scholarly journals Mobile Health Adoption in Mental Health: User Experience of a Mobile Health App for Patients With an Eating Disorder

10.2196/12920 ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (6) ◽  
pp. e12920 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dimitra Anastasiadou ◽  
Frans Folkvord ◽  
Eduardo Serrano-Troncoso ◽  
Francisco Lupiañez-Villanueva

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Saeedeh Fehresti ◽  
Elham Monaghesh

BACKGROUND The COVID-19 outbreak has affected the elderly's physical and mental health. The application of information and communication technology, such as mobile health (m-health), can play a significant role in combating this pandemic by changing the behavior and lifestyle of the elderly during this time of crisis. OBJECTIVE This systematic review aimed to synthesize m-health capabilities in providing health services to the elderly during the COVID-19 pandemic, and to identify the factors associated with the success of these tools. METHODS To find the relevant studies, a search was conducted in PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, ProQuest, and Google Scholar. The inclusion criteria were: studies in English that used m-health intervention in all aspects of elderly healthcare during the COVID-19 outbreak, published in peer-reviewed journals from 31 December 2019, and had any research design and methodology. Two authors independently took all the steps of this review, and finally performed narrative synthesis to report the findings. RESULTS Our initial search identified 421 studies, of which 10 met the inclusion criteria. The data analysis showed that all the m-health interventions had positive effects on the health of the elderly. The m-health services for the elderly during the current pandemic were used for therapy, information provision, self-help, monitoring, and mental health consultation purposes. The results also indicated that various factors affected the elderly's use of m-health tools. CONCLUSIONS The application of m-health keeps the elderly and healthcare providers safe, accelerates health service provision, reduces the costs of service delivery, and decreases the risk of morbidity and mortality during the COVID-19 outbreak. The successful use of m-health tools for the elderly in health programs during the current crisis greatly depends on supporting the elderly and overcoming the barriers.



2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Isabelle Counson ◽  
Alexandra Bartholomew ◽  
Joanna Crawford ◽  
Katherine Petrie ◽  
Geetanjali Basarkod ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND Junior doctors report higher levels of psychological distress than more senior doctors and report several barriers to seeking professional mental health support, including concerns about confidentiality and career progression. Mobile health applications (mHealth apps) may be utilised to help overcome these barriers to assist the emotional wellbeing of this population and encourage help-seeking. OBJECTIVE We describe the development and pilot trial of the Shift mHealth app to provide an unobtrusive avenue for junior doctors to seek information about, and help for, wellbeing and mental health concerns that is sensitive to workplace settings. METHODS A 4-phase iterative development process was undertaken to create the content and features of Shift involving junior doctors, using principles of user-centered design. These four phases were: I) Needs assessment, based on interviews with 12 junior doctors; II) Prototype development with user experience feedback from two junior doctors; III) Evaluation, consisting of a pilot trial with 22 junior doctors to assess usability and acceptability of the initial prototype; and IV) Redesign, including user experience workshops with 51 junior doctors. RESULTS Qualitative results informed the content and design of Shift to ensure the app was tailored to junior doctors’ needs. The Shift app prototype contained cognitive-behavioural, mindfulness, value-based actions, and psychoeducational modules, as well as a tracking function visualising patterns of daily variations in mood and health behaviours. Pilot testing revealed possible issues with the organisation of the app content, which were addressed in a thorough restructuring and redesign of Shift with the help of junior doctors across three user experience workshops. CONCLUSIONS The current research demonstrates the importance of ongoing end-user involvement in the creation of a specialised mHealth app for a unique working population experiencing profession-specific stressors and barriers to help-seeking. The development and pilot trial of this novel Shift mHealth app are first steps in addressing the mental health and support-seeking needs of junior doctors, although further research is required to validate its effectiveness and appropriateness on a larger scale.



2021 ◽  
pp. 000486742199879
Author(s):  
Selma Musić ◽  
Rosiel Elwyn ◽  
Grace Fountas ◽  
Inge Gnatt ◽  
Zoe M Jenkins ◽  
...  

Although the inclusion of individuals with lived experience is encouraged within the research process, there remains inconsistent direct involvement in many mental health fields. Within the eating disorders field specifically, there is a very strong and increasing presence of lived experience advocacy. However, due to a number of potential challenges, research undertaken in consultation or in collaboration with individuals with lived experience of an eating disorder is scarce. This paper describes the significant benefits of the inclusion of individuals with lived experience in research. The specific challenges and barriers faced in eating disorders research are also outlined. It is concluded that in addition to existing guidelines on working with lived experience collaborators in mental health research, more specific procedures are required when working with those with eating disorders.



2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kyle T. Ganson ◽  
Rachel F. Rodgers ◽  
Stuart B. Murray ◽  
Jason M. Nagata

Abstract Background Fasting is an unhealthy behavior that has been frequently used as part of weight loss attempts. To date, little research has been conducted to determine the prevalence and substance use and mental health correlates of fasting among college students. Therefore, the aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence and associations between any (≥ 1 time) and regular (≥ 13 times) occurrences of fasting in the past 4 weeks and substance use and mental health correlates among a large sample of college students from 2016 to 2020. Methods Data from four academic survey years (2016–2020; N = 8255) of the national (USA) Healthy Minds Study were analyzed. Unadjusted prevalence of any and regular fasting by survey year and gender was estimated. Multiple logistic regression analyses were conducted to estimate the associations between any and regular fasting and the demographic (age, body mass index, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, highest parental education), substance use (cigarette use, marijuana use, other illicit drug use, alcohol use), and mental health (depression, anxiety, eating disorder symptoms, suicidal ideation, non-suicidal self-injury) correlates. Results Any fasting in the past 4 weeks was common among both men (14.77%) and women (18.12%) and significantly increased from 2016 (10.30%) to 2020 (19.81%) only among men. Regular fasting significantly increased among both men and women from 2016 (men: 1.46%; women: 1.79%) to 2020 (men: 3.53%; women: 6.19%). Among men and women, both any and regular fasting in the past 4 weeks were associated with higher odds of all mental health symptoms, including a positive depression, anxiety, and eating disorder screen, suicidal ideation, and non-suicidal self-injury. Among women, but not men, any and regular fasting in the past 4 weeks were associated with higher odds of marijuana use and other illicit drug use (e.g., cocaine, ecstasy). Conclusions The results from this study underscore both the high and increasing prevalence of fasting among a national sample of college students, as well as the substance use and mental health symptoms associated with this behavior. Healthcare professionals both on and off campus should consider screening for fasting behaviors among college students and provide appropriate intervention when needed.



2014 ◽  
Vol 71 (1) ◽  
pp. 85-92 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tamsin Brownell ◽  
Beate Schrank ◽  
Zivile Jakaite ◽  
Charley Larkin ◽  
Mike Slade


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melissa Voth ◽  
Shannon Chisholm ◽  
Hannah Sollid ◽  
Chelsea Jones ◽  
Lorraine Smith-MacDonald ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND Globally, military members (MM) and public safety personnel (PSP) are vulnerable to occupational stress injuries (OSIs) due to their job demands. Consequently, when MM and PSP transition out of these professions, they may continue to experience mental health challenges. In response to this, resilience building programs are being developed and implemented with the goal of promoting empowerment and primary stress regulation. The development of mobile health (mHealth) applications (apps) as an emergent mental health intervention platform has allowed for targeted, cost effective, and easily accessible treatment when in-person therapy may be limited or unavailable. However, current mHealth app development is not regulated, and often lacks both clear evidence-based research and the input of healthcare professionals. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this manuscript is to evaluate the evidence-based quality, efficacy, and effectiveness of resilience building mobile apps targeted towards MM, PSP, and veteran populations via: (1) a scoping literature review of the current evidence-base regarding resilience apps for these populations, and; (2) evaluation of free resilience apps designed for use amongst these populations. METHODS Studies were selected using a comprehensive search of MEDLINE, CINAHL Plus, PsycINFO, SocINDEX, Academic Search Complete, Embase, and Google and was guided by Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis for scoping reviews (PRISMA-ScR). The Alberta Rating Index for Apps (ARIA) was utilized to conduct a review of each of the identified apps. Inclusion criteria consisted of apps: 1) free to download in either Google Play or the App Store; 2) updated within the last 3 years; 3) available in English and in Canada; and 4) intended for use by MM and/or PSP. RESULTS Twenty-two apps met the inclusion criteria for evaluation. The resilience strategies offered by the majority of apps included psychoeducation, mindfulness, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). Eleven apps (50%) had been tested with randomized controlled trials, seven (31.8%) were evaluated using other research methods, and five (22.7%) had not been researched. Using the ARIA, apps scores ranged from 37 to 56 out of 72 with higher rated apps demonstrating increased useability and security features. CONCLUSIONS The mHealth apps reviewed are well suited to providing resilience strategies for MMs, PSP and veterans. They offer easy accessibility to evidence-based tools while working to encourage the use of emotional and professional support with safety in mind. While not intended to function as a substitute for professional services, research has demonstrated that mHealth apps have the potential to foster a significant reduction in symptom severity for PTSD, depression, anxiety, and other stress-induced concerns. Within clinical practice, apps can be utilized to supplement treatment as well as provide clients with population-specific, confidential tools to increase engagement in the treatment process. CLINICALTRIAL N/A



2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 66
Author(s):  
Arefeh Ameri ◽  
Farzad Salmanizadeh ◽  
Kambiz Bahaadinbeigy

Introduction: Advances in mobile health have led to numerous relevant studies in diagnosis, treatment, and controlling of various diseases. One of the criteria indicating the quality of the previously published studies is the number of citations. Therefore, investigating the features of highly cited articles and identifying the most frequently used mobile technological interventions can affect future research ideas. This study aimed at identifying 100 highly cited interventional studies on mobile health, type of used mobile technologies, and effect of these technologies in various diseases in top-cited articles.Methods: The database employed in this study was the Web of Science, which without limitations was analysed in April 2020 to identify 100 highly cited interventional studies in the field of mobile health. The identified studies were classified based on the number of citations, year of publication, country of the first author, type of disease, and use of mobile technology.Results: A great majority of the studies in the field of interventional mobile health focused on obesity (n=18), addiction (n=15), diabetes (n=13) and mental health disorders (n=12), respectively. Many studies employed mobile technologies to promote lifestyle (weight loss and increased physical activity) (n=20), disease controls (n=20), and treatment adherence (n=18). The mean number of citations per study was 146±97. The most cited study was in the category of viral disease treatment adherence (n=703), and the most cited articles were published in 2012.Conclusions: Among the reviewed 100 studies, many of the interventional studies regarding mobile health focused on obesity, addiction, diabetes and mental health disorders. Promotion of lifestyle, disease controls, and treatment adherence were effects of mobile technologies in top-cited articles. Text messaging service was used as intervention in most of the studies. Thus, future studies may focus on the use of various mobile applications on different diseases’ prevention, control, and treatment.



10.2196/30443 ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
María Del Carmen Romero-Ternero ◽  
Daniel Cagigas-Muñiz ◽  
Rocío García-Robles ◽  
Andreea Madalina Oprescu


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