Usability and Acceptability of a Mobile App to Help Emerging Adults Address their Friends' Substance Use (Harbor): Quantitative Study

Abstract

Background Technology-assisted intervention and prevention strategies present opportunities for substance use–related research with emerging adults (EAs) and their peers. Emerging adulthood is a developmentally distinct period in which individuals between the ages of 18 and 29 years undergo unique emotional, cultural, developmental, and biological changes as they transition into adulthood. Crowdsourcing, or gathering feedback from a large group within web-based communities, offers researchers a unique and cost-effective way to obtain large amounts of information in a short period. Objective This paper presents market feedback obtained via Amazon’s Mechanical Turk from EAs (N=458) on the acceptability and utility of brief intervention scripts for a smartphone app currently under development. The mobile app, Harbor, teaches friends of EAs with substance use problems effective and supportive strategies for helping their friend make changes in their substance use behavior. Methods We examined feedback on the wording of the intervention scripts and estimated the market size of EAs who may use this app. Furthermore, we calculated correlations between script ratings and measures of personal risky drinking (ie, Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test) and the participants’ use of confrontational, enabling, or supportive behaviors with an existing friend. Results Approximately half of our sample (208/458, 45.4%) indicated that they had a close friend for whom they had concerns about their substance use, suggesting a potentially high demand for an app such as Harbor. Initial findings suggest that peers who engage in less enabling behaviors with friends who have a substance use problem exhibited lower risky drinking behaviors overall (r206=−0.501; P<.001). Concerning acceptability, 98.0% (449/458) of the sample rated the scripts’ dialogue as either somewhat, moderately, or extremely realistic (mean 3.92, SD 0.48) on 5-point Likert scale items. Finally, 95.4% (437/454) of respondents indicated that the scripts would be at least slightly helpful for training peers to help their friends with substance use issues. Finally, individuals who were better able to identify enabling language in enabling scripts self-reported fewer enabling behaviors toward their friend’s substance use (r206=−0.236; P=.001). Conclusions There exists a demonstrated level of desirability and acceptability among EAs for a mobile app such as Harbor. EAs who wish to engage in more supportive behaviors with their friends who engage in substance use and who are amenable to assisting their friends with sobriety likely would use and benefit from this app.

Usability and Acceptability of a SWASH Mobile Intervention for Behaviour Change in WASH Practices

“…Most participants were happy to recommend using the SWASH Mobile App to others. These findings align with other studies that examined the usability and acceptability of mobile intervention for behaviour change (Kazi et al, 2021;Materia & Smyth, 2021;Bennett et al, 2020).…”

An Overview of Smartphone Apps

“…34 • HARBOR -an app designed for peers of emerging adults (18 to 29 years of age) who are concerned about a friend's substance use. 56,57 Alcohol Use…”

Automated Digital Interventions and Smoking Cessation: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis Relating Efficiency to a Psychological Theory of Intervention Perspective

“…Recent studies report positive indications that automated digital interventions (ADIs) are well accepted and may benefit smokers in LMICs [13,14], although the number of studies focusing on effectiveness was fewer than those investigating acceptability and feasibility of ADIs in LMICs [15,18,19] [20,21], diabetes [22,23], and mental illness [24,25]. Digital interventions may also be promising treatments for substance use disorders other than tobacco smoking, in relation to narrowing the enormous gap between the growing need and lack of professional human resources [26][27][28]. More than 30 clinical trials examining effectiveness of digital smoking cessation interventions have been conducted.…”

“…Evidence indicates that mobile health management and digital interventions could be effective in many chronic conditions, including hypertension [ 20 , 21 ], diabetes [ 22 , 23 ], and mental illness [ 24 , 25 ]. Digital interventions may also be promising treatments for substance use disorders other than tobacco smoking, in relation to narrowing the enormous gap between the growing need and lack of professional human resources [ 26 - 28 ]. More than 30 clinical trials examining effectiveness of digital smoking cessation interventions have been conducted.…”