JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Emergency service workers (ESWs) are at greater risk of stressor-related psychopathology than the general population. Barriers to help-seeking are widespread across the sector and appropriate interventions need to be tailored to this population. Build Back Better is a smartphone app–based intervention designed to provide evidence-based prevention strategies for anxiety, depression, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) for high-risk professionals, such as ESWs.

Objective:

This paper presents the development and pilot testing of the app’s usability, acceptability, feasibility, and preliminary effectiveness.

Methods:

A single group (N = 67), 1-month pilot study was undertaken with ESWs, to assess their use of a smartphone-based mental health (MH) intervention, the Build Back Better app. Demographic data, acceptability and utility questionnaires, general distress (Kessler Psychological Distress) other MH and well-being measures were collected at baseline and 1-month follow-up.

Results:

The majority of respondents rated the app quality as very high (79%), felt that the app was easy to use (61%), easily understood (55%), improved their mental fitness (80%), and would recommend the app to others (61%). Encouraging trends toward improvement were found across symptom and wellbeing outcomes. These trends were not statistically significant, which may be attributed to smaller than expected sample size.

Conclusions:

The Build Back Better app was found to have satisfactory levels of usability and acceptability. Favorable trends toward better clinical outcomes over time suggest progression to a larger efficacy trial is justified. Participants furthermore highlighted the importance of clarity in both their user journey and presentation of app content to further enhance the in-app user experience. Clinical Trial: New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ACTRN12621001006831p)