Accepted for/Published in: JMIR mHealth and uHealth
Date Submitted: Jan 10, 2019
Date Accepted: Apr 18, 2019
Smartphone, Social Media, and Mental Health App Use in Individuals with Serious Mental Illness
ABSTRACT
Background:
While smartphone use is common in psychiatric populations, there is very little data available characterizing smartphone use in individuals with Serious Mental Illness (SMI). In particular, few studies have examined interest and use of smartphones to support mental health.
Objective:
(1) To characterize general smartphone app and social media usage in SMI, (2) To characterize current engagement and interest in the use of smartphone apps to support mental health, and (3) To test demographic and clinical predictors of smartphone use.
Methods:
Survey completed by all patients attending an adult partial hospital program, no exclusion criteria. Primary outcomes were frequency of use of general and mental health smartphone apps (Smartphone Use Survey), and the frequency of social media use and phone checking behavior (Mobile Technology Engagement Survey)
Results:
322 patients (age M = 33.49, SD = 13.87, 57% female) reported that their most frequently used app functions were texting, email, and social media. Younger individuals reported more frequent use across most types of apps. Baseline depression and anxiety symptoms were not associated with frequency of app use. Participants reported healthcare, calendar, and texting apps as most supportive of their mental health, and social media apps as most negatively affecting their mental health. Most patients reported interest in (74%) and willingness to use (81%) a smartphone app to monitor their mental health condition. Less than half (44%) of patients currently had a mental health app downloaded on their smartphone, with mindfulness and meditation apps being the most common type.
Conclusions:
The high interest in and willingness to use mental health apps, paired with the only moderate current reported usage, indicate a potential unmet treatment need in psychiatric populations. There is potential to optimize non-mental health specific apps like social media to better support the needs of those with SMI and to design a new wave of mental health apps that match the needs of the SMI population and the way they use these devices in daily life.
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