This paper describes the protocol for BrightSpark Care Lab, Canada's first virtual living lab for youth with type 2 diabetes, using a three-stage longitudinal mixed methods design to codesign a platform with youth coresearchers and generate understandings of mental health experiences in youth-onset T2D.
Key Findings
Background
Less than 30% of youth with type 2 diabetes achieve treatment targets, highlighting the significant challenge youth-onset T2D presents to families and health systems.
This statistic is cited to underscore the severity of the problem being studied.
Self-management in youth with T2D is described as being 'further complicated by psychosocial morbidity, identity formation, stigma, blame, shame, historical oppression, and structural barriers to health.'
The paper notes that qualitative and mixed methods research in this area is lacking despite calls for youth-centered research.
Results
Four youth coresearchers were recruited to codesign the BrightSpark online platform, described as Canada's first virtual living lab for youth and families with T2D.
The youth coresearchers helped establish an embedded registry of youth with T2D.
They also created the educational content of the 12 modules used in the research.
The codesign of the platform occurred over a 4-month period in Stage 1 of the study.
Methods
The study employs a three-stage longitudinal, qualitatively dominant, convergent mixed methods design.
Stage 1 involved codesigning an online platform and establishing a user registry of English-speaking youth aged 10-25 years with T2D (diagnosed at age 18 years or younger) in Canada and their parents or guardians.
Stage 2 involved up to 50 purposively selected youth completing baseline mental health measures followed by 12 content modules using diary and arts-based response methods.
Stage 3 involved up to a third of Stage 2 participants being purposively selected to identify priorities for mental health research and care and codesign arts-based knowledge translation resources.
Inductive thematic and mixed methods analysis of Stage 2 data informs Stage 3.
Methods
An embedded registry was established within the BrightSpark virtual living lab platform targeting English-speaking youth with T2D in Canada.
Eligibility criteria included youth aged 10-25 years diagnosed with T2D at age 18 years or younger.
Parents or guardians of eligible youth were also included in the registry.
Recruitment and data collection began in March 2024 and concluded in September 2025.
Study completion was anticipated by January 2026.
Methods
The study uses diary and arts-based response methods across 12 content modules to capture longitudinal mental health experiences of youth with T2D.
This approach is described as 'an experimental modality for data collection.'
The authors acknowledge that 'participant numbers may be fewer; however, methodological insights regarding engagement will be collated and published to support digital strategy in future work.'
Arts-based knowledge translation (KT) resources are to be codesigned to communicate research priorities to stakeholder groups identified with participants and youth coresearchers.
Background
The study identifies multiple psychosocial and structural factors that complicate self-management in youth with T2D.
Factors identified include psychosocial morbidity, identity formation, stigma, blame, shame, historical oppression, and structural barriers to health.
Longitudinal understandings of the mental health experiences of youth with T2D have not previously been generated, representing a gap this study aims to address.
The study aims to identify youth priorities for research and care based on thematic data generated through the platform.
Background
Living labs are proposed as interactive knowledge exchange and longitudinal research platforms with potential to generate longitudinal understandings of youth mental health in T2D.
The virtual living lab model embeds a participant registry within the platform.
The platform was designed to support both data collection and knowledge translation functions.
The authors describe the platform as providing 'a sustainable and novel structure to understand this issue.'
What This Means
This research describes the design and protocol for BrightSpark Care Lab, a first-of-its-kind online platform in Canada built specifically for young people with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and their families. The project is notable because it was co-created with youth researchers themselves, not just designed by adults for young people. The platform functions as a 'virtual living lab' — an interactive space where youth can participate in longitudinal research about their mental health experiences over time, using creative methods like diaries and art-based activities across 12 structured modules. Up to 50 youth aged 10-25 who were diagnosed with T2D before age 18 are being enrolled across Canada.
The study highlights that fewer than 30% of youth with T2D meet their treatment targets, and that mental health challenges — including stigma, shame, identity struggles, and structural barriers — make managing this condition especially difficult for young people. Despite these recognized challenges, there has been little qualitative or longitudinal research capturing how youth actually experience living with T2D and its mental health impacts. This research suggests that a virtual living lab model can help fill this gap by engaging youth as active participants and coresearchers rather than just study subjects.
Beyond generating research findings, the project aims to translate what is learned into arts-based resources co-created with youth, designed to communicate key findings to healthcare providers, policymakers, and other stakeholders. This research suggests that engaging youth as coresearchers and using creative, digital-first methods could offer a sustainable and more meaningful way to study and ultimately improve mental health support for young people managing type 2 diabetes.
Archibald M, Wicklow B, Sellers E, Griffiths A, Diffey L, McGavock J, et al.. (2026). A Virtual Living Lab Platform Codeveloped for Mental Health in Youth-Onset Type 2 Diabetes (BrightSpark Care Lab): Protocol for a Mixed Methods Study.. JMIR research protocols. https://doi.org/10.2196/83865