switch research emotions journal review

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Switch Research Emotions Journal - Self Care Journal - Psychologist-Backed Manifestation Journal - Therapist Recommended Affirmation Journal - Beautiful Self Care Journal for Women

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Switch Research Emotions Journal - Self Care Journal -... › Customer reviews

Customer reviews.

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Switch Research Emotions Journal - Self Care Journal - Psychologist-Backed Manifestation Journal - Therapist Recommended Affirmation Journal - Beautiful Self Care Journal for Women

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• Best Online Therapy

Switch Research Review – Best Evidence-Based Journal For Emotional Growth Seekers

Have you ever wondered if the key to unlocking your true potential lies within self-love?

The Self-Love Journal by Switch Research claims to help you cultivate self-love, acceptance, and understanding through a structured journaling experience.

But is it effective? We bought two journals to find out!

After spending some quality time, cozied up in bed jotting down our thoughts before bed, we believe: Switch Research Journals are best for emotional growth seekers who value evidence-based journal therapy techniques.

How did we come to this conclusion? In this blog post, we will delve into Switch Research and the Self-Love and Emotional Journals, examining their features, benefits, and discounts to answer the question: is Switch Research legit ?

Please note: According to the 2022 meta-analysis titled “ Efficacy of journaling in the management of mental illness: a systematic review and meta-analysis “, journaling has a low risk for adverse side effects but should not be used as a primary form of treatment.

“Given the low risk of adverse effects, low resource requirement, and emphasis on self-efficacy, primary care providers should consider this an adjunct therapy to complement current evidence-based management.”

Switch Research - $48

• Third Party Reviews (3.7)
• Quality (5)
• Design (4.7)

Best for people who want to grow emotionally and value evidence-based journal therapy methods

• High-quality materials and content
• Evidence-based approach
• Buy-1-get-1-free discounts
• Access to online courses
• Straightforward website navigation
• Numerous alternatives on the market
• Cheaper journals available
• Old-fashioned website design
• Switch Review Website
• See Switch Review Journals
• Get 2-for-1 Discount

Short Summary

• Switch Research is a legitimate company providing quality products and services to support individuals on their self-love journey with an evidence-based approach backed by a team of researchers.
• Real-life testimonials (and beautiful journals you can hold in your hands attest to its effectiveness) that mental health professionals have endorsed.
• Switch Research offers discounts, promotions, and a money-back guarantee for those looking to invest in their mental well-being.

Table of Contents

Who is Switch Research Best For

Based on my experience with Switch Research, I am most impressed with their journal’s structure and quality of prompts.

We believe: Switch Research is best for people who can stick to a plan, want to keep a journal and want a structured way to learn more about their emotions and love themselves more.

This structure and style of learning can be great for many people for whom Switch Research could help:

• Individuals are seeking personal growth and self-improvement via structured journaling prompts.
• People face challenges in expressing their emotions effectively.
• Those looking to enhance their emotional intelligence and self-awareness.
• Anyone interested in cultivating self-love and self-acceptance.
• Busy professionals who desire a structured approach to emotional well-being.
• Individuals coping with stress, anxiety, or other mental health concerns.
• People who aspire to build stronger relationships through effective communication.
• Creative souls are searching for an engaging outlet for introspection and self-expression.
• Fans of evidence-based techniques and research-driven self-help methods.
• Personal development enthusiasts exploring various tools and resources for self-improvement.

Who Should Not Use Switch Research

While Switch Research offers valuable tools and resources for self-improvement, it is essential to consider if journaling suits you.

• For some, journaling may be too intense or unproductive.
• Switch Research is highly structured, so this product may not be for you if you prefer a more creative, open-ended journaling style.
• Switch Research is about emotions, self-love, thoughts, etc. If you want to journal about productivity, dreams, organizing your day, etc. – another alternative will be better.

Of course, if you don’t want to journal, this service is not for you either!

My Experience with Switch Research

• When I first discovered the Switch Research website, I was immediately drawn to the clean design and user-friendly interface.
• The website offered a straightforward presentation of information about its products and resources, making it easy to understand what the Self-Love Journal could provide people with for their path toward self-love and self-care.
• You can quickly tell that people speak highly of Switch Research journals, based on the 100,000+ journals sold with a 4.9/5 average rating.
• The journals are beautiful, and the packaging boxes the journal came in were stellar.

Switch Research Pros

• Switch Research provides comprehensive mental health resources, including a guided journal with daily prompts and evidence-based tools to cultivate self-love and reduce negative thoughts. The pictures speak for themselves!
• Six journals to buy, and that’s it! Not overly complicated.
• Beautiful packaging and design
• Step-by-step journal training is an excellent alternative to therapy or a complement to an existing therapeutic relationship.

Switch Research Cons

You know, the most common struggle with journaling is consistency. While Switch Research offers valuable tools and resources for self-improvement, it is essential to consider if journaling suits you. For some, journaling may be too intense, unproductive, or not the right time.

The journals are more like step-by-step training programs you go through at home. While journaling can be a creative, open-ended process, this journaling method is much more structured. So if you’re looking for a creative, artsy, expressive type of journaling, these products are not for you.

In addition, there are many alternatives to Switch Research. Journaling is a viable method for improving mental health, and there are many competitors and options to choose from.

We suggest you look elsewhere if you don’t highly resonate with the Switch Research orientation, structure, and brand vibe.

Switch Research Third-Party Reviews

The best features of Switch Research include its expert-led mental health resources, guided journal with daily prompts, and evidence-based tools for self-improvement.

The company’s commitment to developing and evaluating its products with the help of leading experts in mental health ensures that users receive the highest quality resources and guidance.

On their website, Switch Research claims 100,000+ journals sold with a 4.9/5 average rating. While we are taking Switch Research’s word, we know companies have incentives to boost their average rating.

Our team at Online Mental Health Reviews has found other third-party reviews about Switch Research, which you can see summarized below:

• Trustpilot : Switch Research gets 4.9/5 from 326 reviews
• Switch Research 91-Day Self-Love Journal – 4.2/5 from 90 ratings
• Switch Research Emotions Journal – 4.3/5 from 40 ratings
• Switch Research Boundaries Journal – Science-Backed Self Care Journal – 5/5 from 20 ratings

While being able to read comments on journals left by past users is good, our team still values third-party reviews above all else. While Trustpilot is very reliable and gives a high score, ideally, we want more third-party reviews for more social proof.

Third-Party Review Score = 3.7/5

Real-Life Testimonials: Users’ Experiences

Many users of the Self-Love Journal have shared their positive experiences with the product. They have praised its gentle and calming prompts, open and inviting atmosphere, and subtle minimalist illustrations that create a soothing journaling environment.

You may click on each Switch Research journal rating to read the reviews users have left for the journal. Our team trusts these reviews are user-submitted. But being a third-party review website, we always take these comments with a grain of salt, as should you:

• I ordered both the Self-Love and Emotions journals, and the quality of these books completely blows me away! I am focusing on the self-love book to start with, and the prompts are just fantastic. They are clearly well-thought-out and researched, and I’m already starting to see some results. On a separate note, there was a small issue with my shipping and their customer service was top-notch as well.
• I was worried this would be another failed attempt at journaling but this journal is different. I actually look forward to sitting down and going through the prompt and setting a daily intention. Definitely recommend to others.

These real-life testimonials demonstrate the effectiveness of the Self-Love Journal and show that it has become a valuable resource and tool for users seeking to improve their mental well-being, self-love , and cultivate a deeper understanding of themselves.

Switch Research – Is It Evidence-Based?

Yes, most definitely. You can tell ‘research’ is not only in their name but key to their operating philosophy.

Switch Research prides itself on being evidence-based, utilizing scientific evidence and Research to inform its products and methods. By drawing from the expertise of clinical therapists, psychologists, psychiatrists, and researchers, Switch Research ensures that users receive accurate and practical tools to improve their mental health.

However, while we are impressed with the Switch Research platform and offering, we must note one significant lack of information on their research page ( https://switchresearch.org/pages/self-love-research ).

Namely, the research page lists the benefits of a study, such as an increase in “35% Overall Self-Compassion”.But, our background check could not find the scientific article in question. How did they measure self-compassion, for example? The report should be made easily accessible.

Fortunately, given our teams’ familiarity with evidence-based, therapeutic journaling principles, we can say that Switch Research journals seem highly effective nonetheless.

What Problems Does Switch Research Best Help?

Switch Research is most effective in helping individuals on their self-love journey, providing step-by-step structured guidance and tools to cultivate self-awareness, self-acceptance, and self-compassion.

By offering a structured journaling experience, Switch Research enables users to overcome negative thought patterns and discover unconditional self-love.

Switch Research is best for people who can follow a disciplined schedule, want to journal, and prefer a structured approach to developing emotional awareness and self-love.

Best Features of Switch Research

Some of the best features of Switch Research include the carefully designed Self-Love Journal, the exclusive Self-Love Masterclass, and the evidence-based tools and resources provided by the company.

Switch Research’s commitment to providing high-quality products and services makes it a fantastic resource for those looking to improve their mental well-being and cultivate self-love.

Again, as mentioned before, Switch Research is highly structured.

The best features of Switch Research are the journal checklists, structured prompts, chapters, and straightforward, practical training that’s not too complicated.

Quality Review Score = 5/5

Switch Research Journal’s: Features & Benefits

Each journal is a beautifully designed, hardcover journal created to guide you on your self-discovery journey.

The key feature is the daily and weekly checklist, located at the beginning of each journal, so you continue progressing for the whole journaling course.

• Incorporating cognitive behavioral therapy, self-compassion, and dialectical behavior therapy techniques, this journal aims to promote self-awareness, self-reflection, and self-acceptance.
• The journals are divided into sections, each focusing on different aspects of your self-love journey, allowing you to take separate notes and reflect on each chapter’s topic.
• Thought-provoking exercises encourage users to explore their emotions and feelings, leading to personal growth and self-improvement.
• The journal’s aesthetically pleasing design and easy-to-follow healing prompts make it enjoyable and helpful in your daily routine.

Design Review Score = 4.7

Emotions Journals vs. Traditional Journals

Emotions journals, such as the Self-Love Journal, differ from traditional journals because they prioritize emotional awareness and self-reflection.

While traditional journals may cover a broad range of subjects ranging from goals and productivity to creative brainstorming, emotions journals focus on exploring and processing feelings, helping individuals become more mindful of their emotions and better equipped to understand and process them.

By reflecting on their emotions, individuals can better understand their thoughts and feelings and develop healthier coping mechanisms for dealing with difficult emotions. This can lead to improved mental health and wellbeing.

The Self-Love Masterclass: An Exclusive Online Course

In addition to the Self-Love Journal, Switch Research also offers the Self-Love Masterclass, an online course designed to complement the journal, in addition to the Self-Love Journal.

• There is a similar online course for the Emotions Journal, but only six weeks.
• The Self-Love Masterclass is structured into 13 weeks, each focusing on a different aspect: self-awareness, self-compassion, and shared humanity.
• This course is a valuable resource for individuals looking to enhance their self-love journey further, providing additional tools and guidance.
• The 20-30 minute training lessons mirror the mental health journal prompts so you can dive deeper into each prompt for more information. The educational and teaching quality is high, and you’ll learn a lot!

Quality & Value: Assessing the Self-Love Journal

The quality and value of the Self-Love Journal cannot be overstated – if you’re the best fit.

With carefully designed prompts and exercises, this journal has proven to be a transformative tool for many users on their self-love journey.

However, you must be drawn to journaling, a structured approach akin to a do-it-yourself training course, and willing to look inward at your emotions.

The additional resources, such as the Self-Love Masterclass, further enhance the value of the journal, making it a worthwhile investment for those looking to improve their mental well-being and self-compassion.

You’ll get a lot out of this course, but proper motivation and understanding are ideal before starting. For example, knowing that you’ll journal for around 10 minutes daily, at least for the next 6-13 weeks.

Addressing Common Concerns

Some individuals have raised concerns about the legitimacy of Switch Research and its products, including the Self-Love Journal. These concerns may stem from skepticism about the effectiveness of journaling for mental well-being or the company’s credibility.

We have mentioned our criticism of their research.

However, Switch Research is not a fraudulent organization. It is a legitimate company that offers a variety of self-love and mental health resources.

Their products, including the Self-Love Journal, have been endorsed by mental health professionals and have received positive reviews from users, confirming their reliability and effectiveness in aiding individuals on their self-love journey.

Is the Self-Love Journal a Scam?

The Self-Love Journal is not a scam. It is a legitimate product created by Switch Research, which provides expert-led mental health resources for personal growth.

The journal has received favorable reviews from users who have experienced its transformative impact on their self-awareness, self-acceptance, and self-compassion.

Is Switch Research a Trustworthy Company?

Switch Research is a trustworthy company with a reliable reputation among its users. Mental health professionals have endorsed it and offer high-quality products and services aimed at self-improvement. These include the Self-Love Journal and the Self-Love Masterclass.

How Switch Research Works

After purchasing the Self-Love Journal, I was provided with everything I needed to embark on my self-love journey. The journal was filled with daily prompts and science-backed tools to help me develop self-love and reduce negative thoughts.

Additionally, our team believes access to therapist-guided courses and tools to establish healthy boundaries via online training will help answer concerns or questions people might have about the journaling prompts.

Switch Research Website

The Switch Research website is organized in the following way:

• Journals and Planners

Digital Journals

Digital courses.

• Podcast “TherapyTalks”
• Courses Login

What You Get in Switch Research After Your Purchase

In a standard Switch Research for a physical journal, you’ll receive four items, two journals, and two free masterclass gifts.

Switch Research: Company Background

Switch Research, based in Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada, is a mental health organization specializing in self-care products and services. Founded by therapists Dr. Sarah K. and Dr. John K., their mission is to help individuals on their self-love journey through expert-led mental health resources, including the acclaimed Self-Love Journal.

The Self-Love Journal is designed to help individuals identify and address their mental health needs. It includes various activities like journaling, guided meditations, and self-care tips. The journal also provides a commentary.

How do I Sign-Up to Switch Research?

To sign up for Switch Research, visit their website and select “Register here” if you do not have an existing account. If you are a current user, select “Login here.”

Alternatives to Switch Research

While Switch Research offers valuable tools and resources for self-improvement, other alternatives, such as online courses, books, and self-help products, may better suit your needs.

Many free resources exist as well. See journal prompts about codependency , art therapy , healing , manifestation , anxiety , self-love , mental health , creativity , self-growth , and self-love .

Exploring all options is essential to find the best fit for your journey.

Cultivating self-love is a journey that requires dedication and self-reflection. Following these DIY steps can create a strong foundation for self-love and self-compassion.

• Start by acknowledging and accepting your emotional state
• Practicing self-compassion
• Surrounding yourself with positive influences
• Attending to your needs
• Recognizing your “why.”
• Committing to self-love
• Forgiving yourself
• Letting go of detrimental ideas and emotions

Remember, consistency and moderation are the keys to success on this journey.

By prioritizing self-love and self-care, you can experience the transformative effects of cultivating a deeper connection with yourself and living a more fulfilling life.

How Much Does Switch Research Cost

Switch Research offers a range of products and services at varying price points.

Switch Research almost always offers a ‘buy one, get one free’ discount.

While the below prices are the official prices listed on their website, you should know that you’ll often be getting two journals and other bonuses for the listed price.

For example, we ordered the Self-Love Journal but got an additional journal and two masterclasses for $48. A great deal, in our opinion, as science nerds, but there are many other alternatives too.

Journals & Planners

• $48 – Self Love Journal
• $48 – The Emotions Journal
• $37 – The Boundaries Journal
• $58 – The Self-Talk Journals
• $34 – The Calm Planner (Window of Tolerance)
• $34 – The Calm Planner (Boundaries)
• $19.95 – Self-Love Journal (Digital Download)
• $19.95 – Self-Talk Journal (Digital Download)
• $19.95 – The Emotions Journal (Digital Download)
• $19.95 – The Boundaries Journal (Digital Download)
• $19.95 – Calm Planner (Digital Download)
• $0.00 – The Self-Love Masterclass
• $17.99 – 7 Day Silence Your Inner Critic Course
• $37.00 – The Emotions Masterclass
• $27.00 – The Boundaries Masterclass

Because there are many journaling alternatives out there, we cannot give too many stars. However, the value of the journaling is great, especially given the overall quality, appropriate fit, 2-for-1 discount and purchasing options.

Price Review Score = 4/5

Any Discount or Free Trial?

Switch Research offers a 30-day money-back guarantee for your satisfaction, ensuring you can try their products and services risk-free.

Additionally, they provide various discounts and promotions to make their offerings even more accessible to those looking to invest in their mental health and personal growth.

For example, Switch Research offers an “Early Spring Sale” when writing. This sale is Buy One, Get One Free, plus two gifts at checkout. We believe similar discounts run year-round.

Refunds, Pausing, and Cancellations

Switch Research provides a 100% no-questions-asked refund policy, allowing users to return their products if they are unsatisfied with their purchase. To initiate a return, contact Switch Research at [email protected].

While there is no specific information regarding pausing or cancellation policies, their customer-friendly refund policy ensures that users can feel confident in their investment.

In conclusion, Switch Research’s Self-Love Journal is a valuable tool for individuals seeking to cultivate self-love, self-awareness, and self-compassion.

The Self-Love Journal offers a comprehensive and evidence-based approach to personal growth with well-thought-out prompts, expert-led resources, and a supportive community.

• Switch Research Journals are best for people who want to grow emotionally and value journal therapy methods based on facts.
• Switch Research is best for people who can follow a plan, want to keep a journal, and want a structured way to learn more about their feelings and love themselves more.
• Switch Research is best for people who can stick to a plan, want to keep a journal, and like a structured way to learn about their emotions and love themselves.
• Switch Research’s best parts are the journal checklists, structured questions, chapters, and easy-to-understand, practical training.

Whether new to self-love or looking to deepen your self-discovery journey, Switch Research provides the tools and guidance necessary to unlock your true potential.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is switch research org.

Switch Research is committed to providing reliable, expert-backed mental health resources that are easily accessible to anyone. With contributions from clinical therapists, psychologists, psychiatrists, and researchers, our resources offer safe and accurate ways to improve mental health.

Where is switch research located?

Switch Research is located in Monash University’s Faculty of Medicine, Nursing, and Health Sciences in Australia. With a focus on patient safety and professional practice, the internationally renowned institution provides an excellent environment for Research into healthcare innovation.

How do I start journaling for self-love?

Beginning your journey of self-love through journaling can be a meaningful way to practice reflection and acceptance. Start by asking yourself thoughtful questions about what makes you unique and ways to support yourself.

Consider taking time each day to write in your journal to honor yourself and explore new ideas for self-love.

Starting a journaling practice for self-love requires some reflection and dedication. Take the time to honor your strengths, find gratitude, dream of your perfect day, recognize your successes, acknowledge your efforts, reflect on the people that matter in your life, and think about your unique qualities.

Through these prompts, you can explore the depths of self-love and create space to nourish yourself.

What should be included in a self-love journal?

Enhance your self-love journey with these eight journaling prompts. Empower yourself to make positive, meaningful changes and cultivate self-compassion by writing down your thoughts and feelings. Through this process, you will gain insight into what brings you joy and how to prioritize that in your life.

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Write a review

Reviews 4.9.

Most relevant

These journals are beautifully created…

These journals are beautifully created and direct the mind to release anxiety through helpful hints for writing.

Date of experience : December 03, 2023

Great Journals

These journals have helped me dive deep like no other journal. I have found this very helpful.

These are the best journals ever

These are the best journals ever. I am not a journalist but they educate you and give you prompts and really really do help. I love them all. Don't hesitate to get them.

Date of experience : December 02, 2023

I love these journals/ this community

I love these journals/ this community. I struggle to verbalize the way I feel sometimes, and having these prompted journals helps me to express myself and reflect. They help me to slow down and work on myself every single day.

Date of experience : October 04, 2023

Lots of helpful information and tools

Lots of helpful information and tools. Easy to navigate and work with.

I purchased3 journals and so far I am loving the changes I am making.

Date of experience : December 01, 2023

I just started with Self-Love and it is amazing. Can't wait to see how my life changes after the program.

Great products

Great products, sell out fast. Lots of helpful information. Gets you writing not typing. I like the writing prompts. These are expensive in my opinion so wait for bundles although as mentioned they sell out fast but the customer service is great.

Date of experience : March 01, 2023

Excellent !

Just started and I love the support as well as the Love Journal.

Life changing

Life changing. An amazing resource. Really loving it.

Reliable company

Reliable company; fast shipping and great products

Date of experience : November 03, 2023

Easy ordering

Easy ordering, received exactly what I ordered.

very insightful

very insightful. Helps a lot in understanding and getting life under control.

A great start to each day

A great start to each day. Focus on the positive

I love these planners

I love these planners. They help me in so many ways. I also love the pod casts. I’m so happy I fell upon this product.

I enjoy this company and like my…

I enjoy this company and like my journals

I recently finished the Emotions…

I recently finished the Emotions journal and it gave me a lot of tools to help with my ADHD and RSD. It was a great resource to have when I needed a place to just get down my thoughts but also provided structure.

Date of experience : July 05, 2023

Great content and very robust website

Great content and very robust website. The journal is HUGE. I’d prefer something slightly smaller.

A lot of thought and attention went…

A lot of thought and attention went into their journals and planners, im a fan! And they have sales all the time which is great

Great journal work helpful prompts

Without invasive therapies, pharmaceutical solutions, or time-consuming practices.

Recommended:, the emotions journal.

Self-Care in your hands

Guided journaling community for personal growth.

Welcome to the switch journaling community!

Here you'll find therapist-guided classes to help you build the life you want. We bring together individuals navigating life changes to engage in guided journaling, so that we can reflect on our experiences, gain self-awareness, and foster personal growth.

How It Works

1. Grab a Journal Grab your favourite blank journal, or use the digital one provided. We also offer beautiful hardcover journals to accompany each course. 

2. Follow Along With a Therapist Once you've selected the video course you'd like to start, you'll follow along with our expert as they go through daily lessons and introspective journaling prompts.

3. Community Support Meet new people and share your experiences and insights with a supportive community of fellow journalers.

Benefits to joining our community

🤝 Strong Supportive Community: By joining our community, you'll become part of a warm and understanding group of like-minded individuals who share your journey towards better mental health. Connect and chat with people who understand your struggles and can offer genuine support, fostering a sense of belonging and reducing feelings of isolation.

💖  21-Day Free Self-Love Challenge: Kickstart your self-love journey with our immersive 21-day challenge. This structured program is designed to guide you through daily exercises, affirmations, and practices that cultivate a deep sense of self-compassion and love. By committing to this challenge, you'll witness transformative shifts in your self-perception and gain the tools to infuse self-love into every aspect of your life.

📝 Guided Journaling with Therapist Insights: Elevate your journaling experience with our guided journaling approach. Each day, you'll have access to therapist-led videos that provide context, insights, and additional strategies related to the day's journal prompt. This unique combination of written reflection and professional guidance enhances your personal growth journey in a profound way.

🎧 Therapy Talks - New Episodes Every Week: Stay engaged and informed with our weekly mental health podcast. Our experts delve into diverse mental health topics, offering fresh insights, personal stories, and actionable advice. Whether you're on your daily commute, taking a walk, or simply relaxing at home, tuning in to our podcast provides a convenient and enriching way to expand your mental health knowledge and receive ongoing support.

🛋️ Experts Corner: As a member of our mental health community, you'll gain exclusive access to tons of expertly curated articles. These articles cover a wide range of mental health topics, providing you with in-depth knowledge, practical tips, and evidence-based strategies to enhance your emotional well-being. Stay informed and empowered as you explore these valuable resources.

Video courses you'll find

Free 21 Day Self-Love Challenge Video Course

Discover your inner strengths and overcome self-doubt with this 21 day challenge. Follow along with our partner therapist, Bethany Macgillivray, as she goes through daily lessons combined with introspective journaling prompts.

The Self-Love Journal Video Course

Discover your inner strengths and overcome self-doubt with this 3-month guided series. Follow along with our partner therapist, Bethany Macgillivray, as she goes through daily lessons combined with introspective journaling prompts.

The Emotions Journal Video Course

Enrich your relationships, communicate effectively with others and boost your self-awareness in this 9-week guided series. Backed by science and created with expert therapist, Hailey Kanigan, follow along as she goes through daily lessons.

The Boundaries Journal Video Course

Enhance your relationships, establish healthy boundaries, and improve self-awareness through this 30 day guided series. Backed by science and created with expert therapist, Hailey Kanigan, follow along as she goes through introspective journaling prompts.

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• Open access
• Published: 11 September 2024

Adult co-creators’ emotional and psychological experiences of the co-creation process: a Health CASCADE scoping review protocol

• Lauren McCaffrey   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0003-2524-977X 1 ,
• Bryan McCann 1 ,
• Maria Giné-Garriga 2 ,
• Qingfan An 3 ,
• Greet Cardon 4 ,
• Sebastien François Martin Chastin 1 , 4 ,
• Rabab Chrifou 4 ,
• Sonia Lippke 5 ,
• Quentin Loisel 1 ,
• Giuliana Raffaella Longworth 2 ,
• Katrina Messiha 6 ,
• Mira Vogelsang 1 ,
• Emily Whyte 1 &
• Philippa Margaret Dall 1  

Systematic Reviews volume  13 , Article number:  231 ( 2024 ) Cite this article

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There is a growing investment in the use of co-creation, reflected by an increase in co-created products, services, and interventions. At the same time, a growing recognition of the significance of co-creators’ experience can be detected but there is a gap in the aggregation of the literature with regard to experience. Therefore, the purpose of this scoping review is to uncover the breadth of existing empirical research on co-creation experience, how it has been defined and assessed, and its key emotional and psychological characteristics in the context of co-created products, services, or interventions among adults.

The development of the search strategy was guided by the research question, Arksey, and O’Malley’s scoping review methodology guidelines, and through collaboration with members of the Health CASCADE consortium. The results of the search and the study inclusion process will be reported in full and presented both narratively and by use of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses extension for scoping review (PRISMA-ScR) flow diagram. Comprehensive searches of relevant electronic databases (e.g. Scopus) will be conducted to identify relevant papers. Snowball searches to identify additional papers through included full-text papers will be done using the artificial intelligence tool, namely, Connected Papers. All review steps will involve at least two reviewers. Studies in English, Dutch, Chinese, Spanish, and French, published from the year 1970 onwards, will be considered. Microsoft Excel software will be used to record and chart extracted data.

The resulting scoping review could provide useful insights into adult co-creators’ experience of participating in the co-creation process. An increased understanding of the role of emotional and psychological experiences of participating in co-creation processes may help to inform the co-creation process and lead to potential benefits for the co-creators and co-created outcome.

Systematic review registration

10.5281/zenodo.7665851.

Peer Review reports

Co-creation can be defined as “any act of collective creativity that involves a broad range of relevant and affected actors in creative problem-solving that aims to produce a desired outcome” [ 1 ]. Co-creation is increasingly acknowledged as a promising approach to address complex ‘wicked’ societal problems and develop more contextually relevant interventions to improve outcomes in a variety of settings [ 2 ]. By facilitating communication across sectors, integrating diverse forms of knowledge and expertise, and enabling local ownership, co-creation can be useful in a broad range of fields including, healthcare, community, and education [ 3 ].

The co-creation process is guided by participatory methodologies [ 4 ]. The goal of participatory research is to engage all those who are the subject of the research in all stages of the research [ 5 ]. Participatory research acknowledges the value of their contribution in a practical and collaborative way [ 5 ]. Co-creation builds on these participatory methodologies, to address the power imbalances stemming from social inequities and uses empowerment approaches to address and meet the needs of citizens [ 3 ]. Co-creation is more specific than the broad concept of participation, which also refers to passive involvement [ 6 ]. The ultimate goal of co-creation is to actively involve all relevant and affected stakeholders in all aspects of the co-creation process, such as planning or conducting [ 7 ].

Whilst the co-creation behaviour of participants in a co-creation process is mostly documented in the co-creation literature, the emotional and psychological experience of participating in the co-creation process has been given less attention [ 8 , 9 ]. Co-creation behaviour is argued to comprise multiple behavioural dimensions that fall under two higher-order factors, namely, participation behaviour and citizenship behaviour [ 10 ]. The behavioural dimensions of participation behaviour include information seeking and sharing, responsible behaviour, and personal interaction. The dimensions of citizenship behaviour include feedback, advocacy, helping, and tolerance [ 10 ]. On the other hand, the co-creators’ experiences of participating in the co-creation process, hereby shortened to co-creation experience, capture co-creators’ emotional and psychological states; highlight the interactive component; and involve a continuous process as opposed to a single fixed-time event [ 9 ]. In brief, the co-creation experience, as defined for the purposes of this review, is the co-creators’ emotional and psychological states during active participation and interaction when engaging in the co-creation process [ 9 ]. Co-creation experience differs from co-creation behaviour due to its focus on the feelings and cognitions derived from the act of undertaking the co-creation behaviour [ 9 ].

Research indicates that active involvement in the co-creation process can have profound positive effects on increased health and performance outcomes, satisfaction, and well-being [ 11 , 12 ]. For example, Leask et al. [ 13 ] reported older adults having positive experiences engaging with the co-creation of a health intervention, describing that participants’ role as co-researchers made it enjoyable, interesting, and rewarding. Similar findings from Rooijen et al. [ 14 ] indicated that participants felt empowered, liked the interactive characteristic of meetings, and felt they were valued contributors with a shared responsibility for the project. Positive emotional states like happiness or gratitude can foster trust, which is important for building relationships, whereas negative emotional states, like anger, uncertainty, and frustration, can decrease trust [ 15 ]. Building relationships is an important aspect of the co-creation process, in which experiencing positive emotions helps to create new relationships [ 16 ]. Therefore, positive emotions could also contribute to the functioning of the co-creation group(s) and the successful development of products like intervention components, tools, and further actions.

There are instances when co-creators can experience the co-creation process negatively. There exists some research to indicate how failed co-created services recovered can impact co-creators in terms of future intention to co-create, role clarity, and motivation [ 17 ]. However, there might be a lack of, or a lack of visibility of, literature documenting the negative emotional and psychological experiences associated with the co-creation process because of publication bias. Individual and interpersonal experience including group dynamics are central to the creation of value and innovation and this justifies the need to study the role of human experience in the context of co-creation [ 18 , 19 ]. Figure  1 provides a visual depiction of the proposed connection between co-creation experience and the other elements of co-creation.

Suggested model of the relationship between co-creation experience, processes, behaviour, outcomes, impact, and future co-creation

However, so far, there is a gap regarding the aggregation of the literature pertaining to co-creation experience. Therefore, the purpose of this scoping review is to uncover the breadth of existing empirical research on co-creation experience, how it has been defined, and assessed and its key characteristics in the context of co-created products, services, or interventions among adults. As the focus is on the participant’s experience of the process and not the outcome, no limits have been applied to the co-creation context. Scoping reviews are exploratory in nature and systematically map available literature on a broad topic to identify key concepts, theories, sources of evidence, and research gaps [ 20 ]. A scoping review has been identified as an appropriate means to address this broad research question given that, to the authors’ knowledge, there has been no systematic review of co-creation experience literature, the phenomenon is not well understood or utilised, and studies span a wide variety of fields. The aim of the current scoping review is to deliver an evidence-based review of co-creators’ experiences of co-creating. This review will guide future research to advance evidence-based co-creation methods and inform guidance aimed at enhancing positive experiences for those participating in co-creation.

Research question

What is the current state of the science regarding adult co-creators’ emotional and psychological experiences of participating in co-creation?

The objectives of this review are to:

Determine the extent of research on co-creation experience.

Uncover the range of and key characteristics of emotional and psychological experiences documented in the literature to date.

Identify any explicit or implicit underlying psychological theories drawn upon to explain the potential mechanism of the experience of co-creation.

Document any tools or technology used during the co-creation process that impacted the experience during co-creation or to make co-creation more successful .

Methodology

This scoping review protocol is reported in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Protocols (PRISMA-P) checklist (see Additional file 1).

Search strategy

The search strategy comprises three main stages (see Fig.  2 ). The first stage involved searching the newly created Health CASCADE Co-creation Database. This database was created by members of the Health CASCADE network and was aimed at collecting in one place the entire corpus of literature pertaining to participatory research and co-creation (1). This database was created using CINAHL, PubMed and all databases accessible via ProQuest through Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU) institutional licence (17 databases in total, APA PsycArticles®, APA PsycInfo®, Art, Design & Architecture Collection, British Periodicals, Coronavirus Research Database, Early Modern Books, Ebook Central, Entertainment Industry Magazine Archive, Humanities Index, Periodicals Archive Online, ProQuest One AcademicTrial-Limited time only, PTSDpubs, SciTech Premium Collection, Social Science Premium Collection, Sports Medicine & Education Index, The Vogue Archive, and The Women's Wear Daily Archive). The key search terms used in this search strategy are found in Table  1 . ASReview, an artificial intelligence (AI) aided platform that helps find relevant records was used for screening the records to be included in this database. The AI performs a textual analysis of the provided records, based on active learning and prioritization. Given the large volume of records retrieved from PubMed, CINAHL, and all databases available through ProQuest with GCU access, AI was necessary to speed up the screening process. There are over 13,000 records contained in this database, with all titles and abstracts containing at least one of the search terms.

Stages of search strategy

The Health CASCADE Co-creation Database was searched using free-text terms relating to co-creation experience (see Table  2 ). Search terms have been developed in reference to the research question and through consultation with members of the Health CASCADE consortium. The search will be piloted to check the appropriateness of keywords and to ensure known studies are identified.

The second stage of the search strategy is to use both sets of search terms (see Tables  1 and 2 ) in Scopus using the Boolean operator AND to combine the two sets. This is to provide additional robustness to the search. Due to the large volume of records retrieved (> 35,000) when combining the two sets of search terms, it is necessary to omit some search terms used to create the Health CASCADE Co-creation Database. Four search terms will be retained “co-creat*”, “co-production”, “co-design” and “experience-based design”. These search terms are specifically chosen because co-production and co-design are commonly used interchangeably with the term co-creation [ 21 ]. In addition, “experience-based design” is retained due to the obvious focus on the experience. We will include articles that meet our inclusion criteria for co-creation, regardless of the terminology used to describe the methodology. For pragmatic reasons, sources of unpublished empirical studies (including grey literature, theses, and dissertations) will not be searched for. The draft search strategy for Scopus is available in Additional file 2.

The final stage of the search is to employ snowballing to capture any additional articles that may be potentially missed. An artificial intelligence tool called Connected Papers [ 22 ] will be used to identify papers that (1) the included paper has cited (backward reference searching), and (2) papers that have since cited the included paper (forward reference searching).

The article selection process is considered an iterative process, whereby the search strategy will be initially broad and then refined based on abstracts retrieved and as reviewer familiarity with the literature increases. The concept of co-creation is defined differently depending on the setting and context and is often used interchangeably with similar, yet distinct concepts, but equally lacking a clear universal understanding [ 21 ]. Therefore, to account for the overlaps in terminology a broad scope will be initially implemented.

As recommended by Arksey and O’Malley [ 23 ], decisions on how to set search parameters will be made after a general scope of the field has been gained. Hence, this stage will require the reviewer(s) to engage in a reflexive way and repeat steps to ensure a comprehensive literature search with more sensitive searches [ 23 , 24 ].

Inclusion/exclusion criteria

All study participants in the included papers must be adults, described as people aged 18 years and over with no upper limit. Children/adolescents are not included in this study as research indicates that there are differences between their emotional experiences in terms of emotional intensity and stability [ 25 ].

Empirical articles (i.e. primary research studies) include any qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-method research designs that include a description of the co-created product, service, or intervention and an evaluation of the co-creators’ co-creation experience. Although scoping reviews can draw on evidence from non-empirical sources, this review imposes limits to include empirical sources only as empirical sources would be most useful and appropriate for contributing to an evidence-based understanding of co-creation methods.

Any context that involves the co-creation of a product, service, or intervention will be considered.

The Health CASCADE Co-creation Database is limited to searching records between 1st January 1970 and 1st December 2021. The search in Scopus will include records from 1st January 1970 until the date of the search.

The Health CASCADE Co-creation Database is limited to only include materials that are written in English. However, for the search conducted in Scopus, publications in English, Spanish, Dutch, French, and Chinese languages will also be considered, as the research team has proficient fluency in these languages.

Data extraction

Following the database search, articles will be exported as a CSV file for removal of duplicates in Excel. The articles will be imported and screened in Rayyan. The title and abstract of all studies will be screened independently by several reviewers (LMcC, QA, QL, EW, GRL, RC, and MV) and irrelevant studies will be removed. All titles and abstracts will be double-screened. Full-text articles of studies identified as potentially relevant for inclusion will subsequently be sought and screened by several reviewers (LMcC, QA, QL, EW, GRL, RC, MV, and KM) against the agreed set of criteria. Differences of opinion regarding inclusion or exclusion will be resolved by discussion and reaching a consensus or by a third reviewer. The results of the search and the study inclusion process will be reported in full in the final scoping review and presented both narratively and by use of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses extension for scoping review (PRISMA-ScR) flow diagram.

To determine the extent of research on co-creation experience (objective 1), details about co-creation more generally will first be extracted. This includes:

Study’s definition of co-creation and co-creation experience (if available).

The context or setting.

Data about the participants (number, type, and characteristics of co-creators’ involved).

Description of the co-creation process undertaken (including number of sessions, level of participation).

Purpose of co-creation.

Outcome of the co-created intervention, service, or product.

The key characteristics of psychological and emotional experience including positive and negative components (objective 2) will be extracted.

The psychological theory underpinning the co-creation experience identified by the authors of the studies (objective 3) will be recorded.

Information about the technology or tools that had an impact on the co-creation experience (objective 4) will be extracted.

Additional descriptive information such as discipline and date of publication will also be extracted.

The above-extracted information will be entered into an Excel spreadsheet developed by the authors. This data extraction Excel spreadsheet may be modified and revised as necessary during the process of extracting data from the included evidence sources to ensure that key findings relevant to the review question are addressed.

Quality assessment

There exists debate as to whether a scoping review should contain an assessment of study quality [ 26 ]. A quality assessment component will be included in this review in relation to the sufficiency of reporting the process of co-creating an intervention, service, or product. This tool (see Table  3 ) has been adapted from Leask et al.’s [ 4 ] ‘checklist for reporting intervention co-creation’ and Eyles et al.’s [ 27 ] amended version of a checklist for reporting non-pharmacological interventions. The reason for including this checklist is two-fold. Firstly, the scoping review may contain a variety of study designs and the focus is not solely on the outcomes, but rather on the process [ 27 ]. Secondly, as explained above, the concept of co-creation is used interchangeably with other similar overlapping concepts, such that some processes may be described as co-creation when they are in fact not (according to the definition used in this review) or vice versa. Therefore, by incorporating this checklist, it will become clearer as to the type or extent of co-creation processes that were implemented and whether they were clearly reported within each individual source of empirical evidence. However, given that a scoping review aims to present an overview of the extant literature on a particular topic without synthesis from individual studies, no study will be excluded on the basis of the quality of reporting co-created interventions.

Strategy for data analysis

The PRISMA-ScR will be used to guide the reporting of the scoping review [ 28 ]. Whilst, the synthesis of the results from included sources of evidence is more appropriately done with a systematic review, the analysis of data in scoping reviews is generally descriptive in nature [ 29 ]. A narrative summary of extracted data will be produced along with the tabulated and/or charted results described in relation to the review question and objectives. Descriptive techniques, such as basic coding of data to particular categories, are recommended as a useful approach when the purpose is to identify concepts or key characteristics related to the concept [ 20 ]. Data will be analysed using the well-established method of thematic analysis [ 30 ]. This method is characterised by identifying and reporting recurring themes within the data and is a suitable analytic method because it allows for patterns of experience to be recorded, such as understanding adults’ experiences of participating in co-creation. We intend to extract relevant co-creation experience data from the result sections of articles, including verbatim participant quotations. For quantitative data, such as questionnaires, we will attempt to extract the item statements and code them alongside the qualitative data.

The purpose of this scoping review is to uncover the breadth of existing empirical research on co-creation experience with a focus on emotional aspects and from a psychological perspective. An increased understanding of the role of experiences of participating in co-creation processes may help to inform the development and use of co-creation processes and lead to potential benefits for the co-creators’ and co-created outcome.

This scoping review has some limitations, which reflect the balance between conducting a wide search to discover the breadth of existing literature and the pragmatic constraints of conducting the review. This scoping review searches for published peer-reviewed work from SCOPUS and the Health CASCADE Co-creation Database. Other databases could be searched but for pragmatic reasons, these two databases were selected for their breadth and relevancy. Another limitation is that it was necessary to restrict the search terms for capturing ‘co-creation’ for the search in Scopus to maintain a manageable number of records retrieved to screen by the research team. However, authors may use different terms or descriptions. For instance, variations of terms like co-creation, co-design, and co-production, whether written with a dash or space can affect the number of articles retrieved. Boundaries on the search terms relating to experience were also formed, for example, specific emotions were not included in the search string, due to the large range of possible emotions that can be experienced, which would make the search unwieldy. We also have not used any of the advanced search features of the databases, such as proximity searching, which could potentially improve the specificity.

A strength of this review is the comprehensive snowballing search strategy to capture additional relevant papers. The results will be submitted to a peer-reviewed journal and to scientific conferences. The plan for dissemination includes digital science communication platforms and presentations.

Availability of data and materials

Not applicable.

Abbreviations

Artificial intelligence

Preferred reporting items for systematic review and meta-analysis protocols

Preferred reporting items for systematic review and meta-analysis–extension for scoping reviews

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Acknowledgements

The Health CASCADE consortium.

The PhD studies of Lauren McCaffrey are funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement n° 956501.

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School of Health and Life Sciences, Glasgow Caledonian University, Glasgow, UK

Lauren McCaffrey, Bryan McCann, Sebastien François Martin Chastin, Quentin Loisel, Mira Vogelsang, Emily Whyte & Philippa Margaret Dall

Faculty of Psychology, Education and Sport Sciences Blanquerna, Universitat Ramon Llull, Barcelona, Spain

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Department of Community Medicine and Rehabilitation, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden

Department of Movement and Sports Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium

Greet Cardon, Sebastien François Martin Chastin & Rabab Chrifou

Department of Psychology and Methods, Jacobs University Bremen, Bremen, Germany

Sonia Lippke

Department of Public and Occupational Health, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

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LMcC coordinated and conceived the study. LMcC, PMD, BMcC, and MGG have made substantive contributions to developing this protocol and the review question. LMcC, PMD, BMcC, MGG, QA, QL, EW, GRL, MV, RC, and KM jointly developed the search strategy. LMcC drafted the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Lauren McCaffrey .

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Additional file 1: prisma-p 2015 checklist., additional file 2: search strategy–scopus., rights and permissions.

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McCaffrey, L., McCann, B., Giné-Garriga, M. et al. Adult co-creators’ emotional and psychological experiences of the co-creation process: a Health CASCADE scoping review protocol. Syst Rev 13 , 231 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13643-024-02643-9

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Received : 10 August 2022

Accepted : 22 August 2024

Published : 11 September 2024

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1186/s13643-024-02643-9

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