently ceased whilst further exploratory work takes place Conclusion: This study has demonstrated the complexities of intervention development and evaluation research targeted at young people and the challenges created when attempting to bring clinical practice and research evaluation together. Keywords: online counselling, cancer, young people, intervention development, avatar counselling