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Doukani A, Quartagno M, Sera F, Free C, Kakuma R, Riper H, Kleiboer A, Cerga-Pashoja A, van Schaik A, Botella C, Berger T, Chevreul K, Matynia M, Krieger T, Hazo JB, Draisma S, Titzler I, Topooco N, Mathiasen K, Vernmark K, Urech A, Maj A, Andersson G, Berking M, Baños RM, Araya R. Comparison of the Working Alliance in Blended Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Treatment as Usual for Depression in Europe: Secondary Data Analysis of the E-COMPARED Randomized Controlled Trial. J Med Internet Res 2024; 26:e47515. [PMID: 38819882 PMCID: PMC11179025 DOI: 10.2196/47515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2023] [Revised: 02/09/2024] [Accepted: 02/11/2024] [Indexed: 06/01/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Increasing interest has centered on the psychotherapeutic working alliance as a means of understanding clinical change in digital mental health interventions in recent years. However, little is understood about how and to what extent a digital mental health program can have an impact on the working alliance and clinical outcomes in a blended (therapist plus digital program) cognitive behavioral therapy (bCBT) intervention for depression. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to test the difference in working alliance scores between bCBT and treatment as usual (TAU), examine the association between working alliance and depression severity scores in both arms, and test for an interaction between system usability and working alliance with regard to the association between working alliance and depression scores in bCBT at 3-month assessments. METHODS We conducted a secondary data analysis of the E-COMPARED (European Comparative Effectiveness Research on Blended Depression Treatment versus Treatment-as-usual) trial, which compared bCBT with TAU across 9 European countries. Data were collected in primary care and specialized services between April 2015 and December 2017. Eligible participants aged 18 years or older and diagnosed with major depressive disorder were randomized to either bCBT (n=476) or TAU (n=467). bCBT consisted of 6-20 sessions of bCBT (involving face-to-face sessions with a therapist and an internet-based program). TAU consisted of usual care for depression. The main outcomes were scores of the working alliance (Working Alliance Inventory-Short Revised-Client [WAI-SR-C]) and depressive symptoms (Patient Health Questionnaire-9 [PHQ-9]) at 3 months after randomization. Other variables included system usability scores (System Usability Scale-Client [SUS-C]) at 3 months and baseline demographic information. Data from baseline and 3-month assessments were analyzed using linear regression models that adjusted for a set of baseline variables. RESULTS Of the 945 included participants, 644 (68.2%) were female, and the mean age was 38.96 years (IQR 38). bCBT was associated with higher composite WAI-SR-C scores compared to TAU (B=5.67, 95% CI 4.48-6.86). There was an inverse association between WAI-SR-C and PHQ-9 in bCBT (B=-0.12, 95% CI -0.17 to -0.06) and TAU (B=-0.06, 95% CI -0.11 to -0.02), in which as WAI-SR-C scores increased, PHQ-9 scores decreased. Finally, there was a significant interaction between SUS-C and WAI-SR-C with regard to an inverse association between higher WAI-SR-C scores and lower PHQ-9 scores in bCBT (b=-0.030, 95% CI -0.05 to -0.01; P=.005). CONCLUSIONS To our knowledge, this is the first study to show that bCBT may enhance the client working alliance when compared to evidence-based routine care for depression that services reported offering. The working alliance in bCBT was also associated with clinical improvements that appear to be enhanced by good program usability. Our findings add further weight to the view that the addition of internet-delivered CBT to face-to-face CBT may positively augment experiences of the working alliance. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02542891, https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT02542891; German Clinical Trials Register DRKS00006866, https://drks.de/search/en/trial/DRKS00006866; Netherlands Trials Register NTR4962, https://www.onderzoekmetmensen.nl/en/trial/25452; ClinicalTrials.Gov NCT02389660, https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT02389660; ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02361684, https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT02361684; ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02449447, https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT02449447; ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02410616, https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT02410616; ISRCTN Registry ISRCTN12388725, https://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN12388725?q=ISRCTN12388725&filters=&sort=&offset=1&totalResults=1&page=1&pageSize=10; ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02796573, https://classic.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02796573. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID) RR2-10.1186/s13063-016-1511-1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asmae Doukani
- Department of Population Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Matteo Quartagno
- Medical Research Council Clinical Trials Unit, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Francesco Sera
- Department of Statistics, Computer Science and Applications "G. Parenti", University of Florence, Florance, Italy
| | - Caroline Free
- Department of Population Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Ritsuko Kakuma
- Department of Population Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Heleen Riper
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam University Medial Centre, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Annet Kleiboer
- Department Clinical, Neuro, and Developmental Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Amsterdam Public Health Institute, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Arlinda Cerga-Pashoja
- Department of Population Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Anneke van Schaik
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam University Medial Centre, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Academic Department for Depressive Disorders, Dutch Mental Health Care, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Cristina Botella
- Department of Basic Psychology, Clinical and Psychobiology, Universitat Jaume I, Castellón de la Plana, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Fisiopatología Obesidad y Nutrición, Instituto Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Thomas Berger
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Karine Chevreul
- Unité de Recherche Clinique in Health Economics, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Paris, France
- Health Economics Research Unit, Inserm, University of Paris, Paris, France
| | - Maria Matynia
- Faculty of Psychology, SWPS University, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Tobias Krieger
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Jean-Baptiste Hazo
- Unité de Recherche Clinique in Health Economics, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Paris, France
- Health Economics Research Unit, Inserm, University of Paris, Paris, France
| | - Stasja Draisma
- Department on Aging, Netherlands Institute of Mental Health and Addiction (Trimbos Institute), Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Ingrid Titzler
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Naira Topooco
- Department of Behavioural Sciences and Learning, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Kim Mathiasen
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
- Centre for Digital Psychiatry, Mental Health Services of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Kristofer Vernmark
- Department of Behavioural Sciences and Learning, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Antoine Urech
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Department of Neurology, Inselspital Bern, Bern University Hospital, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Anna Maj
- Faculty of Psychology, SWPS University, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Gerhard Andersson
- Department of Behavioral Sciences and Learning, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Matthias Berking
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Rosa María Baños
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Fisiopatología Obesidad y Nutrición, Instituto Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Personality, Evaluation and Psychological Treatments, Universidad de Valencia, Valencia, Spain
| | - Ricardo Araya
- Department of Health Service and Population Research, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
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Zainal NH, Newman MG. Examining the Effects of a Brief, Fully Self-Guided Mindfulness Ecological Momentary Intervention on Empathy and Theory-of-Mind for Generalized Anxiety Disorder: Randomized Controlled Trial. JMIR Ment Health 2024; 11:e54412. [PMID: 38787613 PMCID: PMC11161716 DOI: 10.2196/54412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2023] [Revised: 12/26/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The utility of brief mindfulness ecological momentary interventions (EMIs) to improve empathy and theory-of-mind has been underinvestigated, particularly in generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). OBJECTIVE In this randomized controlled trial, we aimed to examine the efficacy of a 14-day, fully self-guided, mindfulness EMI on the empathy and theory-of-mind domains for GAD. METHODS Adults (aged ≥18 y) diagnosed with GAD were randomized to a mindfulness EMI (68/110, 61.8%) or self-monitoring app (42/110, 38.2%) arm. They completed the Interpersonal Reactivity Index self-report empathy measure and theory-of-mind test (Bell-Lysaker Emotion Recognition Task) at prerandomization, postintervention, and 1-month follow-up (1MFU) time points. Hierarchical linear modeling was conducted with the intent-to-treat principle to determine prerandomization to postintervention (pre-post intervention) and prerandomization to 1MFU (pre-1MFU) changes, comparing the mindfulness EMI to self-monitoring. RESULTS Observed effects were generally stronger from pre-1MFU than from pre-post intervention time points. From pre-post intervention time points, the mindfulness EMI was more efficacious than the self-monitoring app on fantasy (the ability to imagine being in others' shoes; between-intervention effect size: Cohen d=0.26, P=.007; within-intervention effect size: Cohen d=0.22, P=.02 for the mindfulness EMI and Cohen d=-0.16, P=.10 for the self-monitoring app). From pre-1MFU time points, the mindfulness EMI, but not the self-monitoring app, improved theory-of-mind (a window into others' thoughts and intentions through abstract, propositional knowledge about their mental states, encompassing the ability to decipher social cues) and the fantasy, personal distress (stress when witnessing others' negative experiences), and perspective-taking (understanding others' perspective) empathy domains. The effect sizes were small to moderate (Cohen d=0.15-0.36; P<.001 to P=.01) for significant between-intervention effects from pre-1MFU time points. Furthermore, the within-intervention effect sizes for these significant outcomes were stronger for the mindfulness EMI (Cohen d=0.30-0.43; P<.001 to P=.03) than the self-monitoring app (Cohen d=-0.12 to 0.21; P=.001 to P>.99) from pre-1MFU time points. No between-intervention and within-intervention effects on empathic concern (feeling affection, compassion, and care when observing others in distress, primarily attending to their emotional well-being) were observed from pre-post intervention and pre-1MFU time points. CONCLUSIONS The brief mindfulness EMI improved specific domains of empathy (eg, fantasy, personal distress, and perspective-taking) and theory-of-mind with small to moderate effect sizes in persons with GAD. Higher-intensity, self-guided or coach-facilitated, multicomponent mindfulness EMIs targeting the optimization of social relationships are likely necessary to improve the empathic concern domain in this population. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04846777; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT04846777.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nur Hani Zainal
- Department of Health Care Policy, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Psychology, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Michelle G Newman
- Department of Psychology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
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Clement A, Ravet M, Stanger C, Gabrielli J. Feasibility, usability, and acceptability of MobileCoach-Teen: A smartphone app-based preventative intervention for risky adolescent drinking behavior. JOURNAL OF SUBSTANCE USE AND ADDICTION TREATMENT 2024; 159:209275. [PMID: 38110119 PMCID: PMC11027171 DOI: 10.1016/j.josat.2023.209275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2023] [Revised: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 12/20/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Older adolescence (ages 15-18) is a critical period for experimentation with substance use, especially alcohol. Adolescent drinking poses hazards to physical and mental health, amplifies risk associated with other activities typically initiated during this life stage (e.g., driving, sexual activity), and is associated with adverse outcomes in adolescence and adulthood. Existing preventative interventions are expensive and have questionable long-term efficacy. Digital interventions may represent an accessible and personalized approach to providing preventative intervention content to youth. METHODS This study recruited 29 adolescents aged 16-18 (M = 17.24, SD = 0.74) for a pilot feasibility trial of the MobileCoach-Teen (MC-Teen) smartphone app-based intervention. The study team randomized participants to receive either the alcohol intervention (MC-Teen) or attention control pseudo-intervention (MC-Fit). MC-Teen participants received 12 weeks of content adapted from a prior Swiss-based trial of a preventative alcohol intervention. Participants provided qualitative and quantitative feedback at baseline, via six biweekly surveys during and post-intervention. RESULTS Both groups rated the application as easy to download (M = 4.31, SD = 0.93; 5-point Likert). All participants completed the baseline survey in less than the estimated time of 10 min (M = 7:42, SD = 2:15) and rated the survey as easy to complete (M = 4.69, SD = 0.60; 5-point Likert). MC-Teen participants favorably assessed application user experience, message user experience, and digital working alliance with application. Qualitative themes included a desire for increased rate/amount and diversity of content, greater representation via coach options, user interface/user experience improvements, and additional features. CONCLUSION The MC-Teen intervention is feasible and acceptable based on a pilot feasibility trial with a sample of U.S. adolescents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex Clement
- Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, University of Florida, 1225 Center Drive, Gainesville, FL, United States of America.
| | - Mariah Ravet
- Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States of America
| | - Catherine Stanger
- Geisel School of Medicine, Center for Technology and Behavioral Health, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, United States of America
| | - Joy Gabrielli
- Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States of America
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O'Kane KMK, Otamendi T, Silverberg ND, Choi E, Sicard V, Zemek R, Healey K, Brown O, Butterfield L, Smith A, Goldfield G, Kardish R, Saab BJ, Ledoux AA, Cairncross M. Development of Therapeutic Alliance and Social Presence in a Digital Intervention for Pediatric Concussion: Qualitative Exploratory Study. JMIR Form Res 2024; 8:e49133. [PMID: 38517472 PMCID: PMC10998177 DOI: 10.2196/49133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2023] [Revised: 01/28/2024] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Despite the promising benefits of self-guided digital interventions for adolescents recovering from concussion, attrition rates for such interventions are high. Evidence suggests that adults can develop therapeutic alliance with self-guided digital interventions, which is in turn associated with intervention engagement. However, no research has examined whether adolescents develop therapeutic alliance with self-guided digital interventions and what factors are important to its development. Additionally, social presence-the extent to which digital encounters feel like they are occurring in person-may be another relevant factor to understanding the nature of the connection between adolescents and a self-guided digital intervention, though this has yet to be explored. OBJECTIVE This qualitative study explored the extent to which adolescents recovering from concussion developed therapeutic alliance and social presence during their use of a self-guided digital mindfulness-based intervention. Additionally, this study aimed to determine factors important to adolescents' development of therapeutic alliance and social presence with the intervention. METHODS Adolescents aged between 12 and 17.99 years who sustained a concussion were recruited from 2 sites: a pediatric emergency department up to 48 hours after a concussion and a tertiary care clinic over 1 month following a concussion to capture adolescents who had both acute and persisting symptoms after concussion. Participants (N=10) completed a 4-week mindfulness-based intervention delivered through a smartphone app. Within the app, participants listened to audio recordings of mindfulness guides (voice actors) narrating psychoeducation and mindfulness practices. At 4 weeks, participants completed questionnaires and a semistructured interview exploring their experience of therapeutic alliance and social presence with the mindfulness guides in the intervention. RESULTS Themes identified within the qualitative results revealed that participants developed therapeutic alliance and social presence by "developing a genuine connection" with their mindfulness guides and "sensing real people." Particularly important to the development of therapeutic alliance and social presence were the mindfulness guides' "personal backgrounds and voices," such that participants felt more connected to the guides by knowing information about them and through the guides' calm tone of voice in audio recordings. Quantitative findings supported qualitative results; participants' average score for therapeutic alliance was far above the scale midpoint, while the mixed results for social presence measures aligned with qualitative findings that participants felt that the mindfulness guides seemed real but not quite as real as an in-person connection would. CONCLUSIONS Our data suggest that adolescents can develop therapeutic alliance and social presence when using digital interventions with no direct human contact. Adolescents' development of therapeutic alliance and social presence with self-guided digital interventions can be bolstered by increasing human-like qualities (eg, real voices) within interventions. Maximizing therapeutic alliance and social presence may be a promising way to reduce attrition in self-guided digital interventions while providing accessible treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kiarah M K O'Kane
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Thalia Otamendi
- Department of Physical Therapy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Noah D Silverberg
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Esther Choi
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Veronik Sicard
- Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Roger Zemek
- Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Department of Pediatrics and Emergency Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Katherine Healey
- Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Olivier Brown
- Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- School of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Lauren Butterfield
- Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Department of Neuroscience, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Andra Smith
- School of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Gary Goldfield
- Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Rachel Kardish
- Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | | | - Andrée-Anne Ledoux
- Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- School of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Department of Neuroscience, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Molly Cairncross
- Department of Psychology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada
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Cohen Rodrigues TR, de Buisonjé DR, Reijnders T, Santhanam P, Kowatsch T, Breeman LD, Janssen VR, Kraaijenhagen RA, Atsma DE, Evers AW. Human cues in eHealth to promote lifestyle change: An experimental field study to examine adherence to self-help interventions. Internet Interv 2024; 35:100726. [PMID: 38370288 PMCID: PMC10869898 DOI: 10.1016/j.invent.2024.100726] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2023] [Revised: 01/27/2024] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 02/20/2024] Open
Abstract
eHealth lifestyle interventions without human support (self-help interventions) are generally less effective, as they suffer from lower adherence levels. To solve this, we investigated whether (1) using a text-based conversational agent (TCA) and applying human cues contribute to a working alliance with the TCA, and whether (2) adding human cues and establishing a positive working alliance increase intervention adherence. Participants (N = 121) followed a TCA-supported app-based physical activity intervention. We manipulated two types of human cues: visual (ie, message appearance) and relational (ie, message content). We employed a 2 (visual cues: yes, no) x 2 (relational cues: yes, no) between-subjects design, resulting in four experimental groups: (1) visual and relational cues, (2) visual cues only, (3) relational cues only, or (4) no human cues. We measured the working alliance with the Working Alliance Inventory Short Revised form and intervention adherence as the number of days participants responded to the TCA's messages. Contrary to expectations, the working alliance was unaffected by using human cues. Working alliance was positively related to adherence (t(78) = 3.606, p = .001). Furthermore, groups who received visual cues showed lower adherence levels compared to those who received relational cues only or no cues (U = 1140.5, z = -3.520, p < .001). We replicated the finding that establishing a working alliance contributes to intervention adherence, independently of the use of human cues in a TCA. However, we were unable to show that adding human cues impacted the working alliance and increased adherence. The results indicate that adding visual cues to a TCA may even negatively affect adherence, possibly because it may create confusion concerning the true nature of the coach, which may prompt unrealistic expectations.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Thomas Reijnders
- Health, Medical, and Neuropsychology Unit, Leiden University, the Netherlands
| | - Prabhakaran Santhanam
- Centre for Digital Health Interventions, Department of Management, Technology, and Economics, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Tobias Kowatsch
- Centre for Digital Health Interventions, Department of Management, Technology, and Economics, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Instiute for Implementation Science in Health Care, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- School of Medicine, University of St.Gallen, St. Gallen, Switzerland
| | - Linda D. Breeman
- Health, Medical, and Neuropsychology Unit, Leiden University, the Netherlands
| | - Veronica R. Janssen
- Health, Medical, and Neuropsychology Unit, Leiden University, the Netherlands
- Department of Cardiology, Leiden University Medical Center, the Netherlands
| | - Roderik A. Kraaijenhagen
- NDDO Institute for Prevention and Early Diagnostics (NIPED), Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Vital10, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Douwe E. Atsma
- Department of Cardiology, Leiden University Medical Center, the Netherlands
| | - Andrea W.M. Evers
- Health, Medical, and Neuropsychology Unit, Leiden University, the Netherlands
- Department of Psychiatry, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
- Medical Delta, Leiden University, Technical University of Delft, Erasmus University Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - the BENEFIT consortium
- Health, Medical, and Neuropsychology Unit, Leiden University, the Netherlands
- Centre for Digital Health Interventions, Department of Management, Technology, and Economics, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Instiute for Implementation Science in Health Care, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- School of Medicine, University of St.Gallen, St. Gallen, Switzerland
- Department of Cardiology, Leiden University Medical Center, the Netherlands
- NDDO Institute for Prevention and Early Diagnostics (NIPED), Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Vital10, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Department of Psychiatry, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
- Medical Delta, Leiden University, Technical University of Delft, Erasmus University Rotterdam, the Netherlands
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Cohen Rodrigues TR, Reijnders T, Breeman LD, Janssen VR, Kraaijenhagen RA, Atsma DE, Evers AW. Use Intention and User Expectations of Human-Supported and Self-Help eHealth Interventions: Internet-Based Randomized Controlled Trial. JMIR Form Res 2024; 8:e38803. [PMID: 38358784 PMCID: PMC10905349 DOI: 10.2196/38803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2022] [Revised: 10/28/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 02/16/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Self-help eHealth interventions provide automated support to change health behaviors without any further human assistance. The main advantage of self-help eHealth interventions is that they have the potential to lower the workload of health care professionals. However, one disadvantage is that they generally have a lower uptake. Possibly, the absence of a relationship with a health care professional (referred to as the working alliance) could lead to negative expectations that hinder the uptake of self-help interventions. The Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) identifies which expectations predict use intention. As there has been no previous research exploring how expectations affect the adoption of both self-help and human-supported eHealth interventions, this study is the first to investigate the impact of expectations on the uptake of both kinds of eHealth interventions. OBJECTIVE This study investigated the intention to use a self-help eHealth intervention compared to a human-supported eHealth intervention and the expectations that moderate this relationship. METHODS A total of 146 participants were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 conditions (human-supported or self-help eHealth interventions). Participants evaluated screenshots of a human-supported or self-help app-based stress intervention. We measured intention to use the intervention-expected working alliance and the UTAUT constructs: performance expectancy, effort expectancy, and social influence. RESULTS Use intention did not differ significantly between the 2 conditions (t142=-1.133; P=.26). Performance expectancy (F1,140=69.269; P<.001), effort expectancy (F1,140=3.961; P=.049), social influence (F1,140=90.025; P<.001), and expected working alliance (F1,140=26.435; P<.001) were positively related to use intention regardless of condition. The interaction analysis showed that performance expectancy (F1,140=4.363; P=.04) and effort expectancy (F1,140=4.102; P=.045) more strongly influenced use intention in the self-help condition compared to the human-supported condition. CONCLUSIONS As we found no difference in use intention, our results suggest that we could expect an equal uptake of self-help eHealth interventions and human-supported ones. However, attention should be paid to people who have doubts about the intervention's helpfulness or ease of use. For those people, providing additional human support would be beneficial to ensure uptake. Screening user expectations could help health care professionals optimize self-help eHealth intervention uptake in practice. TRIAL REGISTRATION OSF Registries osf.io/n47cz; https://osf.io/n47cz.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Thomas Reijnders
- Health, Medical, and Neuropsychology Unit, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Linda D Breeman
- Health, Medical, and Neuropsychology Unit, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Veronica R Janssen
- Health, Medical, and Neuropsychology Unit, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands
- Department of Cardiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Roderik A Kraaijenhagen
- NDDO Institute for Prevention and Early Diagnostics (NIPED), Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Vital10, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Douwe E Atsma
- Department of Cardiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Andrea Wm Evers
- Health, Medical, and Neuropsychology Unit, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands
- Department of Psychiatry, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
- Medical Delta, Leiden University, Technical University of Delft, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Leiden, Delft, Rotterdam, Netherlands
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von Wulffen C, Marciniak MA, Rohde J, Kalisch R, Binder H, Tuescher O, Kleim B. German Version of the Mobile Agnew Relationship Measure: Translation and Validation Study. J Med Internet Res 2023; 25:e43368. [PMID: 37955952 PMCID: PMC10682917 DOI: 10.2196/43368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2022] [Revised: 07/03/2023] [Accepted: 07/27/2023] [Indexed: 11/14/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The mobile Agnew Relationship Measure (mARM) is a self-report questionnaire for the evaluation of digital mental health interventions and their interactions with users. With the global increase in digital mental health intervention research, translated measures are required to conduct research with local populations. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to translate and validate the original English version of the mARM into a German version (mARM-G). METHODS A total of 2 native German speakers who spoke English as their second language conducted forward translation of the original items. This version was then back translated by 2 native German speakers with a fluent knowledge of English. An independent bilingual reviewer then compared these drafts and created a final German version. The mARM-G was validated by 15 experts in the field of mobile app development and 15 nonexperts for content validity and face validity; 144 participants were recruited to conduct reliability testing as well as confirmatory factor analysis. RESULTS The content validity index of the mARM-G was 0.90 (expert ratings) and 0.79 (nonexperts). The face validity index was 0.89 (experts) and 0.86 (nonexperts). Internal consistency for the entire scale was Cronbach α=.91. Confirmatory factor analysis results were as follows: the chi-square statistic to df ratio was 1.66. Comparative Fit Index was 0.87 and the Tucker-Lewis Index was 0.86. The root mean square error of approximation was 0.07. CONCLUSIONS The mARM-G is a valid and reliable tool that can be used for future studies in German-speaking countries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clemens von Wulffen
- Department of Psychology, University of Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric University Hospital, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Marta Anna Marciniak
- Department of Psychology, University of Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric University Hospital, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Judith Rohde
- Department of Psychology, University of Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric University Hospital, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Raffael Kalisch
- Leibniz Institute for Resilience Research, Mainz, Germany
- Neuroimaging Center, Focus Program Translational Neuroscience, Johannes Gutenberg University Medical Center, Mainz, Germany
| | - Harald Binder
- Institute of Medical Biometry and Statistics, Faculty of Medicine and Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Freiburg Center for Data Analysis and Modelling, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Oliver Tuescher
- Leibniz Institute for Resilience Research, Mainz, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center, University Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany
| | - Birgit Kleim
- Department of Psychology, University of Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric University Hospital, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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8
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Hassan L, Eisner E, Berry K, Emsley R, Ainsworth J, Lewis S, Haddock G, Edge D, Bucci S. User engagement in a randomised controlled trial for a digital health intervention for early psychosis (Actissist 2.0 trial). Psychiatry Res 2023; 329:115536. [PMID: 37857132 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2023.115536] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2023] [Revised: 10/02/2023] [Accepted: 10/07/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023]
Abstract
Digital Health Interventions (DHIs) can help support people with mental health problems. Achieving satisfactory levels of patient engagement is a crucial, yet often underexplored, pre-requisite for health improvement. Actissist is a co-produced DHI delivered via a smartphone app for people with early psychosis, based on Cognitive Behaviour Therapy principles. This study describes and compares engagement patterns among participants in the two arms of the Actissist 2.0 randomised controlled trial. Engagement frequency and duration were measured among participants using the Actissist app in the intervention arm (n = 87) and the ClinTouch symptom monitoring only app used as the control condition (n = 81). Overall, 47.1 % of Actissist and 45.7 % of ClinTouch users completed at least a third of scheduled alerts while active in the study. The mean frequency (77.1 versus 60.2 total responses) and the median duration (80 versus 75 days until last response) of engagement were not significantly higher among Actissist users compared to ClinTouch users. Older age, White ethnicity, using their own smartphone device and, among Actissist users, an increased sense of therapeutic alliance were significantly associated with increased engagement. Through exploiting detailed usage data, this study identifies possible participant-level and DHI-level predictors of engagement to inform the practical implementation of future DHIs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lamiece Hassan
- Division of Psychology and Mental Health, School of Health Sciences, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Emily Eisner
- Division of Psychology and Mental Health, School of Health Sciences, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK; Research and Innovation, Greater Manchester Mental Health Foundation NHS Trust, Manchester, UK
| | - Katherine Berry
- Division of Psychology and Mental Health, School of Health Sciences, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK; Research and Innovation, Greater Manchester Mental Health Foundation NHS Trust, Manchester, UK
| | - Richard Emsley
- Department of Biostatistics and Health Informatics, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - John Ainsworth
- Division of Informatics, Imaging and Data Sciences, School of Health Sciences, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Shôn Lewis
- Division of Psychology and Mental Health, School of Health Sciences, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK; Research and Innovation, Greater Manchester Mental Health Foundation NHS Trust, Manchester, UK
| | - Gillian Haddock
- Division of Psychology and Mental Health, School of Health Sciences, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK; Research and Innovation, Greater Manchester Mental Health Foundation NHS Trust, Manchester, UK
| | - Dawn Edge
- Division of Psychology and Mental Health, School of Health Sciences, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK; Research and Innovation, Greater Manchester Mental Health Foundation NHS Trust, Manchester, UK
| | - Sandra Bucci
- Division of Psychology and Mental Health, School of Health Sciences, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK; Research and Innovation, Greater Manchester Mental Health Foundation NHS Trust, Manchester, UK.
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9
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Tong F, Lederman R, D'Alfonso S, Berry K, Bucci S. Conceptualizing the digital therapeutic alliance in the context of fully automated mental health apps: A thematic analysis. Clin Psychol Psychother 2023; 30:998-1012. [PMID: 37042076 DOI: 10.1002/cpp.2851] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2022] [Revised: 03/24/2023] [Accepted: 03/27/2023] [Indexed: 04/13/2023]
Abstract
Fully automated mental health apps provide a promising opportunity for increasing access to mental health care and resources. Given this opportunity, continued research into the utility and effectiveness of mental health apps is crucial. Therapeutic alliance (TA) refers to the relationship between a client and a healthcare professional, and has been shown to be an important predictor of clinical outcomes in face-to-face therapy. Given the significance of TA in traditional therapy, it is important to explore whether the notion of a digital therapeutic alliance (DTA) in the context of fully automated mental health apps also plays an important role in clinical outcomes. Current evidence shows that the conceptualization of DTA in the context of fully automated mental health apps can be potentially different to TA in face-to-face therapy. Thus, a new DTA conceptual model is necessary for comprehensively understanding the mechanisms underpinning DTA for fully automated mental health apps. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study that qualitatively explored the dimensions of a DTA in the context of fully automated mental health apps. We conducted interviews with 20 users of mental health apps to explore the key dimensions comprising DTA in the context of fully automated mental health apps. We found that although conceptualizations of DTA and TA have shared dimensions, flexibility and emotional experiences are unique domains in DTA. On the other hand, although agreement on goals between a therapist and a client is important in face to face therapy, we found that users can have an alliance with an app without a goal. The importance of goal needs further investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fangziyun Tong
- School of Computing and Information Systems, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, USA
- Division of Psychology and Mental Health, School of Health Sciences, Manchester Academic Health Sciences Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Reeva Lederman
- School of Computing and Information Systems, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, USA
| | - Simon D'Alfonso
- School of Computing and Information Systems, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, USA
| | - Katherine Berry
- Division of Psychology and Mental Health, School of Health Sciences, Manchester Academic Health Sciences Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
- Complex Trauma and Resilience Research Unit, Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, UK
| | - Sandra Bucci
- Division of Psychology and Mental Health, School of Health Sciences, Manchester Academic Health Sciences Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
- Complex Trauma and Resilience Research Unit, Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, UK
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10
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Schmidt-Hantke J, Jacobi C. Investigating perspectives on e-health interventions to enhance maternal mental well-being: Results of a stakeholder interview. PLOS DIGITAL HEALTH 2023; 2:e0000326. [PMID: 37611049 PMCID: PMC10446204 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pdig.0000326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2022] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 08/25/2023]
Abstract
Peripartum mental disorders are highly prevalent conditions and associated with adverse outcomes for the mother, the infant and the whole family. Despite the high burden, help-seeking is low. E-mental health interventions could overcome help-seeking barriers and thus improve perinatal mental health. However, usage and adherence are rather low. This study aims to assess attitudes and needs of different stakeholder groups and to identify relevant topics to develop an intervention meeting the needs of pregnant and postpartum women and thus, increasing utilization and adherence. Therefore, semi-structured interviews and focus groups with pregnant women (n = 3), mothers (n = 4), women who have suffered from a postpartum mood disorder in the past (n = 5), gynaecologists (n = 5), and midwives (n = 5) were conducted. All interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using a thematic analysis. Almost half of the stakeholders reported previous experiences with e-mental health services. Anonymity, flexibility, promoting help-seeking, or bridging waiting-time for treatment as usual were regarded as the main benefits. Concerns regarding the usefulness of e-mental health interventions, absence of face-to-face contact or lack of integration into routine care were considered as barriers. With regard to the desired program content, six main topics were identified: pregnancy and puerperium, peripartum mood swings and disorders, support options, self-care, partnership, and fatherhood. Regarding preferred characteristics of e-mental health programs, stakeholders mentioned customizability, individual guidance, evaluation of user-feedback and continuous adoption, as well as a responsive and user-friendly design. Overall, online interventions for perinatal mental health were mainly considered as beneficial. Stakeholders underlined the high need for education regarding the use and effectiveness of e-mental health, to overcome concerns and obstacles and improve acceptability. Furthermore, developing customizable and individually-guided interventions were considered as promising to increase utilization of and adherence to e-mental health interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Corinna Jacobi
- Department of Psychology, Technical University Dresden, Dresden, Germany
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11
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Sasaki N, Imamura K, Nishi D, Watanabe K, Asaoka H, Sekiya Y, Tsuno K, Kobayashi Y, Obikane E, Kawakami N. The effect of internet-based acceptance and commitment therapy (iACT) on psychological well-being among working women with a pre-school child: A randomized controlled trial. JOURNAL OF CONTEXTUAL BEHAVIORAL SCIENCE 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jcbs.2023.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/07/2023]
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12
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Getty CA, Weaver T, Metrebian N. A qualitative exploration of patients' experience of mobile telephone-delivered contingency management to promote adherence to supervised methadone. Drug Alcohol Rev 2023; 42:641-651. [PMID: 36269110 DOI: 10.1111/dar.13555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2022] [Revised: 08/08/2022] [Accepted: 09/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Despite an increasing evidence base for mobile telephone-delivered contingency management (mCM), there had been no previous qualitative exploration of patients' experience of receiving mCM and the factors that might influence that experience and outcome in a UK setting. The aim of this study was to understand patients' views and experience of receiving mCM by exploring their beliefs, expectations and perceived benefits within the context of the UK's first mCM intervention. METHODS Qualitative interviews (N = 15) were conducted with patients undergoing opioid agonist treatment in a UK drug treatment service and receiving mCM to encourage adherence with supervised methadone as part of an existing study. Interviews were conducted at two time points and analysed using Framework to explore patients' expectations and beliefs during the early stage of the intervention (2 weeks) and their perceived benefits and experience at the end of the intervention (12 weeks). RESULTS The mCM was perceived as a motivator, providing validation of achievement, and involving discreet and positive interactions. Perceived benefits included enhanced methadone adherence, reduced drug use and the development of a supportive and non-judgemental connection that resembled a therapeutic alliance. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS The mechanisms underpinning contingency management appeared to operate in the absence of human interaction, and the mCM intervention was deemed to be meaningful, acceptable and well received by patients. These findings not only provide support for the application of mCM in this context but also offer insight into the factors that influence outcomes and should be considered in the development of future mCM interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carol-Ann Getty
- National Addiction Centre, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Tim Weaver
- Department of Mental Health and Social Work at Middlesex University, London, UK
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13
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Greenwood KE, Gurnani M, Ward T, Vogel E, Vella C, McGourty A, Robertson S, Sacadura C, Hardy A, Rus‐Calafell M, Collett N, Emsley R, Freeman D, Fowler D, Kuipers E, Bebbington P, Dunn G, Michelson D, Garety P. The service user experience of SlowMo therapy: A co-produced thematic analysis of service users' subjective experience. Psychol Psychother 2022; 95:680-700. [PMID: 35445520 PMCID: PMC9873386 DOI: 10.1111/papt.12393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2021] [Accepted: 03/18/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES SlowMo is the first blended digital therapy for paranoia, showing significant small-moderate reductions in paranoia in a recent large-scale randomized controlled trial (RCT). This study explored the subjective service-user experience of the SlowMo therapy content and design; the experience of the blended therapy approach, including the triangle of the therapeutic alliance; and the experience of the digital aspects of the intervention. DESIGN Qualitative co-produced sub-study of an RCT. METHODS Participants were 22 adult service users with schizophrenia-spectrum psychosis and persistent distressing paranoia, who completed at least one SlowMo therapy session and a 24-week follow-up, at one of 3 sites in Oxford, London, and Sussex, UK. They were interviewed by peer researchers, using a topic guide co-produced by the Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) team. The transcribed data were analysed thematically. Multiple coding and triangulation, and lay peer researcher validation were used to reach a consensus on the final theme structure. RESULTS Six core themes were identified: (i) starting the SlowMo journey; (ii) the central role of the supportive therapist; (iii) slowing things down; (iv) value and learning from social connections; (v) approaches and challenges of technology; and (vi) improvements in paranoia and well-being. CONCLUSIONS For these service users, slowing down for a moment was helpful, and integrated into thinking over time. Learning from social connections reflected reduced isolation, and enhanced learning through videos, vignettes, and peers. The central role of the supportive therapist and the triangle of alliance between service user, therapist, and digital platform were effective in promoting positive therapeutic outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn E. Greenwood
- School of PsychologyUniversity of SussexBrightonUK,Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation TrustWorthingUK
| | | | - Tom Ward
- Department of PsychologyInstitute of Psychiatry, Psychology and NeuroscienceKing’s College LondonLondonUK,South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation TrustLondonUK
| | - Evelin Vogel
- Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation TrustWorthingUK
| | - Claire Vella
- Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation TrustWorthingUK
| | | | | | | | - Amy Hardy
- Department of PsychologyInstitute of Psychiatry, Psychology and NeuroscienceKing’s College LondonLondonUK,South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation TrustLondonUK
| | | | | | - Richard Emsley
- Department of Biostatistics and Health InformaticsInstitute of Psychiatry, Psychology and NeuroscienceKing’s College LondonLondonUK
| | - Daniel Freeman
- Oxford Health NHS Foundation TrustOxfordUK,Department of PsychiatryOxford UniversityOxfordUK
| | - David Fowler
- School of PsychologyUniversity of SussexBrightonUK,Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation TrustWorthingUK
| | - Elizabeth Kuipers
- Department of PsychologyInstitute of Psychiatry, Psychology and NeuroscienceKing’s College LondonLondonUK,South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation TrustLondonUK
| | | | - Graham Dunn
- Centre for BiostatisticsSchool of Health SciencesManchester Academic Health Science CentreThe University of ManchesterManchesterUK
| | | | - Philippa Garety
- Department of PsychologyInstitute of Psychiatry, Psychology and NeuroscienceKing’s College LondonLondonUK,South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation TrustLondonUK
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14
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He Y, Yang L, Zhu X, Wu B, Zhang S, Qian C, Tian T. Mental health chatbot for young adults with depressive symptoms: a single-blind, three-arm, randomized controlled trial (Preprint). J Med Internet Res 2022; 24:e40719. [DOI: 10.2196/40719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2022] [Revised: 10/14/2022] [Accepted: 11/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
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15
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Stoeten C, de Haan HA, Postel MG, Brusse-Keizer M, Ter Huurne ED. Therapeutic Alliance in Web-Based Treatment for Eating Disorders: Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Controlled Trial. JMIR Form Res 2022; 6:e33813. [PMID: 35771608 PMCID: PMC9284349 DOI: 10.2196/33813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2021] [Revised: 04/20/2022] [Accepted: 04/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background In face-to-face therapy for eating disorders, therapeutic alliance (TA) is an important predictor of symptom reduction and treatment completion. To date, however, little is known about TA during web-based cognitive behavioral therapy (web-CBT) and its association with symptom reduction, treatment completion, and the perspectives of patients versus therapists. Objective This study aimed to investigate TA ratings measured at interim and after treatment, separately for patients and therapists; the degree of agreement between therapists and patients (treatment completers and noncompleters) for TA ratings; and associations between patient and therapist TA ratings and both eating disorder pathology and treatment completion. Methods A secondary analysis was performed on randomized controlled trial data of a web-CBT intervention for eating disorders. Participants were 170 females with bulimia nervosa (n=33), binge eating disorder (n=68), or eating disorder not otherwise specified (n=69); the mean age was 39.6 (SD 11.5) years. TA was operationalized using the Helping Alliance Questionnaire (HAQ). Paired t tests were conducted to assess the change in TA from interim to after treatment. Intraclass correlations were calculated to determine cross-informant agreement with regard to HAQ scores between patients and therapists. A total of 2 stepwise regressive procedures (at interim and after treatment) were used to examine which HAQ scores predicted eating disorder pathology and therapy completion. Results For treatment completers (128/170, 75.3%), the HAQ-total scores and HAQ-Helpfulness scores for both patients and therapists improved significantly from interim to post treatment. For noncompleters (42/170, 24.7%), all HAQ scores decreased significantly. For all HAQ scales, the agreement between patients and therapists was poor. However, the agreement was slightly better after treatment than at interim. Higher patient scores on the helpfulness subscale of the HAQ at interim and after treatment were associated with less eating disorder psychopathology. A positive association was found between the HAQ-total patient scores at interim and treatment completion. Finally, posttreatment HAQ-total patient scores and posttreatment HAQ-Helpfulness scores of therapists were positively associated with treatment completion. Conclusions Our study showed that TA in web-CBT is predictive of eating disorder pathology and treatment completion. Of particular importance is patients’ confidence in their abilities as measured with the HAQ-Helpfulness subscale when predicting posttreatment eating disorder pathology and treatment completion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Stoeten
- Tactus Addiction Care, Deventer, Netherlands
- Mediant, Hengelo, Netherlands
| | - Hein Arnoud de Haan
- Tactus Addiction Care, Deventer, Netherlands
- Nijmegen Institute for Scientist-Practitioners in Addiction (NISPA), Nijmegen, Netherlands
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16
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Leong QY, Sridhar S, Blasiak A, Tadeo X, Yeo G, Remus A, Ho D. Characteristics of Mobile Health Platforms for Depression and Anxiety: Content Analysis Through a Systematic Review of the Literature and Systematic Search of Two App Stores. J Med Internet Res 2022; 24:e27388. [PMID: 35119370 PMCID: PMC8857696 DOI: 10.2196/27388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2021] [Revised: 06/05/2021] [Accepted: 11/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Mobile health (mHealth) platforms show promise in the management of mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression. This has resulted in an abundance of mHealth platforms available for research or commercial use. Objective The objective of this review is to characterize the current state of mHealth platforms designed for anxiety or depression that are available for research, commercial use, or both. Methods A systematic review was conducted using a two-pronged approach: searching relevant literature with prespecified search terms to identify platforms in published research and simultaneously searching 2 major app stores—Google Play Store and Apple App Store—to identify commercially available platforms. Key characteristics of the mHealth platforms were synthesized, such as platform name, targeted condition, targeted group, purpose, technology type, intervention type, commercial availability, and regulatory information. Results The literature and app store searches yielded 169 and 179 mHealth platforms, respectively. Most platforms developed for research purposes were designed for depression (116/169, 68.6%), whereas the app store search reported a higher number of platforms developed for anxiety (Android: 58/179, 32.4%; iOS: 27/179, 15.1%). The most common purpose of platforms in both searches was treatment (literature search: 122/169, 72.2%; app store search: 129/179, 72.1%). With regard to the types of intervention, cognitive behavioral therapy and referral to care or counseling emerged as the most popular options offered by the platforms identified in the literature and app store searches, respectively. Most platforms from both searches did not have a specific target age group. In addition, most platforms found in app stores lacked clinical and real-world evidence, and a small number of platforms found in the published research were available commercially. Conclusions A considerable number of mHealth platforms designed for anxiety or depression are available for research, commercial use, or both. The characteristics of these mHealth platforms greatly vary. Future efforts should focus on assessing the quality—utility, safety, and effectiveness—of the existing platforms and providing developers, from both commercial and research sectors, a reporting guideline for their platform description and a regulatory framework to facilitate the development, validation, and deployment of effective mHealth platforms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiao Ying Leong
- N.1 Institute for Health, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.,The Institute for Digital Medicine (WisDM), Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Shreya Sridhar
- N.1 Institute for Health, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Agata Blasiak
- N.1 Institute for Health, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.,The Institute for Digital Medicine (WisDM), Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, NUS Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.,Department of Pharmacology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Xavier Tadeo
- N.1 Institute for Health, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.,The Institute for Digital Medicine (WisDM), Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - GeckHong Yeo
- N.1 Institute for Health, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.,The Institute for Digital Medicine (WisDM), Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Alexandria Remus
- N.1 Institute for Health, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.,The Institute for Digital Medicine (WisDM), Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, NUS Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Dean Ho
- N.1 Institute for Health, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.,The Institute for Digital Medicine (WisDM), Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, NUS Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.,Department of Pharmacology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.,Health District @ Queenstown, Singapore, Singapore
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Canário AC, Byrne S, Creasey N, Kodyšová E, Kömürcü Akik B, Lewandowska-Walter A, Modić Stanke K, Pećnik N, Leijten P. The Use of Information and Communication Technologies in Family Support across Europe: A Narrative Review. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph19031488. [PMID: 35162511 PMCID: PMC8834894 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19031488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2021] [Revised: 01/15/2022] [Accepted: 01/24/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the use of information and communication technology (ICT) to deliver parenting and mental health support services to families. This narrative review illustrates the diverse ways in which ICT is being used across Europe to provide family support to different populations. We distinguish between the use of ICT in professional-led and peer-led support and provide implementation examples from across Europe. We discuss the potential advantages and disadvantages of different ways of using ICT in family support and the main developments and challenges for the field more generally, guiding decision-making as to how to use ICT in family support, as well as critical reflections and future research on its merit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Catarina Canário
- Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences, University of Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
- Correspondence:
| | - Sonia Byrne
- Department of Evolutionary and Educational Psychology, University of La Laguna, 38200 San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain;
| | - Nicole Creasey
- Research Institute of Child Development and Education, University of Amsterdam, 1018 WS Amsterdam, The Netherlands; (N.C.); (P.L.)
| | | | - Burcu Kömürcü Akik
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Languages and History-Geography, Ankara University, 06100 Ankara, Turkey;
| | | | - Koraljka Modić Stanke
- Department of Social Work, Faculty of Law, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia; (K.M.S.); (N.P.)
| | - Ninoslava Pećnik
- Department of Social Work, Faculty of Law, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia; (K.M.S.); (N.P.)
| | - Patty Leijten
- Research Institute of Child Development and Education, University of Amsterdam, 1018 WS Amsterdam, The Netherlands; (N.C.); (P.L.)
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18
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Valentine L, D’Alfonso S, Lederman R. Recommender systems for mental health apps: advantages and ethical challenges. AI & SOCIETY 2022; 38:1-12. [PMID: 35068708 PMCID: PMC8761504 DOI: 10.1007/s00146-021-01322-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2021] [Accepted: 11/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Recommender systems assist users in receiving preferred or relevant services and information. Using such technology could be instrumental in addressing the lack of relevance digital mental health apps have to the user, a leading cause of low engagement. However, the use of recommender systems for digital mental health apps, particularly those driven by personal data and artificial intelligence, presents a range of ethical considerations. This paper focuses on considerations particular to the juncture of recommender systems and digital mental health technologies. While separate bodies of work have focused on these two areas, to our knowledge, the intersection presented in this paper has not yet been examined. This paper identifies and discusses a set of advantages and ethical concerns related to incorporating recommender systems into the digital mental health (DMH) ecosystem. Advantages of incorporating recommender systems into DMH apps are identified as (1) a reduction in choice overload, (2) improvement to the digital therapeutic alliance, and (3) increased access to personal data & self-management. Ethical challenges identified are (1) lack of explainability, (2) complexities pertaining to the privacy/personalization trade-off and recommendation quality, and (3) the control of app usage history data. These novel considerations will provide a greater understanding of how DMH apps can effectively and ethically implement recommender systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lee Valentine
- Orygen, Parkville, VIC 3052 Australia
- Centre for Youth Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010 Australia
| | - Simon D’Alfonso
- School of Computing and Information Systems, Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010 Australia
| | - Reeva Lederman
- School of Computing and Information Systems, Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010 Australia
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Tong F, Lederman R, D'Alfonso S, Berry K, Bucci S. Digital Therapeutic Alliance With Fully Automated Mental Health Smartphone Apps: A Narrative Review. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:819623. [PMID: 35815030 PMCID: PMC9256980 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.819623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2021] [Accepted: 05/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Fully automated mental health smartphone apps show strong promise in increasing access to psychological support. Therefore, it is crucial to understand how to make these apps effective. The therapeutic alliance (TA), or the relationship between healthcare professionals and clients, is considered fundamental to successful treatment outcomes in face-to-face therapy. Thus, understanding the TA in the context of fully automated apps would bring us insights into building effective smartphone apps which engage users. However, the concept of a digital therapeutic alliance (DTA) in the context of fully automated mental health smartphone apps is nascent and under-researched, and only a handful of studies have been published in this area. In particular, no published review paper examined the DTA in the context of fully automated apps. The objective of this review was to integrate the extant literature to identify research gaps and future directions in the investigation of DTA in relation to fully automated mental health smartphone apps. Our findings suggest that the DTA in relation to fully automated smartphone apps needs to be conceptualized differently to traditional face-to-face TA. First, the role of bond in the context of fully automated apps is unclear. Second, human components of face-to-face TA, such as empathy, are hard to achieve in the digital context. Third, some users may perceive apps as more non-judgmental and flexible, which may further influence DTA formation. Subdisciplines of computer science, such as affective computing and positive computing, and some human-computer interaction (HCI) theories, such as those of persuasive technology and human-app attachment, can potentially help to foster a sense of empathy, build tasks and goals and develop bond or an attachment between users and apps, which may further contribute to DTA formation in fully automated smartphone apps. Whilst the review produced a relatively limited quantity of literature, this reflects the novelty of the topic and the need for further research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fangziyun Tong
- School of Computing and Information Systems, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia.,Division of Psychology and Mental Health, School of Health Sciences, Manchester Academic Health Sciences Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Reeva Lederman
- School of Computing and Information Systems, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Simon D'Alfonso
- School of Computing and Information Systems, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Katherine Berry
- Division of Psychology and Mental Health, School of Health Sciences, Manchester Academic Health Sciences Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom.,Complex Trauma and Resilience Research Unit, Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Sandra Bucci
- Division of Psychology and Mental Health, School of Health Sciences, Manchester Academic Health Sciences Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom.,Complex Trauma and Resilience Research Unit, Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, United Kingdom
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20
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Saleem M, Kühne L, De Santis KK, Christianson L, Brand T, Busse H. Understanding Engagement Strategies in Digital Interventions for Mental Health Promotion: Scoping Review. JMIR Ment Health 2021; 8:e30000. [PMID: 34931995 PMCID: PMC8726056 DOI: 10.2196/30000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2021] [Revised: 08/25/2021] [Accepted: 08/25/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Digital interventions offer a solution to address the high demand for mental health promotion, especially when facing physical contact restrictions or lacking accessibility. Engagement with digital interventions is critical for their effectiveness; however, retaining users' engagement throughout the intervention is challenging. It remains unclear what strategies facilitate engagement with digital interventions that target mental health promotion. OBJECTIVE Our aim is to conduct a scoping review to investigate user engagement strategies and methods to evaluate engagement with digital interventions that target mental health promotion in adults. METHODS This scoping review adheres to the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines for scoping reviews. The search was conducted in 7 electronic databases from inception to April 2020. The inclusion criteria for studies were as follows: adult (aged ≥18 years) users of digital interventions for mental health promotion from the general population; any digital intervention for mental health promotion; and user engagement strategies described in the intervention design. We extracted the following data items: study characteristics, digital intervention (type and engagement strategy), evaluation of engagement strategy (method and result specifying whether the strategy was effective at facilitating engagement), and features of engagement (extent of use and subjective experience of users). RESULTS A total of 2766 studies were identified, of which 16 (0.58%) met the inclusion criteria. The 16 studies included randomized controlled trials (6/16, 37%), studies analyzing process data (5/16, 31%), observational studies (3/16, 19%), and qualitative studies (2/16, 13%). The digital interventions for mental health promotion were either web based (12/16, 75%) or mobile app based (4/16, 25%). The engagement strategies included personalized feedback about intervention content or users' mental health status; guidance regarding content and progress through e-coaching; social forums, and interactivity with peers; content gamification; reminders; and flexibility and ease of use. These engagement strategies were deemed effective based on qualitative user feedback or responses on questionnaires or tools (4/16, 25%), usability data (5/16, 31%), or both (7/16, 44%). Most studies identified personalized support in the form of e-coaching, peer support through a social platform, personalized feedback, or joint videoconference sessions as an engaging feature. CONCLUSIONS Personalized support during the intervention, access to social support, and personalized feedback seem to promote engagement with digital interventions for mental health promotion. These findings need to be interpreted with caution because the included studies were heterogeneous, had small sample sizes, and typically did not address engagement as the primary outcome. Despite the importance of user engagement for the effectiveness of digital interventions, this field has not yet received much attention. Further research is needed on the effectiveness of different strategies required to facilitate user engagement in digital interventions for mental health promotion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maham Saleem
- Department of Prevention and Evaluation, Leibniz Institute for Prevention Research and Epidemiology - BIPS, Bremen, Germany.,Leibniz Science Campus Digital Public Health, Bremen, Germany
| | - Lisa Kühne
- Department of Prevention and Evaluation, Leibniz Institute for Prevention Research and Epidemiology - BIPS, Bremen, Germany.,Leibniz Science Campus Digital Public Health, Bremen, Germany
| | - Karina Karolina De Santis
- Department of Prevention and Evaluation, Leibniz Institute for Prevention Research and Epidemiology - BIPS, Bremen, Germany.,Leibniz Science Campus Digital Public Health, Bremen, Germany
| | - Lara Christianson
- Department of Administration, Leibniz Institute for Prevention Research and Epidemiology - BIPS, Bremen, Germany
| | - Tilman Brand
- Department of Prevention and Evaluation, Leibniz Institute for Prevention Research and Epidemiology - BIPS, Bremen, Germany.,Leibniz Science Campus Digital Public Health, Bremen, Germany
| | - Heide Busse
- Department of Prevention and Evaluation, Leibniz Institute for Prevention Research and Epidemiology - BIPS, Bremen, Germany.,Leibniz Science Campus Digital Public Health, Bremen, Germany
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Yu T, Hu D, Teng F, Mao J, Xu K, Han Y, Liu Y, Wu M. Effectiveness of internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy for suicide: a systematic review and meta-analysis of RCTs. PSYCHOL HEALTH MED 2021; 27:2186-2203. [PMID: 34074167 DOI: 10.1080/13548506.2021.1930073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Suicidal individuals rarely seek help and receive professional psychological intervention on their initiative. Internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy(iCBT) can increase availability and reduce stigma compared to face-to-face interventions for suicide.However, conclusions about the effectiveness of iCBT on suicide are controversial. The review aimed to determine the effectiveness of iCBT on reducing suicidal ideation (primary outcomes) and other outcomes related to suicide like suicide attempts(secondary outcomes). PubMed, the Cochrane Library, EMBASEwere searched up to March 2020 for RCTs of iCBT which aimed to reduce suicide.The potential bias was assessed by the Cochrane risk of bias tool. Data analyses wereperformed by RevMan5.3.Four studies meeting the eligibility criteria were included which reported data on a total of 1225 participants. We found iCBT was associated with reducing an individual's suicidal ideation, and first indications suggest that the treatment effect might be even more pronounced in the short term and in adults.Additionally, there was insufficient evidence to prove its effectiveness in reducing suicide attempts and suicide death.Overall, iCBT can overcome the disadvantages of traditional interventions and show promise on suicidal ideation. While ensuring safety and ethics, further studies are warranted, focusing on suicide specific behavior like suicide attempts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ting Yu
- School of Nursing, Tongji Medical College Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Deying Hu
- Department of Nursing, Union Hospital Tongji Medical College Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Fen Teng
- Department of Nursing, Union Hospital Tongji Medical College Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Jing Mao
- School of Nursing, Tongji Medical College Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Ke Xu
- School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Yanhong Han
- Department of Nursing, Union Hospital Tongji Medical College Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Yilan Liu
- Department of Nursing, Union Hospital Tongji Medical College Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Minge Wu
- School of Nursing, Tongji Medical College Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
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22
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Borghouts J, Eikey E, Mark G, De Leon C, Schueller SM, Schneider M, Stadnick N, Zheng K, Mukamel D, Sorkin DH. Barriers to and Facilitators of User Engagement With Digital Mental Health Interventions: Systematic Review. J Med Internet Res 2021; 23:e24387. [PMID: 33759801 PMCID: PMC8074985 DOI: 10.2196/24387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 241] [Impact Index Per Article: 80.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2020] [Revised: 12/24/2020] [Accepted: 02/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Digital mental health interventions (DMHIs), which deliver mental health support via technologies such as mobile apps, can increase access to mental health support, and many studies have demonstrated their effectiveness in improving symptoms. However, user engagement varies, with regard to a user’s uptake and sustained interactions with these interventions. Objective This systematic review aims to identify common barriers and facilitators that influence user engagement with DMHIs. Methods A systematic search was conducted in the SCOPUS, PubMed, PsycINFO, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library databases. Empirical studies that report qualitative and/or quantitative data were included. Results A total of 208 articles met the inclusion criteria. The included articles used a variety of methodologies, including interviews, surveys, focus groups, workshops, field studies, and analysis of user reviews. Factors extracted for coding were related to the end user, the program or content offered by the intervention, and the technology and implementation environment. Common barriers included severe mental health issues that hampered engagement, technical issues, and a lack of personalization. Common facilitators were social connectedness facilitated by the intervention, increased insight into health, and a feeling of being in control of one’s own health. Conclusions Although previous research suggests that DMHIs can be useful in supporting mental health, contextual factors are important determinants of whether users actually engage with these interventions. The factors identified in this review can provide guidance when evaluating DMHIs to help explain and understand user engagement and can inform the design and development of new digital interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Elizabeth Eikey
- University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Gloria Mark
- University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | | | | | | | - Nicole Stadnick
- University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Kai Zheng
- University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Dana Mukamel
- University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Dara H Sorkin
- University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
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23
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D'Alfonso S, Lederman R, Bucci S, Berry K. The Digital Therapeutic Alliance and Human-Computer Interaction. JMIR Ment Health 2020; 7:e21895. [PMID: 33372897 PMCID: PMC7803473 DOI: 10.2196/21895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2020] [Revised: 08/16/2020] [Accepted: 10/29/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The therapeutic alliance (TA), the relationship that develops between a therapist and a client/patient, is a critical factor in the outcome of psychological therapy. As mental health care is increasingly adopting digital technologies and offering therapeutic interventions that may not involve human therapists, the notion of a TA in digital mental health care requires exploration. To date, there has been some incipient work on developing measures to assess the conceptualization of a digital TA for mental health apps. However, the few measures that have been proposed have more or less been derivatives of measures from psychology used to assess the TA in traditional face-to-face therapy. This conceptual paper explores one such instrument that has been proposed in the literature, the Mobile Agnew Relationship Measure, and examines it through a human-computer interaction (HCI) lens. Through this process, we show how theories from HCI can play a role in shaping or generating a more suitable, purpose-built measure of the digital therapeutic alliance (DTA), and we contribute suggestions on how HCI methods and knowledge can be used to foster the DTA in mental health apps.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon D'Alfonso
- School of Computing and Information Systems, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
| | - Reeva Lederman
- School of Computing and Information Systems, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
| | - Sandra Bucci
- Division of Psychology and Mental Health, School of Health Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Katherine Berry
- Division of Psychology and Mental Health, School of Health Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
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24
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Neumayr C, Voderholzer U, Schlegl S. Psych-APP-Therapie: Smartphonebasierte Interventionen in der Psychotherapie – Eine systematische Übersichtsarbeit. VERHALTENSTHERAPIE 2020. [DOI: 10.1159/000510954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
<b><i>Hintergrund:</i></b> Technologiebasierte Interventionen haben in der Psychotherapie an Bedeutung gewonnen. Ein versorgungsrelevanter Ansatz sind Mental Health Apps. Ziel dieser systematischen Übersichtsarbeit ist es (1) international evaluierte Apps zu den Störungsbildern Depressionen, Angststörungen und Essstörungen zu identifizieren, (2) deren Verfügbarkeit in deutschen App-Stores sowie (3) in deutscher Sprache zu prüfen und (4) ihre Effektivitätsergebnisse aus randomisiert-kontrollierten (Pilot-)Studien (RCTs) darzustellen. <b><i>Methode:</i></b> Die Übersichtsarbeit wurde in Anlehnung an das PRISMA Statement durchgeführt und ausgewertet. Eine systematische Recherche (2007–2018) der Datenbanken PubMed, PsychINFO sowie PSYNDEX wurde durchgeführt. Zudem fand eine Beurteilung der methodischen Qualität sowie der Effektivitätsergebnisse der (Pilot-)RCTs statt. <b><i>Ergebnisse:</i></b> Es wurden 2’571 Abstracts identifiziert und 47 Publikationen eingeschlossen (<i>N</i> = 32 unterschiedliche Apps; <i>N</i> = 24 [Pilot-]RCTs). Die Qualität der (Pilot-)RCTs ist überwiegend als gut bis moderat einzustufen. Die Ergebnisse waren heterogen (keine bis große Effekte [Cohens <i>d</i>] zwischen den Gruppen: –0,01; KI [–0,36; 0,34] bis 1,49; KI [1,00; 1,99]). Vier Apps mit einer Evaluation durch (Pilot-)RCTs sind in den deutschen App-Stores verfügbar – eine in deutscher Sprache. <b><i>Schlussfolgerungen:</i></b> Es liegt international eine Vielzahl von ersten App-Evaluationen zu den Störungsbildern vor, die Verfügbarkeit ausreichend evaluierter deutschsprachiger Apps in den deutschen App-Stores ist aber extrem limitiert. Englischsprachige, bereits evaluierte Apps könnten in das Deutsche übersetzt und – genauso wie schon verfügbare, aber nicht evaluierte deutschsprachige Apps – in RCTs inkl. Katamnesedaten evaluiert werden. So könnten smartphonebasierte Interventionen im Rahmen des “Digitalen-Versorgungs-Gesetzes” als ergänzendes Element in der Psychotherapie an Bedeutung gewinnen.
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25
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Working Alliance Inventory for Online Interventions-Short Form (WAI-TECH-SF): The Role of the Therapeutic Alliance between Patient and Online Program in Therapeutic Outcomes. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2020; 17:ijerph17176169. [PMID: 32854381 PMCID: PMC7503297 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17176169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2020] [Revised: 08/17/2020] [Accepted: 08/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Background: Therapeutic alliance (TA) between the patient and therapist has been related to positive therapeutic outcomes. Because Internet-based interventions are increasingly being implemented, a tool is needed to measure the TA with Internet-based self-guided programs. The Working Alliance Inventory for online interventions (WAI-TECH-SF) was adapted based on the WAI Short Form (Hatcher & Gillaspy, 2006). The objectives of this study were: (1) to analyse the psychometric properties of the WAI-TECH-SF; (2) to explore the differences in the WAI-TECH-SF scores according to different categories of the sample; and (3) to analyse whether the WAI-TECH-SF can predict therapeutic outcomes and satisfaction with the treatment. Methods: 193 patients diagnosed with depression were included and received blended Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy. Measures of preferences, satisfaction, and credibility about the treatment, TA with the online program, depressive symptoms, and satisfaction with the treatment were administered. Results: An exploratory factor analysis revealed a one-dimensional structure with adequate internal consistency. Linear regression analyses showed that the WAI-TECH-SF predicted changes in depressive symptoms and satisfaction with the treatment. Conclusions: WAI-TECH-SF is a reliable questionnaire to assess the TA between the patient and the online program, which is associated with positive therapeutic outcomes and satisfaction with the treatment.
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26
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Tremain H, McEnery C, Fletcher K, Murray G. The Therapeutic Alliance in Digital Mental Health Interventions for Serious Mental Illnesses: Narrative Review. JMIR Ment Health 2020; 7:e17204. [PMID: 32763881 PMCID: PMC7442952 DOI: 10.2196/17204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2019] [Revised: 06/07/2020] [Accepted: 06/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Digital mental health interventions offer unique advantages, and research indicates that these interventions are effective for a range of mental health concerns. Although these interventions are less established for individuals with serious mental illnesses, they demonstrate significant promise. A central consideration in traditional face-to-face therapies is the therapeutic alliance, whereas the nature of a digital therapeutic alliance and its relationship with outcomes requires further attention, particularly for individuals with serious mental illnesses. OBJECTIVE This narrative review aims to encourage further consideration and critical evaluation of the therapeutic alliance in digital mental health, specifically for individuals with serious mental illnesses. METHODS A narrative review was conducted by combining 3 main areas of the literature: the first examining the evidence for digital mental health interventions for serious mental illnesses, the second illuminating the nature and role of the therapeutic alliance in digital interventions, and the third surrounding practical considerations to enhance a digital therapeutic alliance. RESULTS Results indicated that a therapeutic alliance can be cultivated in digital interventions for those with serious mental illnesses, but that it may have unique, yet-to-be-confirmed characteristics in digital contexts. In addition, a therapeutic alliance appears to be less directly associated with outcomes in digital interventions than with those in face-to-face therapies. One possibility is that the digital therapeutic alliance is associated with increased engagement and adherence to digital interventions, through which it appears to influence outcomes. A number of design and implementation considerations may enhance the digital therapeutic alliance, including human support and technological features. CONCLUSIONS More research is required to further understand the nature and specific role of a therapeutic alliance in digital interventions for serious mental illnesses, particularly in informing their design. This review revealed several key research priorities to advance the therapeutic alliance in digital interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hailey Tremain
- Centre for Mental Health, Faculty of Health, Arts and Design, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, Australia
| | | | - Kathryn Fletcher
- Centre for Mental Health, Faculty of Health, Arts and Design, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, Australia
| | - Greg Murray
- Centre for Mental Health, Faculty of Health, Arts and Design, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, Australia
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27
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Patel S, Akhtar A, Malins S, Wright N, Rowley E, Young E, Sampson S, Morriss R. The Acceptability and Usability of Digital Health Interventions for Adults With Depression, Anxiety, and Somatoform Disorders: Qualitative Systematic Review and Meta-Synthesis. J Med Internet Res 2020; 22:e16228. [PMID: 32628116 PMCID: PMC7381032 DOI: 10.2196/16228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2019] [Revised: 02/20/2020] [Accepted: 03/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The prevalence of mental health disorders continues to rise, with almost 4% of the world population having an anxiety disorder and almost 3.5% having depression in 2017. Despite the high prevalence, only one-third of people with depression or anxiety receive treatment. Over the last decade, the use of digital health interventions (DHIs) has risen rapidly as a means of accessing mental health care and continues to increase. Although there is evidence supporting the effectiveness of DHIs for the treatment of mental health conditions, little is known about what aspects are valued by users and how they might be improved. Objective This systematic review aimed to identify, appraise, and synthesize the qualitative literature available on service users’ views and experiences regarding the acceptability and usability of DHIs for depression, anxiety, and somatoform disorders. Methods A systematic search strategy was developed, and searches were run in 7 electronic databases. Qualitative and mixed methods studies published in English were included. A meta-synthesis was used to interpret and synthesize the findings from the included studies. Results A total of 24 studies were included in the meta-synthesis, and 3 key themes emerged with descriptive subthemes. The 3 key themes were initial motivations and approaches to DHIs, personalization of treatment, and the value of receiving personal support in DHIs. The meta-synthesis suggests that participants’ initial beliefs about DHIs can have an important effect on their engagement with these types of interventions. Personal support was valued very highly as a major component of the success of DHIs. The main reason for this was the way it enabled individual personalization of care. Conclusions Findings from the systematic review have implications for the design of future DHIs to improve uptake, retention, and outcomes in DHIs for depression, anxiety, and somatoform disorders. DHIs need to be personalized to the specific needs of the individual. Future research should explore whether the findings could be generalized to other health conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shireen Patel
- Division of Psychiatry and Applied Psychology, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Athfah Akhtar
- School of Social Sciences, Birmingham City University, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Sam Malins
- Division of Psychiatry and Applied Psychology, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Nicola Wright
- Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Emma Rowley
- School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Emma Young
- Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Stephanie Sampson
- NIHR MindTech MedTech Co-operative, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Richard Morriss
- Division of Psychiatry and Applied Psychology, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom.,Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, Nottingham, United Kingdom.,NIHR MindTech MedTech Co-operative, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
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28
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Achilles MR, Anderson M, Li SH, Subotic-Kerry M, Parker B, O'Dea B. Adherence to e-mental health among youth: Considerations for intervention development and research design. Digit Health 2020; 6:2055207620926064. [PMID: 32547775 PMCID: PMC7249594 DOI: 10.1177/2055207620926064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2019] [Accepted: 03/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
E-mental health programmes have great potential to provide young people with
access to mental health support. However, it is commonly reported that adherence
to these programmes is low. Low adherence can be problematic, particularly if
young people do not receive the full benefits of a programme. In a research
trial setting, non-adherence to treatment recommendations can prevent
researchers from drawing strong conclusions about effectiveness. Although
adherence has been recognised as an issue in need of attention, many of the
reviews available are focused on adults and lack clear direction towards what
strategies to employ. This paper presents a broad review of the adherence
literature, focusing on factors associated with improving adherence to e-mental
health among youth. Our view on the key elements to improve adherence identified
from the existing literature are presented, and key recommendations for e-mental
health intervention design are provided. These include: developing and
communicating adherence guidelines based on individuals’ needs and symptom
severity, including customisable features to provide a tailored experience and
promote a sense of agency, including engagement checks and adopting a
user-centred approach by utilising strategies such as co-design. This paper
provides guidance to intervention designers and researchers by outlining
recommendations and considerations for intervention development and research
design.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Sophie H Li
- Black Dog Institute, Prince of Wales Hospital, Australia.,School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Australia
| | | | - Belinda Parker
- Black Dog Institute, Prince of Wales Hospital, Australia
| | - Bridianne O'Dea
- Black Dog Institute, Prince of Wales Hospital, Australia.,School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Australia
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29
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Holter MTS, Ness O, Johansen AB, Brendryen H. Making Come-Alive and Keeping Un-Alive: How People Relate to Self-Guided Web-Based Health Interventions. QUALITATIVE HEALTH RESEARCH 2020; 30:927-941. [PMID: 32046613 PMCID: PMC7322942 DOI: 10.1177/1049732320902456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Health interventions delivered online (self-guided web-based interventions) may become more helpful through a person-to-program "working alliance." In psychotherapy, the working alliance signifies a therapeutically useful client-therapist relationship and includes an emotional bond. However, there exist no theories of how program users relate to online programs, or that explain a person-to-program bond theoretically. Addressing this gap, we conducted qualitative interviews with and collected program data from users of a self-guided web-based intervention. Taking a grounded theory approach, the analysis arrived at a model of relating based on two relational modes-making come-alive and keeping un-alive. Different combinations of these modes could describe a range of ways of relating to the program, including a nonsocial interaction, a semi-social interaction, and a semi-social relationship. A person-to-program bond is explained by the model as an experienced supportive social presence, enabled by making come-alive and a positive program interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marianne T. S. Holter
- The Norwegian Centre for Addiction Research (SERAF), Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Ottar Ness
- Department of Education and Lifelong Learning, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Ayna B. Johansen
- The Norwegian Centre for Addiction Research (SERAF), Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Håvar Brendryen
- The Norwegian Centre for Addiction Research (SERAF), Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
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Ribeiro RM, Bragiola JVB, Eid LP, Ribeiro RDCHM, Sequeira CADC, Pompeo DA. Impact of an intervention through Facebook to strengthen Self-esteem in nursing students. Rev Lat Am Enfermagem 2020; 28:e3237. [PMID: 32074208 PMCID: PMC7021477 DOI: 10.1590/1518-8345.3215.3237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2018] [Accepted: 09/23/2019] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Objective: to evaluate the impact of the “Strengthening Self-Esteem” intervention
proposed by the Nursing Interventions Classification, conducted through the
use of Facebook, on the self-esteem and self-efficacy levels of nursing
undergraduates. Method: quasi-experimental study carried out in two Higher Education Institutions.
The sample consisted of 74 students. Two data collection tools were applied
before and after the intervention: Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale and General
and Perceived Self-Efficacy Scale. The students were submitted to the
intervention for ten sessions. Posts were made in private profile created on
Facebook and consisted of positive messages, reflective texts and pictures,
all supported by the persuasive resources of Bandura’s theoretical
framework. Results: of the 264 students who answered the pretest, 74 (28.03%) participated in
the interventions and the post-test. Rosenberg self-esteem (p=0.026) and
self-efficacy (p=0.001) scores after the intervention were significantly
higher than those obtained before, confirming the effectiveness of the
intervention. Conclusion: the “Strengthening Self-Esteem” intervention was effective for improving
students’ self-esteem and self-efficacy levels. Such interventions help
spread knowledge and build mentally healthier individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Letícia Palota Eid
- Universidade Federal de Goiás, Unidade Acadêmica Especial de Ciências da Saúde, Jataí, GO, Brazil
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Arshad U, Farhat‐ul‐Ain, Gauntlett J, Husain N, Chaudhry N, Taylor PJ. A Systematic Review of the Evidence Supporting Mobile- and Internet-Based Psychological Interventions For Self-Harm. Suicide Life Threat Behav 2020; 50:151-179. [PMID: 31448847 PMCID: PMC7027458 DOI: 10.1111/sltb.12583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2019] [Accepted: 05/08/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Internet- and mobile phone-based psychological interventions have the potential to overcome many of the barriers associated with accessing traditional face-to-face therapy. Self-injurious thoughts and behaviors (STB) are prevalent global health problems that may benefit from Internet- and mobile-based interventions. We provide a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies evaluating mobile- and Internet-based interventions for STB, including nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI). METHODS Online databases (PsycINFO, Web of Science, Medline) were searched up to March 2019 for single-arm and controlled trials of Internet- or mobile-based interventions for STB. The potential for bias was assessed using the Cochrane risk of bias tool. RESULTS Twenty-two eligible trials were identified. The research was limited by a lack of controlled designs and small samples. Evidence supports the acceptability of interventions. There is preliminary evidence that these interventions are associated with a decline in STB. A meta-analysis suggested a positive treatment effect on suicidal ideation when compared to treatment as usual, but not when trials with active controls were also considered. CONCLUSIONS Overall, Internet- and mobile-based interventions show promise and further controlled trials are warranted, focusing on behavioral outcomes (NSSI, suicidal behavior). This review was preregistered with PROSPERO (CRD42017074065).
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Affiliation(s)
- Usman Arshad
- Pakistan Institute of Living & LearningKarachiPakistan
| | - Farhat‐ul‐Ain
- Pakistan Institute of Living & LearningKarachiPakistan
| | - Jessica Gauntlett
- Division of Psychology & Mental HealthManchester Academic Health Sciences CentreSchool of Health SciencesUniversity of ManchesterManchesterUK
| | - Nusrat Husain
- Division of Psychology & Mental HealthManchester Academic Health Sciences CentreSchool of Health SciencesUniversity of ManchesterManchesterUK
| | | | - Peter James Taylor
- Division of Psychology & Mental HealthManchester Academic Health Sciences CentreSchool of Health SciencesUniversity of ManchesterManchesterUK
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Fulford H, McSwiggan L, Kroll T, MacGillivray S. Exploring the use of mobile information and communication technologies by people with mood disorders. Int J Ment Health Nurs 2019; 28:1268-1277. [PMID: 31325245 DOI: 10.1111/inm.12632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/16/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Information and communication technologies (ICTs) have become increasingly integrated into how care is delivered and received. However, no research has yet explored how people with mood disorders use mobile information and communication technologies (mICTs) in their everyday lives and, more specifically, how they might use mICTs to look after themselves. An exploratory qualitative study, within secondary and specialist mental health Services, was undertaken. Data generation involved in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 26 people with mood disorders. Participants' data sets were analysed using constructivist grounded theory (CGT). The resultant theory explains how mICTs were used in daily life, and also, more specifically, how they were used to manage recovery from mood disorders. The findings reveal that people with mood disorders used their mICTs to centralize themselves within their on- and offline worlds and their importance of attachment were central in their continued use. These findings have the potential to inform and encourage the further incorporation of mICTs into the health and social care settings; spanning the therapeutic to systemic levels so that the full potential of these ubiquitous technologies can be harnessed to improve care and care delivery. Yet, without adequate resource and support, health and social care professionals' efforts will be hampered, contributing to technology redundancy and high attrition rates in the use of this type of technology.
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Robinson NL, Cottier TV, Kavanagh DJ. Psychosocial Health Interventions by Social Robots: Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials. J Med Internet Res 2019; 21:e13203. [PMID: 31094357 PMCID: PMC6533873 DOI: 10.2196/13203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2018] [Revised: 03/22/2019] [Accepted: 04/09/2019] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Social robots that can communicate and interact with people offer exciting opportunities for improved health care access and outcomes. However, evidence from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on health or well-being outcomes has not yet been clearly synthesized across all health domains where social robots have been tested. Objective This study aimed to undertake a systematic review examining current evidence from RCTs on the effects of psychosocial interventions by social robots on health or well-being. Methods Medline, PsycInfo, ScienceDirect, Scopus, and Engineering Village searches across all years in the English language were conducted and supplemented by forward and backward searches. The included papers reported RCTs that assessed changes in health or well-being from interactions with a social robot across at least 2 measurement occasions. Results Out of 408 extracted records, 27 trials met the inclusion criteria: 6 in child health or well-being, 9 in children with autism spectrum disorder, and 12 with older adults. No trials on adolescents, young adults, or other problem areas were identified, and no studies had interventions where robots spontaneously modified verbal responses based on speech by participants. Most trials were small (total N=5 to 415; median=34), only 6 (22%) reported any follow-up outcomes (2 to 12 weeks; median=3.5) and a single-blind assessment was reported in 8 (31%). More recent trials tended to have greater methodological quality. All papers reported some positive outcomes from robotic interventions, although most trials had some measures that showed no difference or favored alternate treatments. Conclusions Controlled research on social robots is at an early stage, as is the current range of their applications to health care. Research on social robot interventions in clinical and health settings needs to transition from exploratory investigations to include large-scale controlled trials with sophisticated methodology, to increase confidence in their efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole Lee Robinson
- Australian Centre for Robotic Vision, Brisbane, Australia.,Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia
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Eisner E, Drake RJ, Berry N, Barrowclough C, Emsley R, Machin M, Bucci S. Development and Long-Term Acceptability of ExPRESS, a Mobile Phone App to Monitor Basic Symptoms and Early Signs of Psychosis Relapse. JMIR Mhealth Uhealth 2019; 7:e11568. [PMID: 30924789 PMCID: PMC6460313 DOI: 10.2196/11568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2018] [Revised: 10/25/2018] [Accepted: 12/10/2018] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Schizophrenia relapses are common, have profound, adverse consequences for patients and are costly to health services. Early signs interventions aim to use warning signs of deterioration to prevent full relapse. Such interventions show promise but could be further developed. This study addresses 2 developments: adding basic symptoms to checklists of conventional early signs and using a mobile phone app ExPRESS to aid early signs monitoring. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to (1) design a pool of self-report items assessing basic symptoms (Basic Symptoms Checklist, BSC); (2) develop and beta test a mobile phone app (ExPRESS) for monitoring early signs, basic symptoms, and psychotic symptoms; and (3) evaluate the long-term acceptability of ExPRESS via qualitative feedback from participants in a 6-month feasibility study. METHODS The BSC items and ExPRESS were developed and then adjusted following feedback from beta testers (n=5) with a schizophrenia diagnosis. Individuals (n=18) experiencing a relapse of schizophrenia within the past year were asked to use ExPRESS for 6 months to answer weekly questions about experiences of early signs, basic symptoms, and psychotic symptoms. At the end of follow-up, face-to-face qualitative interviews (n=16; 2 were uncontactable) explored experiences of using ExPRESS. The topic guide sought participants' views on the following a priori themes regarding app acceptability: item content, layout, and wording; app appearance; length and frequency of assessments; worries about app use; how app use fitted with participants' routines; and the app's extra features. Interview transcripts were analyzed using the framework method, which allows examination of both a priori and a posteriori themes, enabling unanticipated aspects of app use experiences to be explored. RESULTS Participants' mean age was 38 years (range 22-57 years). Responses to a priori topics indicated that long-term use of ExPRESS was acceptable; small changes for future versions of ExPRESS were suggested. A posteriori themes gave further insight into individuals' experiences of using ExPRESS. Some reported finding it more accessible than visits from a clinician, as assessments were more frequent, more anonymous, and did not require the individual to explain their feelings in their own words. Nevertheless, barriers to app use (eg, unfamiliarity with smartphones) were also reported. Despite ExPRESS containing no overtly therapeutic components, some participants found that answering the weekly questions prompted self-reflection, which had therapeutic value for them. CONCLUSIONS This study suggests that apps are acceptable for long-term symptom monitoring by individuals with a schizophrenia diagnosis across a wide age range. If the potential benefits are understood, patients are generally willing and motivated to use a weekly symptom-monitoring app; most participants in this study were prepared to do so for more than 6 months. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03558529; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03558529 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/70qvtRmZY).
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily Eisner
- Division of Psychology and Mental Health, School of Health Sciences, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Richard James Drake
- Division of Psychology and Mental Health, School of Health Sciences, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom.,Greater Manchester Mental Health National Health Service Foundation Trust, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Natalie Berry
- Division of Psychology and Mental Health, School of Health Sciences, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Christine Barrowclough
- Division of Psychology and Mental Health, School of Health Sciences, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Richard Emsley
- Department of Biostatistics and Health Informatics, King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, De Crespigny Park, London, United Kingdom
| | - Matthew Machin
- Division of Informatics, Imaging & Data Sciences, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Sandra Bucci
- Division of Psychology and Mental Health, School of Health Sciences, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom.,Greater Manchester Mental Health National Health Service Foundation Trust, Manchester, United Kingdom
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Bolsinger J, Jaeger M, Hoff P, Theodoridou A. Challenges and Opportunities in Building and Maintaining a Good Therapeutic Relationship in Acute Psychiatric Settings: A Narrative Review. Front Psychiatry 2019; 10:965. [PMID: 32009995 PMCID: PMC6974619 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00965] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2019] [Accepted: 12/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: The therapeutic relationship and its importance for psychotherapy outcome have been the subject of extensive research over the last decades. An acute psychiatric inpatient setting is a unique environment where severely ill patients receive intensive treatment over a limited, relatively short, period of time. This renders establishing a good therapeutic relationship difficult for various reasons. It seems likely, however, that the therapeutic relationship in such a setting plays a vital role on factors such as clinical outcome, patient satisfaction, and rehospitalization rates. Little information is available on special attributes and caveats of building and maintaining a good therapeutic relationship in an acute psychiatric setting, neither on its influence on therapy success. Methods: An extensive systematic literature search was performed using PubMed, science direct, psyc info, and google scholar databases. Keywords used were therapeutic alliance, therapeutic relationship, psychiatry, emergency, acute, coercion, autonomy, involuntary, closed ward. RCTs, observational studies, reviews, meta-analyses, and economic evaluations were included, case reports and opinion papers were excluded. Factors specific to an acute psychiatric setting were identified, and the available information was categorized and analyzed accordingly. The PRISMA statement guidelines were followed closely upon research and preparation of the present review. Results: A total of 48 studies were selected based on their relevance as well as design. They demonstrated that several factors related to setting, patient attributes, staff attributes, admission circumstances, and general situation, render building and maintaining a good therapeutic relationship difficult in an acute psychiatric setting compared to scheduled, long-term therapeutic sessions. The available literature on how to overcome this dilemma is scarce. Interventions involving staff and/or patients have been shown to be effective in terms of relevant outcome parameters. Conclusions: Increasing research efforts, as well as raising awareness and providing specific competencies amongst clinicians and patients in terms of nurturing a good therapeutic relationship in acute settings, are necessary to improve clinical outcome, economic factors, quality of patient care and patient as well as staff satisfaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Bolsinger
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Matthias Jaeger
- Department of Adult Psychiatry, Psychiatrie Baselland, Liestal, Switzerland
| | - Paul Hoff
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Anastasia Theodoridou
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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Vernmark K, Hesser H, Topooco N, Berger T, Riper H, Luuk L, Backlund L, Carlbring P, Andersson G. Working alliance as a predictor of change in depression during blended cognitive behaviour therapy. Cogn Behav Ther 2018; 48:285-299. [PMID: 30372653 DOI: 10.1080/16506073.2018.1533577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Blended Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (bCBT) is a new form of treatment, mixing internet-based modules and face-to-face therapist sessions. How participants rate the therapeutic alliance in bCBT has not yet been thoroughly explored, and neither is it clear whether therapist- and patient-rated alliances are predictors of change in depression during treatment. Depression and alliance ratings from 73 participants in a treatment study on bCBT (part of the E-COMPARED project) were analysed using growth curve models. Alliance, as rated by both patients and therapists, was high. The therapist-rated working alliance was predictive of subsequent changes in depression scores during treatment, whereas the patient-rated alliance was not. A therapeutic alliance can be established in bCBT. The role of the therapist-rated alliance seems to be of particular importance and should be carefully considered when collecting data in future studies on bCBT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristofer Vernmark
- a Department of Behavioural Sciences and Learning , Linköping University , Linköping , Sweden
| | | | - Naira Topooco
- a Department of Behavioural Sciences and Learning , Linköping University , Linköping , Sweden
| | - Thomas Berger
- b Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy , University of Bern , Bern , Switzerland
| | - Heleen Riper
- c Department of Clinical, Neuro-, & Developmental Psychology, Faculty of Behavioural and Movement Sciences , VU Amsterdam , Amsterdam , The Netherlands
| | - Liisa Luuk
- a Department of Behavioural Sciences and Learning , Linköping University , Linköping , Sweden
| | - Lisa Backlund
- a Department of Behavioural Sciences and Learning , Linköping University , Linköping , Sweden
| | - Per Carlbring
- d Department of Psychology , Stockholm University , Stockholm , Sweden.,e Department of Psychology , University of Southern Denmark , Denmark
| | - Gerhard Andersson
- a Department of Behavioural Sciences and Learning , Linköping University , Linköping , Sweden.,f Department of Clinical Neuroscience , Karolinska Institutet , Stockholm , Sweden
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Smith SN, Broomhead E, Greenwell K, Watts E, Stockdale D, Hoare DJ. Promotion and views on tinnitus self-help within United Kingdom national health service audiology departments. Int J Audiol 2018; 57:900-907. [DOI: 10.1080/14992027.2018.1512013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sandra N Smith
- National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre, Hearing Sciences Section, Division of Clinical Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | | | - Kate Greenwell
- National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre, Hearing Sciences Section, Division of Clinical Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
- School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, UK
| | - Emily Watts
- School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, UK
| | | | - Derek J Hoare
- National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre, Hearing Sciences Section, Division of Clinical Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
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Clarke J, Proudfoot J, Vatiliotis V, Verge C, Holmes‐Walker DJ, Campbell L, Wilhelm K, Moravac C, Indu PS, Bridgett M. Attitudes towards mental health, mental health research and digital interventions by young adults with type 1 diabetes: A qualitative analysis. Health Expect 2018; 21:668-677. [PMID: 29319923 PMCID: PMC5980506 DOI: 10.1111/hex.12662] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/06/2017] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Young people with type 1 diabetes are at increased risk of mental disorders. Whereas treatment need is high, difficulty recruiting young people with type 1 diabetes into psychosocial studies complicates development, testing and dissemination of these interventions. OBJECTIVE Interviews with young adults with type 1 diabetes were conducted to examine attitudes towards mental health and mental health research, including barriers and motivators to participation in mental health studies and preferred sources of mental health support. The interviews were audio-taped, transcribed and evaluated via thematic analysis. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS Young adults with type 1 diabetes were recruited via social media channels of 3 advocacy organizations. A total of 31 young adults (26 females and 5 males) with an average age of 22 years were interviewed between October 2015 and January 2016. RESULTS Participants were largely unaware of their increased vulnerability to common mental health problems and knew little about mental health research. Major barriers to participation included perceived stigma and lifestyle issues and low levels of trust in researchers. Opportunities to connect with peers and help others were described as key motivators. Psychological distress was considered normal within the context of diabetes. A need for some level of human contact in receiving psychosocial support was expressed. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION Findings provide valuable insights into the complex dynamics of engaging young adults with type 1 diabetes in mental health studies. Interviewees provided practical suggestions to assist investigation and delivery of psychosocial interventions for this vulnerable group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janine Clarke
- Black Dog InstituteRandwick, SydneyNSWAustralia
- UNSW AustraliaSydneyNSWAustralia
| | - Judy Proudfoot
- Black Dog InstituteRandwick, SydneyNSWAustralia
- UNSW AustraliaSydneyNSWAustralia
| | | | - Charles Verge
- Sydney Children's HospitalSydneyNSWAustralia
- School of Women's and Children's HealthUNSW AustraliaSydneyNSWAustralia
| | | | - Lesley Campbell
- Department of EndocrinologySt Vincent's HospitalSydneyNSWAustralia
| | - Kay Wilhelm
- Urban Mental Research InstituteSt Vincent's HospitalSydneyNSWAustralia
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Berry K, Salter A, Morris R, James S, Bucci S. Assessing Therapeutic Alliance in the Context of mHealth Interventions for Mental Health Problems: Development of the Mobile Agnew Relationship Measure (mARM) Questionnaire. J Med Internet Res 2018; 20:e90. [PMID: 29674307 PMCID: PMC5934536 DOI: 10.2196/jmir.8252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2017] [Revised: 12/08/2017] [Accepted: 12/08/2017] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Digital health interventions in the form of smartphone apps aim to improve mental health and enable people access to support as and when needed without having to face the stigma they may experience in accessing services. If we are to evaluate mobile health (mHealth) apps and advance scientific understanding, we also need tools to help us understand in what ways mHealth interventions are effective or not. The concept of therapeutic alliance, a measure of the quality of the relationship between a health care provider and a service user, is a key factor in explaining the effects of mental health interventions. The Agnew Relationship Measure (ARM) is a well-validated measure of therapeutic alliance in face-to-face therapy. Objective This study presented the first attempt to (1) explore service users’ views of the concept of relationship within mHealth mental health interventions and (2) adapt a well-validated face-to-face measure of therapeutic alliance, the Agnew Relationship Measure (ARM), for use with mHealth interventions. Methods In stage 1, we interviewed 9 mental health service users about the concept of therapeutic alliance in the context of a digital health intervention and derived key themes from interview transcripts using thematic analysis. In stage 2, we used rating scales and open-ended questions to elicit views from 14 service users and 10 mental health staff about the content and face validity of the scale, which replaced the word “therapist” with the word “app.” In stage 3, we used the findings from stages 1 and 2 to adapt the measure with the support of a decision-making algorithm about which items to drop, retain, or adapt. Results Findings suggested that service users do identify relationship concepts when thinking about mHealth interventions, including forming a bond with an app and the ability to be open with an app. However, there were key differences between relationships with health professionals and relationships with apps. For example, apps were not as tailored and responsive to each person’s unique needs. Furthermore, apps were not capable of portraying uniquely human-like qualities such as friendliness, collaboration, and agreement. We made a number of changes to the ARM that included revising 16 items; removing 4 items due to lack of suitable alternatives; and adding 1 item to capture a key theme derived from stage 1 of the study (“The app is like having a member of my care team in my pocket”). Conclusions This study introduces the mHealth version of the ARM, the mARM, that has good face and content validity. We encourage researchers to include this easy-to-use tool in digital health intervention studies to gather further data about its psychometric properties and advance our understanding of how therapeutic alliance influences the efficacy of mHealth interventions. Trial Registration International Standard Randomized Controlled Trial Number (ISRCTN) 34966555; http://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN34966555 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6ymBVwKif)
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine Berry
- Division of Psychology and Mental Health, School of Health Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Amy Salter
- Division of Psychology and Mental Health, School of Health Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Rohan Morris
- Division of Psychology and Mental Health, School of Health Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Susannah James
- Division of Psychology and Mental Health, School of Health Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Sandra Bucci
- Division of Psychology and Mental Health, School of Health Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
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Jongeneel A, Scheffers D, Tromp N, Nuij C, Delespaul P, Riper H, van der Gaag M, van den Berg D. Reducing distress and improving social functioning in daily life in people with auditory verbal hallucinations: study protocol for the 'Temstem' randomised controlled trial. BMJ Open 2018; 8:e020537. [PMID: 29511020 PMCID: PMC5879499 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2017-020537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Auditory verbal hallucinations (AVH) are prevalent experiences that can induce distress and impede social functioning. While most voice hearers benefit from antipsychotic medication or cognitive-behavioural therapy, additional effective interventions are needed to reduce the burden of experiencing AVH. 'Temstem' is an easily accessible and useable smartphone application that was developed by designers in close cooperation with voice hearers and experts. By using language games, Temstem aims to reduce distress and improve social functioning. METHODS This is a single-blind multicentre randomised controlled trial with two arms: 'Temstem+AVH monitoring' versus 'AVH monitoring' (total n=100). Participants are adult patients who suffer daily from AVH and will be recruited in outpatient units. Primary assessment in daily life is made by the Experience Sampling Method (ESM) and daily monitoring with the PsyMate app. During an ESM period of 6 days, participants assess their mental state (including AVH and context) several times a day by filling in short questionnaires. There are three 6-day ESM periods: at baseline (week 0-1), post-treatment (weeks 5-6) and follow-up (weeks 9-10). In addition, during the entire 10-week study period, all participants monitor their AVH two times a day with a short assessment via the PsyMate app. Participants in the Temstem+AVH monitoring condition are provided with the Temstem app from week 1 to 6. Other assessments made at baseline, post-treatment and follow-up are based on questionnaires and a clinical interview. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION The results from this study will provide an evaluation of the effectiveness of Temstem, a non-invasive and easily accessible app for voice hearers, and insight into the determinants of optimal use. Results will be disseminated unreservedly, irrespective of the magnitude or direction of the effects. This study protocol was approved by the Medical Ethics Committee of the VU University Medical Centre (METC number: 2015.435/NL53684.029.15). TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER ISRCTN75717636; Pre-results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alyssa Jongeneel
- Department of Clinical Psychology, VU University and Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Research and Innovation, Parnassia Psychiatric Institute, The Hague, The Netherlands
| | | | - Nynke Tromp
- Department of Industrial Design, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Chani Nuij
- Department of Clinical Psychology, VU University and Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Philippe Delespaul
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Mondriaan, Heerlen, The Netherlands
| | - Heleen Riper
- Department of Clinical Psychology, VU University and Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Mark van der Gaag
- Department of Clinical Psychology, VU University and Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Research and Innovation, Parnassia Psychiatric Institute, The Hague, The Netherlands
| | - David van den Berg
- Research and Innovation, Parnassia Psychiatric Institute, The Hague, The Netherlands
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Pihlaja S, Stenberg JH, Joutsenniemi K, Mehik H, Ritola V, Joffe G. Therapeutic alliance in guided internet therapy programs for depression and anxiety disorders - A systematic review. Internet Interv 2018; 11:1-10. [PMID: 30135754 PMCID: PMC6084872 DOI: 10.1016/j.invent.2017.11.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2017] [Revised: 11/11/2017] [Accepted: 11/15/2017] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The role of internet therapy programs for mental disorders is growing. Those programs employing human support yield better outcomes than do those with no such support. Therapeutic alliance may be a critical element in this support. Currently, the significance of therapeutic alliance in guided, internet-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy programs (iCBT) remains unknown. This review aims to determine whether the therapeutic alliance influences outcome of iCBTs and if it does, what plausible factors underlie this association. METHOD Towards that goal searches were made in PubMed, PsycINFO, SCOPUS, The Cochrane Library and CINAHL in May 2016 and January 2017. RESULTS From the 1658 relevant studies, only six studied the relationship of therapeutic alliance and outcome. All six studies showed a high level of client-therapist alliance; in the three most recent studies, the alliance was directly associated with outcome. No studies reported alliance-adherence associations. CONCLUSIONS Alliance research in iCBT for mental disorders is scarce. Therapeutic alliance seems to associate with outcomes. More studies are necessary to define the optimal support to strengthen alliance. iCBT is a feasible environment for alliance research both practically and theoretically. The impact of alliance on adherence to iCBT requires study.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Grigori Joffe
- Hospital District of Helsinki and Uusimaa, Department of Psychiatry, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, P.O. Box 590, 00029 HUS, Finland
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42
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van Ommen B, Wopereis S, van Empelen P, van Keulen HM, Otten W, Kasteleyn M, Molema JJW, de Hoogh IM, Chavannes NH, Numans ME, Evers AWM, Pijl H. From Diabetes Care to Diabetes Cure-The Integration of Systems Biology, eHealth, and Behavioral Change. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2018; 8:381. [PMID: 29403436 PMCID: PMC5786854 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2017.00381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2017] [Accepted: 12/26/2017] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
From a biological view, most of the processes involved in insulin resistance, which drives the pathobiology of type 2 diabetes, are reversible. This theoretically makes the disease reversible and curable by changing dietary habits and physical activity, particularly when adopted early in the disease process. Yet, this is not fully implemented and exploited in health care due to numerous obstacles. This article reviews the state of the art in all areas involved in a diabetes cure-focused therapy and discusses the scientific and technological advancements that need to be integrated into a systems approach sustainable lifestyle-based healthcare system and economy. The implementation of lifestyle as cure necessitates personalized and sustained lifestyle adaptations, which can only be established by a systems approach, including all relevant aspects (personalized diagnosis and diet, physical activity and stress management, self-empowerment, motivation, participation and health literacy, all facilitated by blended care and ehealth). Introduction of such a systems approach in type 2 diabetes therapy not only requires a concerted action of many stakeholders but also a change in healthcare economy, with new winners and losers. A "call for action" is put forward to actually initiate this transition. The solution provided for type 2 diabetes is translatable to other lifestyle-related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ben van Ommen
- Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), Department of Microbiology and Systems Biology, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Suzan Wopereis
- Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), Department of Microbiology and Systems Biology, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Pepijn van Empelen
- Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), Department of Child Health, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Hilde M. van Keulen
- Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), Department of Child Health, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Wilma Otten
- Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), Department of Child Health, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Marise Kasteleyn
- Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC), Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Johanna J. W. Molema
- Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), Department of Work Health Technology, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Iris M. de Hoogh
- Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), Department of Microbiology and Systems Biology, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Niels H. Chavannes
- Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC), Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Mattijs E. Numans
- Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC), Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Andrea W. M. Evers
- Department of Health, Medical and Neuropsychology, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands
- Department of Psychiatry, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Hanno Pijl
- Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC), Department of Internal Medicine, Leiden, Netherlands
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Carolan S, de Visser RO. Employees' Perspectives on the Facilitators and Barriers to Engaging With Digital Mental Health Interventions in the Workplace: Qualitative Study. JMIR Ment Health 2018; 5:e8. [PMID: 29351900 PMCID: PMC5797290 DOI: 10.2196/mental.9146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2017] [Revised: 11/20/2017] [Accepted: 11/22/2017] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prevalence rates of work-related stress, depression, and anxiety are high, resulting in reduced productivity and increased absenteeism. There is evidence that these conditions can be successfully treated in the workplace, but take-up of psychological treatments among workers is low. Digital mental health interventions delivered in the workplace may be one way to address this imbalance, but although there is evidence that digital mental health is effective at treating stress, depression, and anxiety in the workplace, uptake of and engagement with these interventions remains a concern. Additionally, there is little research on the appropriateness of the workplace for delivering these interventions or on what the facilitators and barriers to engagement with digital mental health interventions in an occupational setting might be. OBJECTIVE The aim of this research was to get a better understanding of the facilitators and barriers to engaging with digital mental health interventions in the workplace. METHODS Semistructured interviews were held with 18 participants who had access to an occupational digital mental health intervention as part of a randomized controlled trial. The interviews were transcribed, and thematic analysis was used to develop an understanding of the data. RESULTS Digital mental health interventions were described by interviewees as convenient, flexible, and anonymous; these attributes were seen as being both facilitators and barriers to engagement in a workplace setting. Convenience and flexibility could increase the opportunities to engage with digital mental health, but in a workplace setting they could also result in difficulty in prioritizing time and ensuring a temporal and spatial separation between work and therapy. The anonymity of the Internet could encourage use, but that benefit may be lost for people who work in open-plan offices. Other facilitators to engagement included interactive and interesting content and design features such as progress trackers and reminders to log in. The main barrier to engagement was the lack of time. The perfect digital mental health intervention was described as a website that combined a short interactive course that was accessed alongside time-unlimited information and advice that was regularly updated and could be dipped in and out of. Participants also wanted access to e-coaching support. CONCLUSIONS Occupational digital mental health interventions may have an important role in delivering health care support to employees. Although the advantages of digital mental health interventions are clear, they do not always fully translate to interventions delivered in an occupational setting and further work is required to identify ways of minimizing potential barriers to access and engagement. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02729987; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02729987?term=NCT02729987& rank=1 (Archived at WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6wZJge9rt).
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephany Carolan
- School of Psychology, University of Sussex, Brighton, United Kingdom
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44
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Berry N, Bucci S, Lobban F. Use of the Internet and Mobile Phones for Self-Management of Severe Mental Health Problems: Qualitative Study of Staff Views. JMIR Ment Health 2017; 4:e52. [PMID: 29092809 PMCID: PMC5688247 DOI: 10.2196/mental.8311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2017] [Revised: 08/14/2017] [Accepted: 08/21/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Researchers are currently investigating the feasibility, acceptability, and efficacy of digital health interventions for people who experience severe mental health problems such as psychosis and bipolar disorder. Although the acceptability of digital health interventions for severe mental health problems appears to be relatively high and some people report successfully using the Internet and mobile phones to manage their mental health, the attitudes of mental health care staff toward such approaches have yet to be considered. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to explore mental health care staff experiences of clients with severe mental health problems engaging with the Internet and mobile phones to self-manage their mental health and their views toward these behaviors. The study also sought to examine the opinions expressed by mental health care staff toward digital health interventions for severe mental health problems to identify potential facilitators and barriers to implementation. METHODS Four focus groups were conducted with 20 staff working in mental health care services in the North West of the England using a topic guide. Focus groups involved 12 staff working in secondary care psychological services (7 participants in focus group 1 and 5 participants in focus group 4), 4 staff working in a rehabilitation unit (focus group 2), and 4 staff working in a community mental health team (focus group 3). Focus groups were transcribed verbatim, and transcripts were analyzed thematically to identify key themes that emerged from the data. RESULTS Four overarching themes, two with associated subthemes, were identified: (1) staff have conflicting views about the pros and cons of using Web-based resources and digital health interventions to manage mental health; (2) digital health interventions could increase access to mental health support options for severe mental health problems but may perpetuate the digital divide; (3) digital health interventions' impact on staff roles and responsibilities; and (4) digital health interventions should be used to enhance, not replace, face-to-face support. CONCLUSIONS This study is the first, to our knowledge, to qualitatively explore the experiences and attitudes of mental health care staff toward individuals with severe mental health problems using the Internet, mobile phones, and digital health interventions to self-manage their mental health. Understanding the positive and negative experiences and views shared by staff toward both current and potential digital health intervention use has enabled the identification of several considerations for implementation. Additionally, the findings suggest mental health care staff need clear guidance and training in relation to their responsibilities in recommending reputable and secure websites, forums, and digital health interventions and in how to manage professional boundaries on the Internet. Overall, the study highlights that digital health interventions could be well received by staff working in mental health services but importantly, such management options must be presented to frontline staff as an avenue to enhance care and extend choice, rather than as a method to reduce costs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalie Berry
- Division of Psychology and Mental Health, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom.,Health eResearch Centre, Institute of Population Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Sandra Bucci
- Division of Psychology and Mental Health, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom.,Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Fiona Lobban
- Spectrum Centre for Mental Health Research, School of Health and Medicine, Lancaster University, Lancaster, United Kingdom
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Abstract
In the past 10 years, mental and behavioral health has seen a proliferation of technology-based interventions in the form of online and other computer-delivered programs. This paper focuses on technology-based treatment and preventive interventions aimed at benefitting children and adolescents via either involving the parents and families, or only the youth. The review considered only technology-based interventions that had at least one published study with a randomized controlled trial design. Questions being addressed included: (1) What are the technology-based interventions in the mental/behavioral health area that have been systematically evaluated in published studies? (2) What are the common and unique characteristics of these interventions and their application with respect to sample characteristics, target problems, and technology characteristics (platforms, structures, elements, and communication formats)? and (3) Which intervention approaches and strategies have accrued the greatest evidence? The review identified 30 technology-based psychosocial interventions for children and families, 19 of which were parent or family-focused (32 studies) and 11 of which were youth-focused (in 13 studies). For the parent/family-focused interventions, greatest promise was found in those that addressed either youth behavioral problems or depressive/anxious symptoms, as well as more general bolstering of parenting efficacy. The youth-focused interventions showed some promise in reducing depressive/anxious symptoms. Advantages and disadvantages of the technology-based approaches were considered, and areas for future research and development were discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathleen Watson MacDonell
- Parenting and Family Research Center, University of South Carolina, 1233 Washington Street, 2nd Floor, Columbia, SC, 29208, USA.
| | - Ronald J Prinz
- Parenting and Family Research Center, University of South Carolina, 1233 Washington Street, 2nd Floor, Columbia, SC, 29208, USA
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46
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Muench F, Baumel A. More Than a Text Message: Dismantling Digital Triggers to Curate Behavior Change in Patient-Centered Health Interventions. J Med Internet Res 2017; 19:e147. [PMID: 28550001 PMCID: PMC5466696 DOI: 10.2196/jmir.7463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2017] [Revised: 03/06/2017] [Accepted: 03/17/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Digital triggers such as text messages, emails, and push alerts are designed to focus an individual on a desired goal by prompting an internal or external reaction at the appropriate time. Triggers therefore have an essential role in engaging individuals with digital interventions delivered outside of traditional health care settings, where other events in daily lives and fluctuating motivation to engage in effortful behavior exist. There is an emerging body of literature examining the use of digital triggers for short-term action and longer-term behavior change. However, little attention has been given to understanding the components of digital triggers. Using tailoring as an overarching framework, we separated digital triggers into 5 primary components: (1) who (sender), (2) how (stimulus type, delivery medium, heterogeneity), (3) when (delivered), (4) how much (frequency, intensity), and (5) what (trigger's target, trigger's structure, trigger's narrative). We highlighted key considerations when tailoring each component and the pitfalls of ignoring common mistakes, such as alert fatigue and habituation. As evidenced throughout the paper, there is a broad literature base from which to draw when tailoring triggers to curate behavior change in health interventions. More research is needed, however, to examine differences in efficacy based on component tailoring, to best use triggers to facilitate behavior change over time, and to keep individuals engaged in physical and mental health behavior change efforts. Dismantling digital triggers into their component parts and reassembling them according to the gestalt of one's change goals is the first step in this development work.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Amit Baumel
- Psychiatry, Northwell Health, Great Neck, NY, United States
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47
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Nicholas J, Fogarty AS, Boydell K, Christensen H. The Reviews Are in: A Qualitative Content Analysis of Consumer Perspectives on Apps for Bipolar Disorder. J Med Internet Res 2017; 19:e105. [PMID: 28389420 PMCID: PMC5400886 DOI: 10.2196/jmir.7273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2017] [Revised: 03/02/2017] [Accepted: 03/04/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The delivery of mobile health (mHealth) services is acceptable to mental health consumers. However, despite the benefits of accessibility, cost-effectiveness, anonymity, and ability to tailor content to individual needs, consumer engagement remains a hurdle for uptake and continued use. This may be unsurprising as few studies have examined app content from the consumer perspective or assessed consumer preferences for the content of apps for mental health management. An opportunity to examine consumer perspectives exists in using naturally generated data that is publically available in the Google Play and Apple app stores. Whereas commercial developers routinely use this data, to date there has been no in-depth evaluation within scientific research. Objective The aim of our study was to explore what consumers consider useful content for mental health management apps, identify unmet needs, and understand user expectations of mental health apps within the context of apps for bipolar disorder. Methods Publically available English language consumer reviews of 48 apps for bipolar disorder were used as data, providing a total of 2173 reviews. Review text was coded and analyzed using a team approach to qualitative content analysis. Results were presented in 2 forms: (1) a quantitative summary of the 9 major and minor themes and (2) a qualitative synthesis of key thematic findings. Results The majority of reviews were for symptom monitoring apps (87.94%, 1911/2173). The qualitative content analysis revealed 5 main themes: (1) laudatory talk, comments regarding the app’s benefits including helpfulness and successful design features (74.00% of reviews, 1608/2173); (2) unfavorable feedback, negative reviews largely concerning unmet needs, privacy and technical issues, and potential dangers of app use (25.54%, 555/2173); (3) conceptions of community, referring to both communities of users with mental ill-health accessed via the app and a community created among app users and developers (24.25%, 527/2173); (4) wishlist features, app features requested by users (17.53%, 381/2173); and (5) apps and therapy, app use within clinical care (10.58%, 230/2173). Four minor themes were also identified: (1) app cost, (2) privacy and data security, (3) comparisons with traditional monitoring, and (4) evidence-based mHealth. Conclusions Although mostly positive, the proportion of reviews containing wishlist requests indicates consumer needs are not adequately addressed by currently available disorder management apps. Consumers value content that is helpful, supportive, and easy to use, and they are integrating apps into their health management and clinical care without necessarily considering the evidence-base or clinical effectiveness of the tool. User expectations regarding developer responsiveness to their needs has implications for community-based participatory research and integrated knowledge translation. However, this expectation is incompatible with current mHealth funding structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Nicholas
- Black Dog Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.,School of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Andrea S Fogarty
- Black Dog Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Katherine Boydell
- Black Dog Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Helen Christensen
- Black Dog Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
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48
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Baumel A, Faber K, Mathur N, Kane JM, Muench F. Enlight: A Comprehensive Quality and Therapeutic Potential Evaluation Tool for Mobile and Web-Based eHealth Interventions. J Med Internet Res 2017; 19:e82. [PMID: 28325712 PMCID: PMC5380814 DOI: 10.2196/jmir.7270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 107] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2017] [Revised: 02/21/2017] [Accepted: 02/22/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Studies of criteria-based assessment tools have demonstrated the feasibility of objectively evaluating eHealth interventions independent of empirical testing. However, current tools have not included some quality constructs associated with intervention outcome, such as persuasive design, behavior change, or therapeutic alliance. In addition, the generalizability of such tools has not been explicitly examined. OBJECTIVE The aim is to introduce the development and further analysis of the Enlight suite of measures, developed to incorporate the aforementioned concepts and address generalizability aspects. METHODS As a first step, a comprehensive systematic review was performed to identify relevant quality rating criteria in line with the PRISMA statement. These criteria were then categorized to create Enlight. The second step involved testing Enlight on 42 mobile apps and 42 Web-based programs (delivery mediums) targeting modifiable behaviors related to medical illness or mental health (clinical aims). RESULTS A total of 476 criteria from 99 identified sources were used to build Enlight. The rating measures were divided into two sections: quality assessments and checklists. Quality assessments included usability, visual design, user engagement, content, therapeutic persuasiveness, therapeutic alliance, and general subjective evaluation. The checklists included credibility, privacy explanation, basic security, and evidence-based program ranking. The quality constructs exhibited excellent interrater reliability (intraclass correlations=.77-.98, median .91) and internal consistency (Cronbach alphas=.83-.90, median .88), with similar results when separated into delivery mediums or clinical aims. Conditional probability analysis revealed that 100% of the programs that received a score of fair or above (≥3.0) in therapeutic persuasiveness or therapeutic alliance received the same range of scores in user engagement and content-a pattern that did not appear in the opposite direction. Preliminary concurrent validity analysis pointed to positive correlations of combined quality scores with selected variables. The combined score that did not include therapeutic persuasiveness and therapeutic alliance descriptively underperformed the other combined scores. CONCLUSIONS This paper provides empirical evidence supporting the importance of persuasive design and therapeutic alliance within the context of a program's evaluation. Reliability metrics and preliminary concurrent validity analysis indicate the potential of Enlight in examining eHealth programs regardless of delivery mediums and clinical aims.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amit Baumel
- Psychiatry Research, The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Glen Oaks, NY, United States.,Northwell Hofstra School of Medicine, Hempstead, NY, United States
| | - Keren Faber
- Psychiatry Research, The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Glen Oaks, NY, United States
| | - Nandita Mathur
- Psychiatry Research, The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Glen Oaks, NY, United States
| | - John M Kane
- Psychiatry Research, The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Glen Oaks, NY, United States.,Northwell Hofstra School of Medicine, Hempstead, NY, United States
| | - Fred Muench
- Psychiatry Research, The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Glen Oaks, NY, United States.,Northwell Hofstra School of Medicine, Hempstead, NY, United States
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Cai Y, Li X, Wang R, Yang Q, Li P, Hu H. Quality Traceability System of Traditional Chinese Medicine Based on Two Dimensional Barcode Using Mobile Intelligent Technology. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0165263. [PMID: 27780256 PMCID: PMC5079548 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0165263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2016] [Accepted: 10/07/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Currently, the chemical fingerprint comparison and analysis is mainly based on professional equipment and software, it’s expensive and inconvenient. This study aims to integrate QR (Quick Response) code with quality data and mobile intelligent technology to develop a convenient query terminal for tracing quality in the whole industrial chain of TCM (traditional Chinese medicine). Three herbal medicines were randomly selected and their chemical two-dimensional barcode (2D) barcodes fingerprints were constructed. Smartphone application (APP) based on Android system was developed to read initial data of 2D chemical barcodes, and compared multiple fingerprints from different batches of same species or different species. It was demonstrated that there were no significant differences between original and scanned TCM chemical fingerprints. Meanwhile, different TCM chemical fingerprint QR codes could be rendered in the same coordinate and showed the differences very intuitively. To be able to distinguish the variations of chemical fingerprint more directly, linear interpolation angle cosine similarity algorithm (LIACSA) was proposed to get similarity ratio. This study showed that QR codes can be used as an effective information carrier to transfer quality data. Smartphone application can rapidly read quality information in QR codes and convert data into TCM chemical fingerprints.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong Cai
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, China
- Information Technology College, Beijing Normal University Zhuhai Campus, Zhuhai, China
| | - Xiwen Li
- Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Runmiao Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, China
| | - Qing Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Hydraulics and Mountain River Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Peng Li
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, China
| | - Hao Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, China
- * E-mail:
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