An Exploration of the User Experience of Mobile Mental Health Apps Using the Critical Incident Technique

Abstract

Although mobile applications are increasingly being used as a viable option for improving individuals' psychological health, there is a lack of research in this area. This qualitative study analysed user experiences of mobile mental health applications (MHapps) among the English-speaking general population of 462 participants using the critical incident technique. The authors employed an online questionnaire method to gather responses. The analysis yielded three main domains: type of MHapp, impact on life, and recommendations. Participants use MHapps to calm down, do tasks, track, and connect with others or chat-bots for specific disorders. This study outlines the specific cognitive, emotional, and behavioural changes in participants' lives resulting from the mobile interventions. The results confirm and broaden the existing theoretical knowledge and recommendations for MHapps development in terms of usability, accessibility, and content. Further confirmatory studies are needed to validate the results for specialized MHapps using different analysis and data gathering techniques.