![]() ![]() MHapps can be used in conjunction with therapy, as standalone treatments or for use in prevention of mental illness ( 6). The scale of the problem has spurred the development of an array of smartphone applications for mental health (MHapps), and it is estimated that more than 10.000 apps targeting mental health disorders are available ( 5). Anxiety disorders affect functioning in daily life, cause avoidance behaviors, excessive feelings of worry and fear, and a variety of physical symptoms such as sweating, and increased heart rate ( 4). Anxiety disorders are among the most common mental disorders with an estimated 264 million adults experiencing anxiety worldwide ( 3). ![]() It is estimated that one third of the population worldwide will be affected by a mental health disorder during their lifetime ( 1, 2). Mental health disorders are among the leading causes of disability. We propose addressing the specific app quality issues identified through human-centered design, more personalized content delivery, and by improving features for social and therapeutic support. ![]() Users appreciate apps that offer content variation, customizability, and good interface design, and often requested an enhanced, personalized experience to improve engagement. The results shed light on several barriers to adoption and sustained use. Users’ perspectives on these apps were gathered by analyzing 600 reviews from 5 apps on the app stores (Study 1), and conducting 15 interviews with app users (Study 2). This mixed-methods study aims to understand the nature of user burden and engagement with mental health apps (MHapps) targeting anxiety management, in order to identify ways to improve the design of these apps. Even though anxiety apps hold the potential to enhance mental health care for individuals, there is relatively little knowledge concerning users’ perspectives. The potential of apps to improve mental health has led to an increase in the number of anxiety apps available. 4UCL Interaction Centre, University College London, London, United KingdomĪnxiety disorders are the most common type of mental health problem.3Department of Informatics, University of California, Irvine, CA, United States.2Department of Psychological Science, University of California, Irvine, CA, United States.1School of Computer Science and Statistics, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland. ![]()
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