Discovery of and Interest in Health Apps Among Those With Mental Health Needs: Survey and Focus Group Study

Abstract

BackgroundA large number of health apps are available directly to consumers through app marketplaces. Little information is known, however, about how consumers search for these apps and which factors influence their uptake, adoption, and long-term use.ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to understand what people look for when they search for health apps and the aspects and features of those apps that consumers find appealing.MethodsParticipants were recruited from Northwestern University’s Center for Behavioral Intervention Technologies’ research registry of individuals with mental health needs. Most participants (n=811) completed a survey asking about their use and interest in health and mental health apps. Local participants were also invited to participate in focus groups. A total of 7 focus groups were conducted with 30 participants that collected more detailed information about their use and interest in health and mental health apps.ResultsSurvey participants commonly found health apps through social media (45.1%, 366/811), personal searches (42.7%, 346/811), or word of mouth (36.9%, 299/811), as opposed to professional sources such as medical providers (24.6%, 200/811). From the focus groups, common themes related to uptake and use of health apps included the importance of personal use before adoption, specific features that users found desirable, and trusted sources either developing or promoting the apps.ConclusionsAs the number of mental health and health apps continue to increase, it is imperative to better understand the factors that impact people’s adoption and use of such technologies. Our findings indicated that a number of factors—ease of use, aesthetics, and individual experience—drove adoption and use and highlighted areas of focus for app developers and disseminators.

User Perspectives of Mood-Monitoring Apps Available to Young People: Qualitative Content Analysis

“…The proportion of reviews containing positive and negative sentiments was similar to previous results in both general and mHealth apps whereby the majority of reviews contained positive sentiment [ 21 , 35 ]. The central positive features of engagement consisted of accessibility and personalization/customization of app content, which are in line with previous findings of user reviews [ 30 , 35 , 36 , 49 ]. The main content of negative reviews in this study also supports previous findings, which cite functionality issues, lack of features, and crashing/data loss as the most common complaints [ 16 , 21 , 24 , 35 , 36 ].…”

“…It is also crucial that young people are not set up to fail through poorly designed health apps or engagement with well-designed but ineffective digital treatments. Although small-scale qualitative studies have explored young people’s views of mental health apps [ 30 ], more extensive research is needed to understand the nuances of user engagement. Written user reviews on mobile app stores contain a wealth of information about user experience and expectations and are a potentially untapped source of information in research, despite being used by smartphone owners to consider whether to download and engage with a given app [ 31 ].…”

Smartphones in mental health: a critical review of background issues, current status and future concerns

“…Most consumers find mental health apps through social media, web searches or word of mouth rather than by professional recommendation (Schueller et al 2018). Smartphone owners often rely on online app reviews but these can be misleading.…”

Promoting reach, dissemination, and engagement of technologies for addressing mental health care disparities among underserved populations.

“…Moreover, marketing through social media and search engines might be a particularly viable method for dissemination of mobile applications given a recent study which indicated that individuals searched for apps primarily through social media (45.1%), followed by search engines (42.7%; Schueller, Neary, O'Loughlin, & Adkins, 2018). This could be a viable avenue for integrating technology tools (e.g., telehealth for follow-up appointments, mood trackers, self-help apps to review education and practice coping skills until next appointment) for those patients who have low access to mental health services.…”

“…Similarly, Latinx (38%) and African-American (43%) adults were more likely than White (32%) adults to use Instagram. Moreover, marketing through social media and search engines might be a particularly viable method for dissemination of mobile applications given a recent study which indicated that individuals searched for apps primarily through social media (45.1%), followed by search engines (42.7%; Schueller, Neary, O'Loughlin, & Adkins, 2018). Recommendation by a family member or friend (36.9%) and provider referral (24.6%) were also found to influence an individual's decision to search for a particular mobile application.…”