Development and acceptability of self-guided psychoeducational videos for use in healthcare waiting rooms : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology at Massey University, New Zealand

Abstract

Psychoeducation is a valuable component of the stepped care model, offering a low-intensity intervention that teaches coping strategies for psychological distress. Although substantial research supports the efficacy of psychoeducational interventions, there is limited investigation into the use of psychoeducational videos within healthcare waiting room settings. This thesis employed Doodly Animation Software to develop Self-Guided Psychoeducational Videos (SGPVs) in collaboration with key stakeholders and evaluated their acceptability as a low-intensity psychoeducational intervention for delivery in General Practice (GP) waiting rooms.

The research comprised four studies. The first involved a systematic scoping review of 20 studies examining stakeholder perceptions of animated videos as patient education tools. Across the included studies, sample sizes ranged from 13 to 8,179 participants, reflecting a broad evidence base. Findings demonstrated overall acceptability and highlighted the importance of design features such as concise length, humour, use of colour, and narrative storytelling, particularly for engaging individuals with lower health literacy and minority populations.

The second study developed and evaluated the SGPVs with 23 participants, comprising ten cancer patients (eight recruited through a Māori cancer support group), nine oncology healthcare workers, and four psychologists, to examine their acceptability and perceived usefulness within an oncology waiting room setting. Although the videos were well received, participant feedback indicated that the intervention was better suited to a General Practice (GP) waiting room setting than an oncology waiting room, prompting a shift in the research focus.

The third study evaluated the revised SGPVs with 15 members of the general public in a GP waiting room context. Participants reported high levels of acceptability, and their feedback informed the final refinement of the videos prior to the quantitative evaluation.

The final study consisted of a quantitative survey of 169 members of the general public assessing the acceptability of, and interest in viewing, the SGPVs in GP waiting rooms. Subgroup analyses examined differences in acceptability and interest according to demographic characteristics, health literacy, and levels of psychological distress. Results demonstrated high levels of acceptability and interest in viewing the SGPVs, particularly among younger individuals and those with lower health literacy.

Overall, the findings suggest that SGPVs are a promising, acceptable, and engaging low-intensity psychoeducational intervention for GP waiting rooms. Their scalability and accessibility highlight their potential to improve mental health literacy, support self-management of psychological distress, and enhance access to early mental health intervention within a stepped care model.