Preferences for Digital Smartphone Mental Health Apps Among Adolescents: Qualitative Interview Study.

JMIR Form Res

Health Service and Population Research Department, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Kings' College London, UK, London, United Kingdom.

Published: August 2021

Background: Mental health digital apps hold promise for providing scalable solutions to individual self-care, education, and illness prevention. However, a problem with these apps is that they lack engaging user interfaces and experiences and thus potentially result in high attrition. Although guidelines for new digital interventions for adults have begun to examine engagement, there is a paucity of evidence on how to best address digital interventions for adolescents. As adolescence is a period of transition, during which the onset of many potentially lifelong mental health conditions frequently occurs, understanding how best to engage this population is crucial.

Objective: The study aims to detect potential barriers to engagement and to gather feedback on the current elements of app design regarding user experience, user interface, and content.

Methods: This study used a qualitative design. A sample of 14 adolescents was asked to use the app for 1 week and was interviewed using a semistructured interview schedule. The interviews were transcribed and analyzed using thematic analysis.

Results: Overall, 13 participants completed the interviews. The authors developed 6 main themes and 20 subthemes based on the data that influenced engagement with and the perceived usefulness of the app. Our main themes were timing, stigma, perception, congruity, usefulness, and user experience.

Conclusions: In line with previous research, we suggest how these aspects of app development should be considered for future apps that aim to prevent and manage mental health conditions.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8433947PMC
http://dx.doi.org/10.2196/14004DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

mental health
16
digital interventions
8
health conditions
8
main themes
8
preferences digital
4
digital smartphone
4
mental
4
smartphone mental
4
health
4
apps
4

Similar Publications

Objective: This study aimed to examine the levels of physical activity (PA), sleep, and mental health (MH), specifically depression, anxiety, and stress, among Chinese university students. It also aimed to analyze the influencing factors of MH, providing a theoretical foundation for developing intervention programs to improve college students' mental health.

Methods: A stratified, clustered, and phased sampling method was employed.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Rapid optical determination of salivary cortisol responses in individuals undergoing physiological and psychological stress.

Sci Rep

December 2024

Research Centre for Biomedical Engineering (RCBE), School of Science and Technology, City, University of London, Northampton Square, London, EC1V 0HB, UK.

Traditional methods for management of mental illnesses in the post-pandemic setting can be inaccessible for many individuals due to a multitude of reasons, including financial stresses and anxieties surrounding face-to-face interventions. The use of a point-of-care tool for self-management of stress levels and mental health status is the natural trajectory towards creating solutions for one of the primary contributors to the global burden of disease. Notably, cortisol is the main stress hormone and a key logical indicator of hypothalamic-pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis activity that governs the activation of the human stress system.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Methamphetamine use disorder has emerged as a significant public health concern globally. This study endeavors to elucidate the alterations in expression changes of miRNAs in the plasma of methamphetamine use disorder and elucidate the alterations in miRNA expression in the plasma of individuals with methamphetamine use disorder and investigate the relationship between these differentially expressed miRNAs and the disorder itself, cravings for methamphetamine, and associated mental disorders. Furthermore, the study seeks to clarify the expression of downstream target molecules of specific miRNAs in the plasma of methamphetamine use disorder, assess the diagnostic utility of these miRNAs and their target molecules, explore their potential as biomarkers, and identify potential targets for the diagnosis and treatment of methamphetamine use disorder.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The bipolar disorder (BD) risk gene ANK3 encodes the scaffolding protein AnkyrinG (AnkG). In neurons, AnkG regulates polarity and ion channel clustering at axon initial segments and nodes of Ranvier. Disruption of neuronal AnkG causes BD-like phenotypes in mice.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Prevalence of burnout and its determinants among Indonesian nurses: a multicentre study.

Sci Rep

December 2024

Faculty of Nursing, Chulalongkorn University, Borommaratchachonnani Srisataphat, Building, Rama 1 Road, Pathumwan, 10330, Bangkok, Thailand.

Frontline health workers face a significant issue concerning mental health, particularly stress and burnout. Nurses, being among them, grapple with this problem. The study aims to investigate the prevalence and determinants of burnout among nurses.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!