Mental disorders constitute a major global public health challenge and are among the leading causes of disability worldwide. For many adults, mental health conditions are chronic, persisting or recurring across the lifespan and requiring long-term support. In Australia, middle-aged and older adults experience disproportionately high levels of psychosocial disability, reflecting substantial functional impairments in daily living, social participation, employment, and independent functioning. Notably, the prevalence of psychosocial disability has increased steadily in recent years, with many affected individuals reporting profound or severe limitations in everyday activities. This trend highlights an urgent need for innovative, scalable, and sustainable approaches that support functional capacity and independence.

Psychosocial disability also represents a significant and growing cost to the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), underscoring the importance of developing more affordable, preventative, and digitally enabled models of support. Although digital mental health interventions have expanded rapidly over the past decade, many existing tools focus on symptom monitoring, diagnosis, or crisis response. As a result, broader recovery-oriented goals (e.g., capacity building, meaningful participation, social connectedness, quality of life) are often insufficiently addressed.

This PhD project aims to address these gaps via the development of a holistic, person-centred digital wellbeing intervention. Specifically, the project will co-design a mobile-first, AI-enhanced platform with (and for) middle-aged and older adults living with long-term mental health conditions. The goal is to support wellbeing, functional capacity, and sustained engagement in everyday life.