Fuller-Tyszkiewicz Matthew, Richardson Ben, Klein Britt, Skouteris Helen, Christensen Helen, Austin David, Castle David, Mihalopoulos Cathrine, O'Donnell Renee, Arulkadacham Lilani, Shatte Adrian, Ware Anna
School of Psychology, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia.
Cairnmillar Institute, Melbourne, Australia.
JMIR Ment Health. 2018 Aug 23;5(3):e54. doi: 10.2196/mental.9445.
Despite the growing number of mental health apps available for smartphones, the perceived usability of these apps from the perspectives of end users or health care experts has rarely been reported. This information is vital, particularly for self-guided mHealth interventions, as perceptions of navigability and quality of content are likely to impact participant engagement and treatment compliance.
The aim of this study was to conduct a usability evaluation of a personalized, self-guided, app-based intervention for depression.
Participants were administered the System Usability Scale and open-ended questions as part of a semistructured interview. There were 15 participants equally divided into 3 groups: (1) individuals with clinical depression who were the target audience for the app, (2) mental health professionals, and (3) researchers who specialize in the area of eHealth interventions and/or depression research.
The end-user group rated the app highly, both in quantitative and qualitative assessments. The 2 expert groups highlighted the self-monitoring features and range of established psychological treatment options (such as behavioral activation and cognitive restructuring) but had concerns that the amount and layout of content may be difficult for end users to navigate in a self-directed fashion. The end-user data did not confirm these concerns.
Encouraging participant engagement via self-monitoring and feedback, as well as personalized messaging, may be a viable way to maintain participation in self-guided interventions. Further evaluation is necessary to determine whether levels of engagement with these features enhance treatment effects.
尽管可供智能手机使用的心理健康应用程序数量不断增加，但从终端用户或医疗保健专家的角度来看，这些应用程序的感知可用性却鲜有报道。这些信息至关重要，特别是对于自我指导的移动健康干预措施而言，因为对可导航性和内容质量的感知可能会影响参与者的参与度和治疗依从性。
本研究的目的是对一种针对抑郁症的个性化、自我指导的基于应用程序的干预措施进行可用性评估。
作为半结构化访谈的一部分，参与者接受了系统可用性量表和开放式问题的测试。共有15名参与者，平均分为3组：（1）临床抑郁症患者，他们是该应用程序的目标受众；（2）心理健康专业人员；（3）专门从事电子健康干预和/或抑郁症研究领域的研究人员。
终端用户组在定量和定性评估中都对该应用程序给予了高度评价。两个专家小组强调了自我监测功能和一系列既定的心理治疗选项（如行为激活和认知重构），但担心内容的数量和布局可能使终端用户难以自行导航。终端用户的数据并未证实这些担忧。
通过自我监测和反馈以及个性化信息鼓励参与者参与，可能是维持对自我指导干预措施参与度的一种可行方法。需要进一步评估以确定与这些功能的参与程度是否会增强治疗效果。
