Department of Social Medicine and Health Management, Xiangya School of Public Health, Central South University, Changsha, China.
Division of Prevention and Community Research, Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States.
J Med Internet Res. 2020 Sep 18;22(9):e18663. doi: 10.2196/18663.
The past few decades have seen an exponential increase in using mobile phones to support medical care (mobile health [mHealth]) among people living with psychosis worldwide, yet little is known about WeChat use and WeChat-based mHealth among people living with schizophrenia (PLS) in China.
This study aims to assess WeChat use, endorsement of WeChat-based mHealth programs, and health related to WeChat use among PLS.
We recruited a random sample of 400 PLS from 12 communities in Changsha City of Hunan Province, China. WeChat use was assessed using the adapted WeChat Use Intensity Questionnaire (WUIQ). We also compared psychiatric symptoms, functioning, disability, recovery, quality of life, and general well-being between WeChat users and nonusers using one-to-one propensity-score matching.
The WeChat use rate was 40.8% in this sample (163/400); 30.7% (50/163) had more than 50 WeChat friends and nearly half (81/163, 49.7%) spent more than half an hour on WeChat, a pattern similar to college students and the elderly. PLS also showed higher emotional connectedness to WeChat use than college students. About 80.4% (131/163) of PLS were willing to participate in a WeChat-based mHealth program, including psychoeducation (91/163, 55.8%), professional support (82/163, 50.3%), and peer support (67/163, 41.1%). Compared with nonusers, WeChat users were younger, better educated, and more likely to be employed. WeChat use was associated with improved health outcomes, including lower psychiatric symptoms, lower depression, higher functioning, better recovery, and higher quality of life.
WeChat-based mHealth programs hold promise as an empowering tool to provide cost-effective interventions, to foster global recovery, and to improve both physical and mental well-being among PLS. WeChat and WeChat-based mHealth programs have the potential to offer a new path to recovery and well-being for PLS in China.
在过去几十年中，全球范围内使用手机支持精神病患者医疗（移动医疗[mHealth]）呈指数级增长，但在中国，精神分裂症患者（PLS）使用微信和基于微信的移动医疗的情况却鲜为人知。
本研究旨在评估 PLS 使用微信的情况、对基于微信的移动医疗项目的认可程度，以及与微信使用相关的健康状况。
我们从中国湖南省长沙市的 12 个社区中随机招募了 400 名 PLS。使用改编后的微信使用强度问卷（WUIQ）评估微信使用情况。我们还通过一对一倾向评分匹配比较了微信使用者和非使用者的精神病症状、功能、残疾、康复、生活质量和一般幸福感。
在这个样本中，微信使用率为 40.8%（163/400）；30.7%（50/163）的微信好友超过 50 人，近一半（81/163，49.7%）花在微信上的时间超过半小时，这种模式类似于大学生和老年人。PLS 对微信使用的情感联系也高于大学生。大约 80.4%（131/163）的 PLS 愿意参与基于微信的移动医疗项目，包括心理健康教育（91/163，55.8%）、专业支持（82/163，50.3%）和同伴支持（67/163，41.1%）。与非使用者相比，微信使用者更年轻、受教育程度更高、更有可能就业。微信使用与改善健康结果相关，包括较低的精神病症状、较低的抑郁、较高的功能、更好的康复和更高的生活质量。
基于微信的移动医疗项目有望成为提供具有成本效益的干预措施、促进全球康复以及改善 PLS 身心健康的赋权工具。微信和基于微信的移动医疗项目有可能为中国的 PLS 提供新的康复和健康途径。
