mHealth in the Wild: Using Novel Data to Examine the Reach, Use, and Impact of PTSD Coach

Owen, Jason E.; Jaworski, Beth K.; Kuhn, Eric; Makin-Byrd, Kerry; Ramsey, Kelly M; Hoffman, Julia E.

doi:10.2196/mental.3935

Cited by 186 publications

(187 citation statements)

References 23 publications

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“…It is hardly surprising that smartphone apps for mental health struggle with poor adherence.255-257 Most individuals might never use a mental health app after downloading. 255 Although digital mental health might evolve past smartphone apps, the requirement for technology to eet use s eeds ill e ai o sta t. I ol e e t of patie ts i all phases of the desig , research, and implementation of these technologies will be crucial for success.…”

Section: Clinical Considerations and Training To Reach The Vision Of mentioning

confidence: 99%

The WPA- Lancet Psychiatry Commission on the Future of Psychiatry

Bhugra

Tasman

Pathare

et al. 2017

The Lancet Psychiatry

317

177

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Executive Summary BackgroundThis Commission addresses several priority areas for psychiatry over the next decade, and into the 21st century. These represent challenges and opportunities for the profession to sustain and develop itself to secure the best possible future for the millions of people worldwide who will face life with mental illness. Part 1: The patient and treatmentWho will psychiatrists help? The patient population of the future will reflect general demographic shifts towards older, more urban, and migrant populations. While technical advances such as the development of biomarkers will potentially alter diagnosis and treatment, and digital tech-nology will facilitate assessment of remote populations, the human elements of practice such as cultural sensitivity and the ability to form a strong therapeutic alliance with the patient will remain central. Part 2: Psychiatry and health-care systemsDelivering mental health services to those who need them will require reform of the traditional structure of services. Few existing models have evidence of clinical effectiveness and acceptability to service users. Services of the future should consider stepped care, increased use of multidisciplinary teamwork, more of a public health approach, and the integration of mental and physical health care. These services will need to fit into the cultural and economic framework of a diverse range of settings in high-income, low-income, and middle-income countries. Part 3: Psychiatry and societyIncreased emphasis on social interventions and engagement with societal expectations might be an important a ea fo ps hiat s de elop e t. This ould e o pass ad o a fo the ights of individuals living with mental illnesses, political involvement concerning the social risk factors for mental illness, and, on a smaller scale, work with families and local social networks and communities. Psychiatrists should therefore possess communication skills and knowledge of the social sciences as well as the basic biological sciences. Part 4: The future of mental health lawMental health law worldwide tends to be based on concerns about risk rather than the protection of the rights of individuals experiencing mental illness. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which states that compulsion based in whole or in part on mental disability is discriminatory, is a landmark document that should inform the future formulation and reform of mental health laws. An evidence-based approach needs to be taken: mental health legislation should mandate mental health training for all health professionals; ensure access to good-quality care; and cover wider societal issues, particularly access to housing, resources, and employment. All governments should include a mental health impact assessment when drafting relevant legislation. Part 5: Digital psychiatry-enhancing the future of mental healthDigital technology might offer psychiatry the potential for radical change in terms of service delivery and the development of new treatm...

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Section: Clinical Considerations and Training To Reach The Vision Of mentioning

confidence: 99%

The WPA- Lancet Psychiatry Commission on the Future of Psychiatry

Bhugra

Tasman

Pathare

et al. 2017

The Lancet Psychiatry

317

177

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…Although the usage data were based on self-report, this observation is in line with a previous investigation of the use of the original English version of the app. Owen and colleagues (2015) analysed user data from their apps accessed on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store and found that 61% of users who downloaded the app returned to the app the next day, and that 52% of users continued to use the app or used it at least one time beyond the first week of download. This indicates that it is important that mobile apps targeting mental health problems are designed so that they engage users in accessing the app content and that use is maintained over time.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A pilot study of user satisfaction and perceived helpfulness of the Swedish version of the mobile app PTSD Coach

Cernvall

Sveen

Johannesson

et al. 2018

European Journal of Psychotraumatology

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Background: There is a need for accessible interventions in the aftermath of traumatic events with documented efficacy for preventing or reducing negative mental health consequences. The PTSD Coach is a mobile app that has shown to be effective in reducing symptoms of posttraumatic stress (PTSS). Objective: The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the user satisfaction, perceived helpfulness and potential reductions of PTSS and symptoms of depression among participants using the Swedish version of the PTSD Coach. Method: This was an uncontrolled pre-test post-test open trial including participants recruited from the community via advertisement and from an ongoing observational study who had experienced a potentially traumatic event in the last five years. Participants had access to the Swedish PTSD Coach app for four weeks. Results: Eleven participants (mean age = 38.6, female = 8) completed the study. Nine of the participants met criteria for full or partial PTSD. Results from the PTSD Coach Survey indicated that participants found the app slightly to moderately helpful and were slightly to moderately satisfied with the app. Nominal but not statistically significant reductions of medium effect sizes in PTSS (PCL-5) and depression (PHQ-9) from pre- to post-assessment were found. In interviews, participants indicated that they found elements such as learning about PTSD, breathing exercises and monitoring symptoms helpful in managing symptoms. However, several participants indicated that they had not used the app as much as they had intended to. Participants also had suggestions for improvements such as enhanced app structure and better guidance regarding how to use the app. Conclusions: The perceived helpfulness and user satisfaction were slightly lower compared to research on the original version of the app. Experiences from the study are discussed and a future controlled study of the Swedish version of the PTSD Coach is suggested.

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“…For example, the popular PTSD Coach app, developed by the U.S. Veterans Administration, was reported to have been downloaded 166 861 times. However, only 14% of individuals had used the app the day after downloading 13. Interestingly, PTSD Coach is one of the few apps to report download and usage data.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Clinical review of user engagement with mental health smartphone apps: evidence, theory and improvements

Torous

Nicholas

Larsen

et al. 2018

Evid Based Mental Health

545

413

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The potential of smartphone apps to improve quality and increase access to mental health care is increasingly clear. Yet even in the current global mental health crisis, real-world uptake of smartphone apps by clinics or consumers remains low. To understand this dichotomy, this paper reviews current challenges surrounding user engagement with mental health smartphone apps. While smartphone engagement metrics and reporting remains heterogeneous in the literature, focusing on themes offers a framework to identify underlying trends. These themes suggest that apps are not designed with service users in mind, do not solve problems users care most about, do not respect privacy, are not seen as trustworthy and are unhelpful in emergencies. Respecting these current issues surrounding mental health app engagement, we propose several solutions and highlight successful examples of mental health apps with high engagement. Further research is necessary to better characterise engagement with mental health apps and identify best practices for design, testing and implementation.

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mHealth in the Wild: Using Novel Data to Examine the Reach, Use, and Impact of PTSD Coach

Cited by 186 publications

References 23 publications

The WPA- Lancet Psychiatry Commission on the Future of Psychiatry

The WPA- Lancet Psychiatry Commission on the Future of Psychiatry

A pilot study of user satisfaction and perceived helpfulness of the Swedish version of the mobile app PTSD Coach

Clinical review of user engagement with mental health smartphone apps: evidence, theory and improvements

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