Overcoming the Mental Health Stigma Through m-Health Apps: Results from the Healthy Minds Study

Kim, Hye Min; Xu, Yusi; Wang, Yunwen

doi:10.1089/tmj.2021.0418

Cited by 16 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 34 publications

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“…The newly introduced policy by the WHO recommends an increase in self-management or self-care tools by, for example, using mobile devices. Mobile health (mHealth) apps help diminish the stigma [6,7] and discrimination related to mental health issues and overcome the problem of inaccessible or unaffordable therapies, especially among minority groups and immigrants [7,8]. Hence, mHealth interventions are a promising avenue to bridge the gap between seeking help and accessing mental health resources [9], particularly in young people [10][11][12], who are experiencing the highest prevalence of psychological problems but who are also the heaviest smartphone users [13].…”

Section: Mobile Assessments In Mental Health Carementioning

confidence: 99%

“…At the same time, patients are increasingly interested in using their smartphones and mental health care apps [18]. The research area of precision medicine [4][5][6] stresses the use of digital and health information to monitor well-being and prevent and treat illness at a highly personalized level based on a prediction, prevention, personalization, and participation approach [19][20][21]. Considering that 75% of lifetime mental disorders emerge by the age of 25 years, it is critical to promote prevention in childhood and adolescence.…”

Section: Mobile Assessments In Mental Health Carementioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

The Use of Mobile Assessments for Monitoring Mental Health in Youth: Umbrella Review

Marciano,

Vocaj,

Bekalu

et al. 2023

J Med Internet Res

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Background Improving mental health in youth is a major concern. Future approaches to monitor and intervene in youth mental health problems should rely on mobile tools that allow for the daily monitoring of mental health both actively (eg, using ecological momentary assessments [EMAs]) and passively (eg, digital phenotyping) by capturing individuals’ data. Objective This umbrella review aims to (1) report the main characteristics of existing reviews on mental health and young people, including mobile approaches to mental health; (2) describe EMAs and trace data and the mental health conditions investigated; (3) report the main results; and (4) outline promises, limitations, and directions for future research. Methods A systematic literature search was carried out in 9 scientific databases (Communication & Mass Media Complete, Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection, PsycINFO, CINAHL, ERIC, MEDLINE, the ProQuest Sociology Database, Web of Science, and PubMed) on January 30, 2022, coupled with a hand search and updated in July 2022. We included (systematic) reviews of EMAs and trace data in the context of mental health, with a specific focus on young populations, including children, adolescents, and young adults. The quality of the included reviews was evaluated using the AMSTAR (Assessment of Multiple Systematic Reviews) checklist. Results After the screening process, 30 reviews (published between 2016 and 2022) were included in this umbrella review, of which 21 (70%) were systematic reviews and 9 (30%) were narrative reviews. The included systematic reviews focused on symptoms of depression (5/21, 24%); bipolar disorders, schizophrenia, or psychosis (6/21, 29%); general ill-being (5/21, 24%); cognitive abilities (2/21, 9.5%); well-being (1/21, 5%); personality (1/21, 5%); and suicidal thoughts (1/21, 5%). Of the 21 systematic reviews, 15 (71%) summarized studies that used mobile apps for tracing, 2 (10%) summarized studies that used them for intervention, and 4 (19%) summarized studies that used them for both intervention and tracing. Mobile tools used in the systematic reviews were smartphones only (8/21, 38%), smartphones and wearable devices (6/21, 29%), and smartphones with other tools (7/21, 33%). In total, 29% (6/21) of the systematic reviews focused on EMAs, including ecological momentary interventions; 33% (7/21) focused on trace data; and 38% (8/21) focused on both. Narrative reviews mainly focused on the discussion of issues related to digital phenotyping, existing theoretical frameworks used, new opportunities, and practical examples. Conclusions EMAs and trace data in the context of mental health assessments and interventions are promising tools. Opportunities (eg, using mobile approaches in low- and middle-income countries, integration of multimodal data, and improving self-efficacy and self-awareness on mental health) and limitations (eg, absence of theoretical frameworks, difficulty in assessing the reliability and effectiveness of such approaches, and need to appropriately assess the quality of the studies) were further discussed. Trial Registration PROSPERO CRD42022347717; https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=347717

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Section: Mobile Assessments In Mental Health Carementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Mobile Assessments In Mental Health Carementioning

confidence: 99%

The Use of Mobile Assessments for Monitoring Mental Health in Youth: Umbrella Review

Marciano,

Vocaj,

Bekalu

et al. 2023

J Med Internet Res

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…Smartphone ownership rates are high among women and individuals from diverse backgrounds, with 90% of women and 91-97% of individuals who identify as White, Black, Asian or Hispanic backgrounds having access to a smartphone [64]. Mobile apps are therefore well suited to be used to screen for risk factors in pregnancy [65] and substance use [66] and they can play a crucial role in addressing stigma for those afraid of in-person treatment [67]. With issues related to stigma and fear addressed by the anonymous status, mobile apps can encourage more women to undergo screenings, leading to early identification of at-risk individuals, improved education, and increased treatment options for healthcare providers [68].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Women Empowered to Connect with Addiction Resources and Engage in Evidence-based Treatment (WE-CARE): A Usability and Feasibility Study of a Mobile Health Application for the Universal Screening of Alcohol, Substance Use, Depression and Anxiety. (Preprint)

Isaacs,

Shifflett,

Patel

et al. 2024

Preprint

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BACKGROUND Women of childbearing age (WOCA,18-44 years of age) face multiple barriers to receiving screening and treatment for unhealthy alcohol and substance use, depression, and anxiety, including lack of screening in the primary care setting and lack of support in accessing care. The Women Empowered to Connect with Addiction Resources and Engage in Evidence-based Treatment (WE-CARE) mobile app was developed to test universal screening with WOCA and linkage to care after an assessment for substance use disorder (SUD). OBJECTIVE In this study, we aimed to investigate the feasibility and acceptability of providing anonymous screening instruments for alcohol and substance use, as well as depression and anxiety, for women of childbearing age through mobile phones. METHODS We used Agile development principles based on prior formative research to create an alpha version of a WE-CARE mobile health application that was piloted with WOCA (N = 30) who resided in one of six counties in Central Florida. WE-CARE included screening instruments (for substance use, depression, and anxiety), a moderated discussion forum, educational micro-learning videos, an FAQ section, and resources for linkage to treatment. Individuals were recruited using flyers, academic listservs, and a commercial human subject survey company (Prolific). Upon completion of the screening instruments, women explored the educational and linkage to care features of the app and filled out a System Usability Scale (SUS) to evaluate the mobile health app’s usability and acceptability. Post-pilot semi-structured interviews (n = 4) were conducted to further explore the women’s reactions to the application. RESULTS Seventy-seven women downloaded the application and 30 completed testing. WOCA gave the WE-CARE app an excellent SUS score of 86.7 + 12.43 (SD). Out of the 30 participants (African American (N=1, 3.3%), Hispanic (N=6, 20%), more than one race (N=5,16.7%), White (N=14, 46.7%), Unknown (N=7, 23.3%)), 60% (n=18) had results indicating elevated risk for substance use, 50% of these 18 (n=9/18) indicated elevated risk also for anxiety or depression, and 61% (n=11/18) indicated elevated risk for substance use and/or anxiety or depression. Participants reported that WE-CARE was easy to navigate and use but they would like to see more screening questions and more educational content. However, linkage to care was an issue, as none of the women identified as ‘at-risk’ for SUDs contacted the free treatment clinic for further evaluation. CONCLUSIONS The mobile health application was highly rated for acceptability and usability, but participants were not receptive to seeking help at a treatment center after only a few brief encounters with the application. The linkage to care design features was likely insufficient to encourage them to seek treatment. The beta version of WE-CARE will include normative scores for participants to self-evaluate their screening status compared to their age- and gender-matched peers and enhanced linkages to care features. Future development will focus on improving engagement to change behaviors and assess readiness for change.

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“…In fact, students who experience increased MH problems are especially less likely to seek help, and informal and web-based resources are preferred [11]. Moreover, students who experience higher levels of MH-related stigma are less inclined to use face-to-face MH services and are more open to digital tools such as MH mobile apps [12].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Optimization of a Transdiagnostic Mobile Emotion Regulation Intervention for University Students: Protocol for a Microrandomized Trial

Laure,

Engels,

Remmerswaal

et al. 2023

JMIR Res Protoc

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Background Many university students experience mental health problems such as anxiety and depression. To support their mental health, a transdiagnostic mobile app intervention has been developed. The intervention provides short exercises rooted in various approaches (eg, positive psychology, mindfulness, self-compassion, and acceptance and commitment therapy) that aim to facilitate adaptive emotion regulation (ER) to help students cope with the various stressors they encounter during their time at university. Objective The goals of this study are to investigate whether the intervention and its components function as intended and how participants engage with them. In addition, this study aims to monitor changes in distress symptoms and ER skills and identify relevant contextual factors that may moderate the intervention’s impact. Methods A sequential explanatory mixed methods design combining a microrandomized trial and semistructured interviews will be used. During the microrandomized trial, students (N=200) will be prompted via the mobile app twice a day for 3 weeks to evaluate their emotional states and complete a randomly assigned intervention (ie, an exercise supporting ER) or a control intervention (ie, a health information snippet). A subsample of participants (21/200, 10.5%) will participate in interviews exploring their user experience with the app and the completed exercises. The primary outcomes will be changes in emotional states and engagement with the intervention (ie, objective and subjective engagement). Objective engagement will be evaluated through log data (eg, exercise completion time). Subjective engagement will be evaluated through exercise likability and helpfulness ratings as well as user experience interviews. The secondary outcomes will include the distal outcomes of the intervention (ie, ER skills and distress symptoms). Finally, the contextual moderators of intervention effectiveness will be explored (eg, the time of day and momentary emotional states). Results The study commenced on February 9, 2023, and the data collection was concluded on June 13, 2023. Of the 172 eligible participants, 161 (93.6%) decided to participate. Of these 161 participants, 137 (85.1%) completed the first phase of the study. A subsample of participants (18/172, 10.5%) participated in the user experience interviews. Currently, the data processing and analyses are being conducted. Conclusions This study will provide insight into the functioning of the intervention and identify areas for improvement. Furthermore, the findings will shed light on potential changes in the distal outcomes of the intervention (ie, ER skills and distress symptoms), which will be considered when designing a follow-up randomized controlled trial evaluating the full-scale effectiveness of this intervention. Finally, the results and data gathered will be used to design and train a recommendation algorithm that will be integrated into the app linking students to relevant content. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05576883; https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05576883 International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID) DERR1-10.2196/46603

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Overcoming the Mental Health Stigma Through m-Health Apps: Results from the Healthy Minds Study

Cited by 16 publications

References 34 publications

The Use of Mobile Assessments for Monitoring Mental Health in Youth: Umbrella Review

The Use of Mobile Assessments for Monitoring Mental Health in Youth: Umbrella Review

Women Empowered to Connect with Addiction Resources and Engage in Evidence-based Treatment (WE-CARE): A Usability and Feasibility Study of a Mobile Health Application for the Universal Screening of Alcohol, Substance Use, Depression and Anxiety. (Preprint)

Optimization of a Transdiagnostic Mobile Emotion Regulation Intervention for University Students: Protocol for a Microrandomized Trial

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