JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Smartphone apps can improve access to bipolar disorder (BD) care by delivering elements of effective psychological interventions, thereby promoting quality of life, reducing relapse risk and mood instability in BD. While many people with BD are interested in using publicly available mental health smartphone apps, without guidance, they risk selecting apps that are unsafe or ineffective.

Objective:

The present study aimed to co-design a brief educational video on identifying appropriate mental health apps, and to evaluate the acceptability and impact of this video among individuals with BD.

Methods:

Individuals with lived experience of BD were consulted to develop a video with information on selecting safe, effective, and engaging mental health apps for BD. Video acceptability and impact on digital health literacy were evaluated via a web-based survey.

Results:

Forty-two individuals with BD completed the evaluation survey (69.0% female, mean age 38.6). Digital health literacy, measured using the e-Health Literacy Scale (eHEALS), significantly improved after viewing the video (pre: M=32.40, SD=4.87; post: M=33.57, SD=4.67), t(41)=-3.236, P=.002, d=-0.50. Feedback supported the acceptability of video content and format. Questions assessing mental health literacy showed that individuals felt better able to determine which apps would protect their data (P=.004) and ask their healthcare provider for support in choosing apps (P<.001) after watching the video.

Conclusions:

This study found that an educational video can help people with BD navigate the public app marketplace by improving their skills and confidence in selecting appropriate mental health apps. The video and a supplementary web-based educational module are freely available for implementation in healthcare settings, and will be a cost-effective and accessible resource for clinicians to support patients with BD to achieve their self-management goals.