Community Attitudes to the Appropriation of Mobile Phones for Monitoring and Managing Depression, Anxiety, and Stress
2010

Community Attitudes Toward Using Mobile Phones for Mental Health Monitoring

Sample size: 525 publication 10 minutes Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Helen Christensen, Marjolijn Sorbi, Leanne Casey, Sophie Reid, Judith Proudfoot, Gordon Parker, Dusan Hadzi Pavlovic, Vijaya Manicavasagar, Einat Adler, Alexis Whitton

Primary Institution: University of New South Wales and Black Dog Institute

Hypothesis

What are community attitudes toward the appropriation of mobile phones for mental health monitoring and management?

Conclusion

Community attitudes toward using mobile phones for mental health monitoring are generally positive, provided that privacy and security are ensured.

Supporting Evidence

  • 76% of survey respondents were interested in using their mobile phone for mental health monitoring if the service were free.
  • Participants with current symptoms of depression, anxiety, or stress showed more interest in using mobile phones for monitoring.
  • Privacy and security were highlighted as key concerns for participants considering mobile phone programs.

Takeaway

People think using mobile phones to help with mental health is a good idea, especially if it keeps their information safe and is easy to use.

Methodology

The study used an online survey, focus group discussions, and interviews to gather data from Australian adults.

Potential Biases

The convenience sample may lead to biased estimates related to socioeconomic status.

Limitations

The sample may not represent the broader population due to self-selection and recruitment methods.

Participant Demographics

{"gender":{"female":67.6,"male":32.4},"age":{"18-24":16.6,"25-34":31.8,"35-49":38.1,"50-59":10.3,"60+":3.2},"employment_status":{"employed_full_time":43.6,"employed_part_time":14.9,"self_employed":8.2,"full_time_student":13.3,"unemployed":3.8,"retired":1.7,"home_duties":6.7,"temporarily_unable_to_work":6.1,"permanently_unable_to_work":1.7},"relationship_status":{"single":37.7,"de_facto":16.6,"married":36,"divorced_separated":9.5,"widowed":0.2}}

Statistical Information

P-Value

p<0.001

Statistical Significance

p<0.001

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.2196/jmir.1475

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