Black American women’s attitudes toward seeking mental health services and use of mobile technology to support the management of anxiety

Abstract

Objectives This study aimed to understand Black American women’s attitudes toward seeking mental health services and using mobile technology to receive support for managing anxiety. Methods A self-administered web-based questionnaire was launched in October 2019 and closed in January 2020. Women who identified as Black/African American were eligible to participate. The survey consisted of approximately 70 questions and covered topics such as, attitudes toward seeking professional psychological help, acceptability of using a mobile phone to receive mental health care, and screening for anxiety. Results The findings of the study (N = 395) showed that younger Black women were more likely to have greater severity of anxiety than their older counterparts. Respondents were most comfortable with the use of a voice call or video call to communicate with a professional to receive support to manage anxiety in comparison to text messaging or mobile app. Younger age, higher income, and greater scores for psychological openness and help-seeking propensity increased odds of indicating agreement with using mobile technology to communicate with a professional. Black women in the Southern region of the United States had twice the odds of agreeing to the use of mobile apps than women in the Midwest and Northeast regions. Discussion Black American women, in general, have favorable views toward the use of mobile technology to receive support to manage anxiety. Conclusion Preferences and cultural appropriateness of resources should be assessed on an individual basis to increase likelihood of adoption and engagement with digital mental health interventions for management of anxiety.