Accepted for/Published in: JMIR Formative Research
Date Submitted: Sep 23, 2021
Date Accepted: May 22, 2022
General demographics and behavioral patterns of visitors using a self-help website for identification of and intervention in alcoholism and common mental disorders in Suriname, an upper middle-income country: a descriptive study
ABSTRACT
Background:
Information and communication technology can play a major role in the provision of health, especially mental health in lower middle-income countries. Defined as eHealth, it has the potential to identify and assess the degree of the mental problem and in most instances to provide at least initial treatment intervention.
Objective:
In this study we evaluated the degree of use of a website (www.ehealth.sr) offering mental health assistance and investigate the best way we can encourage the target audience to a mental health website.
Methods:
Page hits, initial and completed actions were registered through Google analytics from the introduction of the website in August 2015 until March 2021. Advertisements through conventional methods like paper and radio as well as digital social media were used to promote the use of the website. The eHealth.sr website contains modules with psycho-educative information, self-screening tests, and self-help for problematic alcohol use, depression, and anxiety. The Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test and the Readiness to Change Questionnaire – Drinking are used for alcohol and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression and the General Anxiety Disorder-7 scales for depression and anxiety. Adapted programs provide automated help service for the disorders.
Results:
The use of the website increased significantly with digital and direct advertisements compared to traditional advertisements through papers, radio and television. Younger people made more use of the website, while people of higher age groups took longer to complete the sessions. The majority of the users were female. For diagnosed alcohol disorders 25% completed the self-help module, while this was 16% for depression and anxiety.
Conclusions:
Under the proper conditions eHealth can be a useful tool for bridging the treatment gap in a LMIC. Targeted advertisement is recommended to achieve the goal of promoting the website.
Citation
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