Northern Kentucky University
Patient and Therapist Adoption Criteria for Mental Health Applications
Grade Level at Time of Presentation
Sophomore
Major
Pre-Med Biology
Minor
Chemistry
Institution 23-24
Northern Kentucky University
KY House District #
4
KY Senate District #
24
Faculty Advisor/ Mentor
Nicholas Caporusso
Department
Dept. of Biology/ School of Computing and Analytics
Abstract
In the past year, 19% of adults in the United States experienced a mental health condition while one in six people suffered from mental illness worldwide. As demand rises, mental health care is at a continuous service gap. According to a recent survey, 52% of mental health professionals reported their care was not up to their standards due to the high demand, and 44% said their workload was unmanageable. From the patient's perspective, high monetary costs and time associated with treatment can prevent the appropriate care. Additionally, a patient’s psychological barrier of wanting to treat their mental health themselves is a major reason for treatment avoidance.
Recently, mental health apps have become a potential solution to address these accessibility issues. Over 10,000 mental health apps are currently available to the public. However, their quality and effectiveness vary. Accessing what qualities of a mental health app are essential to proper care, from a therapist and patient perspective, can help alleviate the strain in the mental health field.
Although there has been research that targets mental health app reviews, effectiveness, and popularity, there are few that consider both the patient and therapist perspective, and how they can both act in accordance to produce the most effective mental health app.
Therefore, a systematic review of scholarly articles pertaining to mental health app feedback and design was conducted. The articles were evaluated using the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use Technology. Reoccurring points of discussion within these categories pertaining to the patient’s experience included a need for reliable information, available treatment options, accessibility to these apps, and privacy concerns. From a therapist’s perspective, relevant topics included having validated screening measures, proper data analysis, a positive reduction in workload, a communication platform with the patient, and apps that followed the therapeutic alliance.
Patient and Therapist Adoption Criteria for Mental Health Applications
In the past year, 19% of adults in the United States experienced a mental health condition while one in six people suffered from mental illness worldwide. As demand rises, mental health care is at a continuous service gap. According to a recent survey, 52% of mental health professionals reported their care was not up to their standards due to the high demand, and 44% said their workload was unmanageable. From the patient's perspective, high monetary costs and time associated with treatment can prevent the appropriate care. Additionally, a patient’s psychological barrier of wanting to treat their mental health themselves is a major reason for treatment avoidance.
Recently, mental health apps have become a potential solution to address these accessibility issues. Over 10,000 mental health apps are currently available to the public. However, their quality and effectiveness vary. Accessing what qualities of a mental health app are essential to proper care, from a therapist and patient perspective, can help alleviate the strain in the mental health field.
Although there has been research that targets mental health app reviews, effectiveness, and popularity, there are few that consider both the patient and therapist perspective, and how they can both act in accordance to produce the most effective mental health app.
Therefore, a systematic review of scholarly articles pertaining to mental health app feedback and design was conducted. The articles were evaluated using the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use Technology. Reoccurring points of discussion within these categories pertaining to the patient’s experience included a need for reliable information, available treatment options, accessibility to these apps, and privacy concerns. From a therapist’s perspective, relevant topics included having validated screening measures, proper data analysis, a positive reduction in workload, a communication platform with the patient, and apps that followed the therapeutic alliance.