Accepted for/Published in: JMIR Human Factors
Date Submitted: Jan 2, 2024
Date Accepted: Feb 18, 2024
Warning: This is an author submission that is not peer-reviewed or edited. Preprints - unless they show as "accepted" - should not be relied on to guide clinical practice or health-related behavior and should not be reported in news media as established information.
"We Know Mental Health Problem Exists, We Know it is Real, but it is Somewhere Invisible in the Corner of the Room": A Qualitative Study on the Preference for mHealth Interventions to Break Mental Health Barriers Among Men Who Have Sex with Men in Nepal"
ABSTRACT
Background:
Men who have sex with men (MSM) are disproportionately burdened by poor mental health. Despite the increasing burden, evidence-based interventions for MSM are largely non-existent in Nepal.
Objective:
In this study, we explored the mental health concerns, the contributing factors, barriers to mental health care and support, and their preferred interventions to improve access to and utilization of mental health support services among MSM in Nepal.
Methods:
We conducted focus group sessions with MSM in Kathmandu, Nepal, in January 2023. Twenty-eight participants took part in five focus group sessions. Participants discussed several topics related to the mental health issues experienced by them, factors contributing to these issues, and their suggestions for potential interventions to address existing barriers. The discussions were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using Dedoose software for thematic analysis.
Results:
Participants reported substantial mental health problems, including anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, and behaviors. Contributing factors included family rejection, isolation, bullying, stigma, discrimination, and fear of HIV and other STIs. Barriers to accessing services included cost, lack of LGBTIQ-friendly providers, and the stigma associated with mental health and sexuality. Participants suggested a smartphone app with features such as a mental health screening tool, online consultation, helpline number, directory of LGBTIQ-friendly providers, mental health resources, and a discussion forum for peer support as potential solutions. Participants emphasized the importance of privacy and confidentiality to ensure mobile apps are safe and accessible.
Conclusions:
The findings of this study have potential transferability to other low-resource settings facing similar challenges. Intervention developers can use these findings to design tailored mobile apps to facilitate mental health care delivery and support for MSM and other marginalized groups.
Citation
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Copyright
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