Combining e‐mental health intervention development with human computer interaction (HCI) design to enhance technology‐facilitated recovery for people with depression and/or anxiety conditions: An integrative literature review

Abstract

Computer scientists contend that understanding human computer interaction (HCI) is an important factor in developing successful computer user experiences. Mental health professionals across a range of disciplines are increasingly developing and implementing Internet-based treatments for people with a variety of mental health conditions. Many therapeutic and economic benefits are associated with technology-enabled treatments for a range of mental health disorders. Despite this, the role of HCI and associated design elements remains poorly understood in regard to the impact on patient safety, effectiveness, and to adherence of treatment for computer users who engage with e-mental health interventions. An integrative literature review was conducted to investigate how adequately HCI and user-centred design is incorporated in the development of e-mental health interventions for depression and anxiety, and subsequently reported in literature to inform evidence-based practice. The PRISMA model was used to locate, select, and include 30 relevant articles. The main finding of this review is that Internet-based e-mental health interventions are routinely implemented without sufficiently describing the relevant HCI design features applied. This is a limitation that in turn jeopardizes the assessment validity of e-mental interventions generally, leaving those who administer the interventions with incomplete evidence to support the safe, reliable, dependable, credible, and trustworthy implementation of the interventions. The recommendation arising from this review is that human computer interaction should be carefully considered when mental health nurses and other practitioners adopt e-mental health interventions for therapeutic purposes to assure the quality and safety of e-mental health interventions on offer to patients.

Usability guidelines for developing and evaluating web-based mental health interventions: Establishing a practical framework

“…Aesthetics in the context of interface design has been described as the visual appearance of the interface, as it conforms to design principles such as symmetry and balance [39], and the complexity of the interface [40,41]. Furthermore, when designing for usability it is important to make considerations as to the users' preferences concerning layout features such as images, colors, text quantity, and font size and color [42], moreover, studies have shown a correlation between products that are aesthetically pleasing and their usability [43,44].…”

“…Consider the end-users cognitive level of functioning [29]) Computer literacy Consider the end-users level of computer literacy Visual appearance [42] Use appealing colors and design…”

A Smartphone-Based Technique to Detect Dynamic User Preferences for Tailoring Behavioral Interventions: Observational Utility Study of Ecological Daily Needs Assessment (Preprint)

“…Despite this, mHealth apps are still disabled within weeks of download [38], suggesting that extensive digital phenotyping efforts are insufficient for optimizing user engagement [39,40]. Assessment of user preferences increases mHealth treatment engagement [41], but populations perceived as difficult to engage, such as individuals with psychiatric illnesses, are often excluded from treatment adaptation research, primarily due to concerns about the reliability of self-report measures due to cognitive limitations [42]. However, it is exactly these cognitive limitations that necessitate the need for usability and preference testing [41,43].…”

A Self-Applied Multi-Component Psychological Online Intervention Based on UX, for the Prevention of Complicated Grief Disorder in the Mexican Population During the COVID-19 Outbreak: Protocol of a Randomized Clinical Trial

“…Along similar lines, online interventions for patients with abnormal grief are supported by studies that have demonstrated their efficacy. However, one of the main problems that have been observed in terms of online interventions aimed at treating depression and anxiety symptoms is the broad description of the theoretical content, and the poor description of the relevant characteristics of the human-computer interaction design (Søgaard and Wilson, 2019). For example, a study published in 2017, identified that there is a lack of research offering qualitative data about the subjective User Experience (UX) of young people using interventions for depression, such as social network based (Santesteban-Echarri et al, 2017).…”

“…Among the aspects of human-computer interaction design, the concept of universal design aims to design interactions with digital tools which are aesthetically pleasing, and at the same time ensures that the tool can be used by all participants, regardless of their age, ability, or status (Søgaard and Wilson, 2019). It is relevant to note that older adults are interested in using technology to take care of their mental health and this form of intervention is feasible and reliable for them (Figueroa and Aguilera, 2020).…”