Developing a Dating Coaching Program for Individuals with Mental Disorders In South Korea: A Participatory Living Lab Approach

Background and Purpose:

Romantic relationships are a fundamental aspect of human life and are closely associated with psychological well-being and social integration. However, individuals with mental disorders are often excluded from opportunities to form and maintain such relationships due to structural and interpersonal barriers, including stigma, limited socioeconomic resources, restricted social networks, and insufficient relationship skills. This exclusion is particularly pronounced in the South Korean context, where Confucian values emphasizing social order and the preservation of “face” further intensify stigma toward individuals with mental disorders. According to the World Health Organization (2018), recovery extends beyond symptom reduction to include meaningful social roles, relationships, and community participation. Despite this, intimacy and romantic relationships among individuals with mental disorders remain largely neglected in research and practice in South Korea. This study aims to explore the romantic needs of individuals with mental disorders and to develop a user-centered dating coaching program using a participatory Living Lab approach grounded in recovery and social inclusion.

Methods:

This study employed a participatory co-design methodology based on the Living Lab approach, emphasizing collaboration among stakeholders in real-world settings. Nine participants were involved, including two individuals with mental disorders, one service provider, one expert, and five researchers. The study was conducted across seven sessions from October to December 2025. The initial phase involved a qualitative needs assessment through in-depth discussions to explore participants’ experiences, desires, and barriers related to romantic relationships. Qualitative insights from participant discussions were analyzed using an inductive thematic approach to inform program development. In subsequent phases, stakeholders collaboratively established program goals and co-designed intervention components, followed by prototype development, pilot implementation, and evaluation. This approach positioned individuals with mental disorders as active co-designers, enhancing ecological validity and user relevance.

Results:

Findings indicated a strong and previously unmet desire for romantic relationships among participants, who viewed such relationships as essential to a “normal life.” Key barriers included: (1) limited opportunities due to social isolation; (2) lack of dating experience and interpersonal skills; (3) socioeconomic constraints; (4) internalized and anticipated stigma; and (5) health-related challenges such as mood instability. Based on these insights, a structured dating coaching program was co-developed, consisting of psychoeducational sessions, experiential group activities, and individualized coaching. The program addressed both structural and psychosocial barriers. Pilot implementation suggested improvements in participants’ confidence, understanding of relationships, and self-efficacy in dating.

Conclusions and Implications:

This study demonstrates the feasibility of a participatory Living Lab approach in developing user-centered interventions in an underexplored domain. By addressing intimacy as a core component of recovery, it extends mental health social work beyond symptom-focused care toward social inclusion. The findings highlight the need to incorporate relationship support into recovery-oriented services. Future research should include larger-scale implementation and rigorous evaluation to establish effectiveness and generalizability.