Title: A think-aloud study exploring the experience of reading a Psychoeducational comic in young adult students

Young adulthood can be an emotionally demanding time, with significant transitional changes. It is therefore important for young adults to feel equipped to navigate emotional challenges, and to help prevent difficult mental health experiences from escalating. Psychoeducation is a type of low-intensity support that aims to promote mental health self-help. However, many young adults find it difficult to access or engage with appropriate psychoeducational support. ‘Graphic medicine’ is an approach that involves the visual articulation of health-related stories, experiences, and support. This research explores the use of graphic medicine as a medium for Psychoeducation for young adults attending higher education. A think-aloud interview was used to collect qualitative data as twenty-three young adult participants read the graphic novel ‘Mindlock’, which was analysed using Reflexive Thematic Analysis. This is one of only a few studies internationally to explore the psychological benefits of a co-designed and theoretically informed psychoeducational comic. Participants all engaged with the comic, despite their different experiences and backgrounds. The themes capture the psychological and practical learning from reading the comic, and convey how participants engaged with and made sense of different visual and narrative features within the comic. Findings are critically discussed and future directions suggested.