Aeschlimann Anaïs, Gordillo Nicolas, Ueno Taro, Maercker Andreas, Killikelly Clare
Department of Psychology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
Department of Informatics, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
Clin Psychol Eur. 2024 Mar 28;6(1):e10881. doi: 10.32872/cpe.10881. eCollection 2024 Mar.
Mobile apps provide a unique platform for mental health assessment and monitoring. They can provide real time, accessible data on symptoms of mental disorders that may yield rich data for detailed clinical assessment and help individuals gain insight into their current mental state. We developed one of the first apps for tracking symptoms of prolonged grief disorder.
In this pilot feasibility study, we assess the feasibility and acceptability of a new mobile app mGAGE for use once a day for 3 weeks. 27 participants completed mental health assessments at t1 and t2.
Adherence to the app protocol was very high with 100% for the first two weeks of use. A surprising finding was the improvement of grief symptoms at t2. Debriefing interviews revealed general qualitative categories including positive feedback, negative feedback and specific recommendations. Overall, the app was found to be feasible for use for the first two weeks and acceptable for bereaved individuals.
This app could provide valuable data for in depth clinical assessment, may support individuals to gain greater insight into their symptoms and may have a therapeutic effect in terms of improved grief symptoms. Implications for future studies including use in larger intervention studies are discussed.
移动应用程序为心理健康评估和监测提供了一个独特的平台。它们可以提供有关精神障碍症状的实时、可获取的数据，这些数据可能为详细的临床评估提供丰富的数据，并帮助个人深入了解自己当前的精神状态。我们开发了首批用于追踪持续性悲伤障碍症状的应用程序之一。
在这项试点可行性研究中，我们评估了一款名为mGAGE的新移动应用程序每天使用一次、持续3周的可行性和可接受性。27名参与者在t1和t2完成了心理健康评估。
对应用程序协议的依从性非常高，在使用的前两周达到了100%。一个令人惊讶的发现是在t2时悲伤症状有所改善。汇报访谈揭示了一般的定性类别，包括正面反馈、负面反馈和具体建议。总体而言，该应用程序在前两周被认为是可行的，并且对于丧亲者来说是可接受的。
这款应用程序可以为深入的临床评估提供有价值的数据，可能支持个人更深入地了解自己的症状，并且在改善悲伤症状方面可能具有治疗效果。讨论了对未来研究的启示，包括在更大规模干预研究中的应用。
