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WS-T51: SOCITS: Integrating Social Network Analysis in Mental Health Research through Qualitative, Quantitative, Simulation, and Systems Thinking Methods
Time:
Tuesday, 24/June/2025:
1:30pm - 4:30pm
Session Chair: Nolwazi Nadia Ncube
Session Abstract
A significant proportion of the population enters adulthood having already faced mental health challenges. These issues during adolescence have enduring effects on health, education, and socio-economic outcomes throughout life. Current approaches to adolescent mental health often fail to capture the intricate social and emotional contexts of young people. Traditional methods tend to focus on individuals in isolation, neglecting the broader social networks that play a crucial role in mental health. Unsituated social network analysis may fail to account for how relationships vary across time and space within social settings. This workshop will introduce the SOCially sITuated Systems (SOCITS) approach to measuring and modelling adolescent mental health. The methodology was developed with a focus on stress and loneliness in schools, but the approach can be applied to other constructs, behaviours and social settings. SOCITS integrates qualitative, systems thinking workshops, Agent Based Modelling and quantitative survey data; taking a co-production approach with young people and school staff. Qualitative and workshop data are used to inform the development of rules for an Agent Based Model, and also to develop situated survey items that are tailored to the places, interactions, and social situations that are relevant to specific schools and the topic of interest. The workshop will introduce participants to the conceptual integration of complexity theory and situated cognition theory; outline approaches for study design; and provide an overview of the range of analytical options, R packages, tutorial datasets and scripts available when analysing situated cognition and situated network data.
Workshop learning objectives:
1. Introduce participants to relevant concepts and theories underpinning the SOCITS approach.
2. Explore qualitative methods that can be employed in identifying stressful situations in schools and ways that these can be improved.
3. Demonstrate how workshop methods can be applied to co-produce situated assessment and social network survey items.
4. Apply agent-based models to model social and spatial dynamics influencing wellbeing in schools.
Presentations
SOCITS: Integrating Social Network Analysis in Mental Health Research through Qualitative, Quantitative, Simulation, and Systems Thinking Methods
Nolwazi Nadia Ncube, Mark McCann, James @glasgow.ac.uk, Srebenka Letina
A significant proportion of the population enters adulthood having already faced mental health challenges. These issues during adolescence have enduring effects on health, education, and socio-economic outcomes throughout life. Current approaches to adolescent mental health often fail to capture the intricate social and emotional contexts of young people. Traditional methods tend to focus on individuals in isolation, neglecting the broader social networks that play a crucial role in mental health. Unsituated social network analysis may fail to account for how relationships vary across time and space within social settings. This workshop will introduce the SOCially sITuated Systems (SOCITS) approach to measuring and modelling adolescent mental health. The methodology was developed with a focus on stress and loneliness in schools, but the approach can be applied to other constructs, behaviours and social settings. SOCITS integrates qualitative, systems thinking workshops, Agent Based Modelling and quantitative survey data; taking a co-production approach with young people and school staff. Qualitative and workshop data are used to inform the development of rules for an Agent Based Model, and also to develop situated survey items that are tailored to the places, interactions, and social situations that are relevant to specific schools and the topic of interest. The workshop will introduce participants to the conceptual integration of complexity theory and situated cognition theory; outline approaches for study design; and provide an overview of the range of analytical options, R packages, tutorial datasets and scripts available when analysing situated cognition and situated network data.
Workshop learning objectives:
1. Introduce participants to relevant concepts and theories underpinning the SOCITS approach.
2. Explore qualitative methods that can be employed in identifying stressful situations in schools and ways that these can be improved.
3. Demonstrate how workshop methods can be applied to co-produce situated assessment and social network survey items.
4. Apply agent-based models to model social and spatial dynamics influencing wellbeing in schools.
