Mental Health and the Perceived Usability of Digital Mental Health Tools Among Essential Workers and People Unemployed Due to COVID-19: Cross-sectional Survey Study

Abstract

Background COVID-19 has created serious mental health consequences for essential workers or people who have become unemployed as a result of the pandemic. Digital mental health tools have the potential to address this problem in a timely and efficient manner. Objective The purpose of this study was to document the extent of digital mental health tool (DMHT) use by essential workers and those unemployed due to COVID-19, including asking participants to rate the usability and user burden of the DMHT they used most to cope. We also explored which aspects and features of DMHTs were seen as necessary for managing stress during a pandemic by having participants design their own ideal DMHT. Methods A total of 2000 people were recruited from an online research community (Prolific) to complete a one-time survey about mental health symptoms, DMHT use, and preferred digital mental health features. Results The final sample included 1987 US residents that identified as either an essential worker or someone who was unemployed due to COVID-19. Almost three-quarters of the sample (1479/1987, 74.8%) reported clinically significant emotional distress. Only 14.2% (277/1957) of the sample used a DMHT to cope with stress associated with COVID-19. Of those who used DMHTs to cope with COVID-19, meditation apps were the most common (119/261, 45.6%). Usability was broadly in the acceptable range, although participants unemployed due to COVID-19 were less likely to report user burden with DMHTs than essential workers (t198.1=–3.89, P<.001). Individuals with emotional distress reported higher financial burden for their DMHT than nondistressed individuals (t69.0=–3.21, P=.01). When the sample was provided the option to build their own DMHT, the most desired features were a combination of mindfulness/meditation (1271/1987, 64.0%), information or education (1254/1987, 63.1%), distraction tools (1170/1987, 58.9%), symptom tracking for mood and sleep (1160/1987, 58.4%), link to mental health resources (1140/1987, 57.4%), and positive psychology (1131/1986, 56.9%). Subgroups by employment, distress, and previous DMHT use status had varied preferences. Of those who did not use a DMHT to cope with COVID-19, most indicated that they did not consider looking for such a tool to help with coping (1179/1710, 68.9%). Conclusions Despite the potential need for DMHTs, this study found that the use of such tools remains similar to prepandemic levels. This study also found that regardless of the level of distress or even past experience using an app to cope with COVID-19, it is possible to develop a COVID-19 coping app that would appeal to a majority of essential workers and unemployed persons.

Understanding Mental Health Apps for Youth: Focus Group Study With Latinx Youth

“…The participants consistently identified simplicity as a major design feature, but other common features included information, meditation or mindfulness tools, and links to other resources. This is extremely similar to popular features identified by unemployed individuals and essential workers for MHapps intended to support distress during the COVID-19 pandemic [64]. A few of our participants also noted distraction tools, which were also identified in the study [64], especially among unemployed workers.…”

“…This is extremely similar to popular features identified by unemployed individuals and essential workers for MHapps intended to support distress during the COVID-19 pandemic [64]. A few of our participants also noted distraction tools, which were also identified in the study [64], especially among unemployed workers. However, these interests are somewhat inconsistent with common features within MHapps, with the finding that the most common features both alone and in combination are journaling and mood tracking [65].…”

Video Game to Attenuate Pandemic-Related Stress From an Equity Lens: Development and Usability Study

“…This SUS score corresponds to being "good," as proposed by Bangor et al [38]. These findings are similar to other digital interventions addressing stress [39][40][41][42] and are encouraging, since Champion et al [42] found that improvements in stress can be achieved through short-term engagement (an average of six times) with a mindfulness-based cognitive therapy mobile app. Participants echoed some of the quantitative findings in the interviews, saying that the video game was easy to use, but mentioned a few functionality features that could be improved.…”

Understanding the Potential of Mental Health Apps to Address Mental Health Needs of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Community: Mixed Methods Study

“…This barrier may be exacerbated in the D/HH community due to missed incidental learning opportunities about mental health. Furthermore, similar to previous work with hearing populations [ 31 ], participants valued immediate access to resources. Participants rated access to suicide prevention support and peer chat as one of the most important features to include in a mental health app, which resonates with work with other communities: a recent study with essential workers found that one of the most desired features for a mental health technology was the ability to chat with a mental health professional or peer, and a link to mental health resources and crisis support [ 31 ].…”