{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,9]],"date-time":"2026-07-09T10:16:51Z","timestamp":1783592211905,"version":"3.55.0"},"reference-count":30,"publisher":"Springer Science and Business Media LLC","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,9]],"date-time":"2026-07-09T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1783555200000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,9]],"date-time":"2026-07-09T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1783555200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100000272","name":"National Institute for Health and Care Research","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100000272","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["link.springer.com"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Res Involv Engagem"],"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Common mental health conditions are increasing in England, with growing severity and unmet need. Evidence shows that mental wellbeing is strongly shaped by wider social determinants such as income, housing, employment, and relationships. Conventional clinical approaches may not adequately address these underlying factors, highlighting the need for preventative, community-based solutions.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Aim<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>This paper describes the community involvement and engagement (CEI) approach used to develop CoSign, a digital signposting tool designed to help individuals identify social determinants contributing to mental distress and access appropriate community support.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Involvement and engagement approach<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>The development of CoSign incorporated CEI throughout the research process, guided by the INVOLVE research-cycle framework and the IAP2 Spectrum of Public Participation. A total of 29 stakeholders\u2014including healthcare professionals, voluntary sector representatives, policymakers, and individuals with lived experience\u2014contributed through workshops, consultations, and collaborative activities. Engagement focused on shaping the tool\u2019s design, content, accessibility, and implementation considerations.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Activities and impact<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Stakeholder input informed key aspects of CoSign, including the identification of relevant domains of need, refinement of language to improve accessibility, and the structure of the user experience. Practical considerations, such as service capacity, inclusivity, and potential barriers to engagement, were highlighted and addressed. The resulting web-based tool enables users to self-identify areas of social need and receive tailored signposting to community resources. CEI enhanced the relevance, acceptability, and usability of the tool.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Meaningful community involvement is essential in developing accessible, preventative mental health tools grounded in real-world needs. However, challenges such as limited resources, stakeholder fatigue, and equity in participation must be managed. The CoSign project demonstrates the value of CEI while underscoring the importance of flexible, context-sensitive approaches to engagement.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1186\/s40900-026-00939-9","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,9]],"date-time":"2026-07-09T09:15:14Z","timestamp":1783588514000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/springer_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Community engagement and involvement in developing a community-based signposting tool for mental distress"],"prefix":"10.1186","volume":"12","author":[{"given":"Claire","family":"Wicks","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Cara","family":"Booker","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Meena","family":"Kumari","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Susan","family":"McPherson","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"297","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,9]]},"reference":[{"key":"939_CR1","unstructured":"NHS Digital. 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The engagement activities described followed principles of ethical engagement. Research ethics approval was not required as the engagement activities are distinct from the research. Individuals involved in the engagement activities were involved as collaborators and consultants rather than as research participants. No personal, identifiable, or other data were collected from people involved in the activities.","order":2,"name":"Ethics","group":{"name":"EthicsHeading","label":"Ethics approval and consent to participate"}},{"value":"Not applicable.","order":3,"name":"Ethics","group":{"name":"EthicsHeading","label":"Consent for publication"}},{"value":"Claire Wicks is founder of the Institute for Green Exercise Research, a non\u2011profit organisation. The author declares that this affiliation did not influence the design, analysis, interpretation, or reporting of this study. All other authors declare they have no competing interests.","order":4,"name":"Ethics","group":{"name":"EthicsHeading","label":"Competing interests"}}],"article-number":"111"}}