Foley Gillian, Ricciardelli Rosemary
Fisheries and Marine Institute, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL, Canada.
JMIR Form Res. 2023 Nov 6;7:e46968. doi: 10.2196/46968.
Research supports that public safety personnel (PSP) are regularly exposed to potentially psychologically traumatic events and occupational stress, which can compromise their well-being. To help address PSP well-being and mental health, peer support is increasingly being adopted (and developed) in PSP organizations. Peer support apps have been developed to connect the peer and peer supporter anonymously and confidentially, but little is known about their effectiveness, utility, and uptake.
We designed this study to evaluate the functionality and use of the PeerConnect app, which is a vehicle for receiving and administering peer support. The app connects peers but also provides information (eg, mental health screening tools, newsfeed) to users; thus, we wanted to understand why PSP adopted or did not adopt the app and the app's perceived utility. Our intention was to determine if the app served the purpose of connectivity for PSP organizations implementing peer support.
A sample of PSP (N=23) participated in an interview about why they used or did not use the app. We first surveyed participants across PSP organizations in Ontario, Canada, and at the end of the survey invited participants to participate in a follow-up interview. Of the 23 PSP interviewed, 16 were PeerConnect users and 7 were nonusers. After transcribing all audio recordings of the interviews, we used an emergent theme approach to analyze themes within and across responses.
PSP largely viewed PeerConnect positively, with the Connect feature being most popular (this feature facilitated peer support), followed by the Newsfeed and Resources. App users appreciated the convenience of the app and felt the app helped reduce the stigma around peer support use and pressure on peer supporters while raising awareness of wellness. PSP who did not use the app attributed their nonuse to disinterest or uncertainty about the need for a peer support app and the web-based nature of the app. To increase app adoption, participants recommended increased communication and promotion of the app by the services and continued efforts to combat mental health stigma.
We provide contextual information about a peer support app's functionality and use. Our findings demonstrate that PSP are open to the use of mental health and peer support apps, but more education is required to reduce mental health stigma. Future research should continue to evaluate peer support apps for PSP to inform their design and ensure they are fulfilling their purpose.
研究表明，公共安全人员（PSP）经常面临潜在的心理创伤事件和职业压力，这可能会损害他们的健康。为了帮助解决PSP的健康和心理健康问题，同伴支持在PSP组织中越来越多地被采用（并得到发展）。已经开发了同伴支持应用程序，以便让同伴和同伴支持者进行匿名且保密的联系，但对于它们的有效性、实用性和使用情况却知之甚少。
我们设计了这项研究，以评估PeerConnect应用程序的功能和使用情况，该应用程序是一种用于接受和提供同伴支持的工具。该应用程序不仅能连接同伴，还能向用户提供信息（如心理健康筛查工具、新闻源）；因此，我们想了解PSP采用或未采用该应用程序的原因以及对该应用程序实用性的看法。我们的目的是确定该应用程序是否能为实施同伴支持的PSP组织实现连接的目的。
抽取了23名PSP作为样本，就他们使用或未使用该应用程序的原因进行访谈。我们首先对加拿大安大略省各PSP组织的参与者进行了调查，并在调查结束时邀请参与者参加后续访谈。在接受访谈的23名PSP中，16名是PeerConnect用户，7名是非用户。在转录了所有访谈的音频记录后，我们采用了浮现主题法来分析回答中的主题以及不同回答之间的主题。
PSP对PeerConnect的评价大多是积极的，其中“连接”功能最受欢迎（该功能促进了同伴支持），其次是新闻源和资源。应用程序用户赞赏该应用程序的便利性，并认为该应用程序有助于减少使用同伴支持的污名化以及减轻同伴支持者的压力，同时提高了对健康的认识。未使用该应用程序的PSP将其未使用归因于对同伴支持应用程序的需求不感兴趣或不确定，以及该应用程序基于网络的性质。为了提高应用程序的采用率，参与者建议各服务部门加强对该应用程序的宣传和推广，并继续努力消除心理健康污名化。
我们提供了有关同伴支持应用程序功能和使用情况的背景信息。我们的研究结果表明，PSP愿意使用心理健康和同伴支持应用程序，但需要更多教育来减少心理健康污名化。未来的研究应继续评估针对PSP的同伴支持应用程序，为其设计提供参考并确保它们能实现其目的。
