Background Web-based information and interventions for mental illness are increasingly being provided. There is an expectation that citizens have access to the internet and are competent in using technology. People with schizophrenia are often excluded from social engagement, have cognitive impairment, and have very limited income, all of which may reduce their use of technology. Objective This study aimed to investigate technology access, use of digital technology, and confidence in using technology among people with schizophrenia living in the community. Methods Face-to-face structured interviews with 50 people with schizophrenia (aged 18-65 years) living in the northern suburbs of Adelaide, South Australia, were conducted using an instrument designed to assess technology access and utilization. Results Most participants (42/50, 84%) owned a mobile phone, but only 58% (29/50) owned a smartphone. Two-thirds of participants (33/50, 66%) had access to the internet at home, using a smartphone or computer. Moreover, 40% (20/50) of participants used the internet at least daily, but 30% (15/50) of participants had never accessed the internet from any device. Approximately half of the participants (24/50, 48%) had never used Facebook. Participants rarely used community facilities (eg, libraries and cafes) to access the internet. There were no significant differences (P values ranged from .14 to .70) between younger participants (aged 18-34 years) and older participants (aged 35-64 years) in internet or smartphone access or confidence in using technology. Conclusions Although the sample size of this study is small, it shows limited technology access, use of digital technology, and confidence in using technology among the participants. This could be a barrier to the online delivery of information and interventions for people with schizophrenia. To better understand the impacts of such technological disadvantage and potential disparities in access and use of online resources, prospective studies should recruit a larger sample size and include control subjects matched for socioeconomic disadvantage.

Background: Information and interventions for mental illness are increasingly being provided on-line. There is an expectation that citizens have access to the internet and are competent in using technology. People with schizophrenia are often excluded from social engagement, have cognitive impairment and have very limited income; all of which may reduce their use of technology

BackgroundInformation and interventions for mental illness are increasingly being provided on-line. There is an expectation that citizens have access to the internet and are competent in using technology. People with schizophrenia are often excluded from social engagement, have cognitive impairment and have very limited income; all of which may reduce their use of technology.This project aimed to assess the use of technology and the internet in people with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder, living in the community.MethodsFace-to-face structured interviews were used to evaluate technology literacy, attitudes towards technology, and access and engagement with technology in 50 people with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder aged 18–65 years, living in the community.ResultsAbout half of the study population had access to a computer, and half had access to the internet at home. Participants’ most common uses of technology were voice-calling, messaging, surfing the internet and accessing Facebook. The use of more advanced functions of technology (calendar, banking, news, health information) were rare. The general attitude among participants was that technology was not a significant part of their lives.DiscussionTechnology literacy and internet access were limited in this population. This needs to be addressed before the on-line delivery of educational information, service information and e-health interventions can be widely utilised in people with schizophrenia.