Patient entrepreneur Jen Rose came up with the idea for Me (and my mind) following the success of Me (and my IBD), which was piloted with Newcastle Hospitals:
Don’t be afraid to share your idea. Some of the most impactful innovations start with a simple observation or lived experience. Engaging with innovation teams early can help turn an idea into reality by providing access to expertise, networks, funding opportunities and support.
It’s incredibly rewarding to see this next journal being adopted across multiple NHS trusts and reaching even more young people throughout the region.
Project
Me (and my mind) is a creative wellbeing journal developed by patient entrepreneur Jen Rose through the NHS Patient Entrepreneur Programme, which supports innovations created as a result of lived experience.
Designed in collaboration with children, young people and healthcare professionals, it is tailored specifically to the region, and features bespoke artwork showcasing landmarks from across the north east and north Cumbria.
Described as ‘a colouring journal about healthy minds’ it helps young people to:
- explore their emotions
- build positive wellbeing habits
- develop confidence in discussing mental health
The project, led by Newcastle Hospitals, was funded by Health Innovation North East and North Cumbria, working alongside Jen Rose and innovation leads across the region to support implementation, evaluation and adoption.
It is being rolled out across the north east and north Cumbria, with 500 copies distributed through nine NHS trusts and a further 50 retained for future engagement activity.
How this benefits patients
Me (and my mind) offers young people an accessible and non-clinical way to explore their emotions and wellbeing.
Through colouring, reflection and creative activities, the journal encourages self-expression and helps young people feel more comfortable discussing their thoughts and feelings.
By promoting early conversations about mental health and emotional wellbeing, the resource has the potential to build resilience, improve confidence and support earlier identification of wellbeing needs.
What this means for staff
The journal provides healthcare professionals, school nurses, youth workers and mental health teams with a practical and engaging resource to support conversations about emotional wellbeing.
Using creativity as a communication tool can help build rapport with young people and facilitate discussions that may otherwise be difficult to initiate.
The regional rollout also provides an opportunity for staff to contribute to a collaborative evaluation.
How we helped
The Newcastle Hospitals innovation team highlighted the journal with the North East and North Cumbria Innovation Forum, bringing together innovation leads from across the region to explore opportunities for wider adoption.
In partnership with Health Innovation North East and North Cumbria, the team coordinated regional implementation, facilitating collaboration between nine NHS trusts.
Support included:
- stakeholder engagement
- communications activity
- ordering and distribution of journals
- development of an evaluation framework to gather feedback from young people, families and healthcare professionals
Next steps
A collaborative evaluation will be undertaken across participating NHS trusts to assess the journal’s usability, acceptability and impact.
Feedback gathered from young people, families and healthcare professionals will:
- inform future development of the resource
- support evidence generation
- identify opportunities for wider adoption across health, education and community settings