Development and refinement of educational materials to help older
                        veterans use VA mental health mobile apps.

Gould, Christine E.; Loup, Julia; Scales, Ashley N.; Juang, Christine; Carlson, Chalise; Ma, Flora; Sakai, Erin Y.

doi:10.1037/pro0000354

Cited by 15 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 15 publications

(27 reference statements)

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“…Connolly and colleagues [ 17 ] found that rural veterans are more likely to oppose app usage, describe smartphones as hard to navigate, and cite barriers to usage compared to urban-dwelling populations. However, educational materials and training programs can be successfully implemented to increase older veterans’ comfort with using apps and overcome barriers to utilization [ 27 , 28 ]. With additional efforts to promote comfort with and confidence in mental health apps, they may be a scalable, accessible, and helpful resource for older veterans.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Predicting Uptake of the COVID Coach App Among US Military Veterans: Funnel Analysis Using a Probability-Based Panel

Jaworski¹,

Taylor²,

Ramsey³

et al. 2022

JMIR Ment Health

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Background Although the COVID-19 pandemic has not led to a uniform increase of mental health concerns among older adults, there is evidence to suggest that some older veterans did experience an exacerbation of preexisting mental health conditions, and that mental health difficulties were associated with a lack of social support and increasing numbers of pandemic-related stressors. Mobile mental health apps are scalable, may be a helpful resource for managing stress during the pandemic and beyond, and could potentially provide services that are not accessible due to the pandemic. However, overall comfort with mobile devices and factors influencing the uptake and usage of mobile apps during the pandemic among older veterans are not well known. COVID Coach is a free, evidence-informed mobile app designed for pandemic-related stress. Public usage data have been evaluated; however, the uptake and usage of the app among older veterans have not been explored. Objective The purpose of this study was to characterize smartphone ownership rates among US veterans, identify veteran characteristics associated with downloading and use of COVID Coach, and characterize key content usage within the app. Methods Data were analyzed from the 2019-2020 National Health and Resilience in Veterans Study (NHRVS), which surveyed a nationally representative, prospective cohort of 3078 US military veterans before and 1 year into the pandemic. The NHRVS sample was drawn from KnowledgePanel, a research panel of more than 50,000 households maintained by Ipsos, Inc. The median time to complete the survey was nearly 32 minutes. The research version of COVID Coach was offered to all veterans who completed the peripandemic follow-up assessment on a mobile device (n=814; weighted 34.2% of total sample). App usage data from all respondents who downloaded the app (n=34; weighted 3.3% of the mobile completers sample) were collected between November 14, 2020, and November 7, 2021. Results We found that most US veterans (81.5%) own smartphones, and that veterans with higher education, greater number of adverse childhood experiences, higher extraversion, and greater severity of pandemic-related posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms were more likely to download COVID Coach. Although uptake and usage of COVID Coach were relatively low (3.3% of eligible participants, n=34), 50% of the participants returned to the app for more than 1 day of use. The interactive tools for managing stress were used most frequently. Conclusions The COVID-19 pandemic has increased the need for and creation of digital mental health tools. However, these resources may require tailoring for older veteran populations. Future research is needed to better understand how to optimize digital mental health tools such as apps to ensure uptake and usage among older adults, particularly those who have experienced traumas across the lifespan.

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Predicting Uptake of the COVID Coach App Among US Military Veterans: Funnel Analysis Using a Probability-Based Panel

Jaworski¹,

Taylor²,

Ramsey³

et al. 2022

JMIR Ment Health

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Five papers cited age-specific barriers to digital learning ( Arthanat et al, 2019 ; Brown & Strommen, 2018 ; Gould et al, 2020 ; LoBuono et al, 2019 ; Tomczyk et al, 2020 ). The notion of subjective aging arose and how this may predict learning outcomes ( Brown & Strommen, 2018 ).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

What Role Does Geragogy Play in the Delivery of Digital Skills Programs for Middle and Older Age Adults? A Systematic Narrative Review

Gates

Wilson

2022

J Appl Gerontol

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This systematic narrative review aimed to explore the implementation and delivery of digital skills programs for middle and older age adults; and understand the presence of adult learning theory (namely, geragogy/critical geragogy) in their delivery. A database search was undertaken to examine international literature, published between 2010 and 2020. From 1,713 papers identified during the database searches, 17 papers were included. Thematic synthesis was used to analyze the papers in this review. Themes were generated relating to the implementation and delivery of digital skills programs: negative perceptions of aging; the learning environment; and value of technology. The role of geragogy/critical geragogy is not explicit in the delivery of digital skills programs in this review but has an underlying thread of empowerment and embodies the ethos of these learning theories to some extent. The findings of this review have been used to develop recommendations for delivering digital skills to older adults.

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“…1 ). Step-by-Step App Guides were developed for PTSD Coach, Mindfulness Coach, and Mood Coach (see Gould et al, 2020b ). Due to Mood Coach only being available on iOS devices, a limited number were printed and disseminated.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…To address this potential implementation gap with regard to digital literacy and awareness of VA mental health apps, we developed patient education materials aimed toward older (or novice) users of mobile devices (Gould et al, 2020b ). The materials, designed using an iterative User-Centered Design approach, teach the basics of mobile devices, explain how to download an app, and provide step-by-step guides to three VA mental health self-management apps (PTSD Coach, Mindfulness Coach, Mood Coach).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Connecting Older Veterans with Mental Health Mobile Apps: a Survey of Provider and Staff Use of Apps and Patient Education Materials

Gould

Mehta

Carlson

et al. 2021

J. technol. behav. sci.

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Development and refinement of educational materials to help older veterans use VA mental health mobile apps.

Abstract: Many older Veterans own smartphones, yet may need assistance learning to use them and about available mental health mobile apps. Our educational materials developed using user-centered design methods address these needs and may increase awareness about free VA mental health resources.

Cited by 15 publications

References 15 publications

Predicting Uptake of the COVID Coach App Among US Military Veterans: Funnel Analysis Using a Probability-Based Panel

Predicting Uptake of the COVID Coach App Among US Military Veterans: Funnel Analysis Using a Probability-Based Panel

What Role Does Geragogy Play in the Delivery of Digital Skills Programs for Middle and Older Age Adults? A Systematic Narrative Review

Connecting Older Veterans with Mental Health Mobile Apps: a Survey of Provider and Staff Use of Apps and Patient Education Materials

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