Developing a web-based app for non-mental health nurses to assess the mental health needs and risks of children and young people

There is high demand for specialist mental health services for children and young people in the UK. Non-mental health nurses are well-placed to assess the mental health needs and risks of children and young people to maximise opportunities for early intervention and relieve the pressure on child and adolescent mental health services. This article provides an overview of a service development project to develop a web-based application (app) to support non-mental health nurses when assessing the mental health needs and risks of children and young people. The article describes the development, testing and evaluation process, which involved consultation with children and young people as well as interviews, focus groups and an online survey with a range of professionals working with children and young people. Overall, the findings suggest that the app is appropriate for use by non-mental health nurses in terms of quality, functionality and acceptability