Co-design of eHealth in the context of severe mental illness

eHealth technology, such as mobile apps and virtual reality, can help people with severe mental illness (SMI) cope with the daily impact of their mental illness. Co-design can be used to develop eHealth that closely fits the unique capabilities and preferences of people with SMI, resulting in better uptake and impact. It may also empower people with SMI, disrupting (self)stigmatisation and hierarchy in the mental healthcare system. To achieve these outcomes, researchers should ensure that their approach to co-design is inclusive of people with SMI. In this chapter, 23 recommendations for best practice, informed by literature and experiences of researchers and people with SMI who have conducted or participated in co-design projects, are discussed and illustrated using 4 case studies to inform researchers of how to adapt co-design planning, management and activities to include people with SMI successfully.