Did Usage of Mental Health Apps Change during COVID-19? A Comparative Study Based on an Objective Recording of Usage Data and Demographics

<p dir="ltr">This paper aims to objectively compare the use of mental health apps between the preCOVID-19 and during COVID-19 periods and to study differences amongst the users of these apps based on age and gender. The study utilizes a dataset collected through a smartphone app that...

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محفوظ في:
التفاصيل البيبلوغرافية
المؤلف الرئيسي: Maryam Aziz (15865175) (author)
مؤلفون آخرون: Aiman Erbad (14150589) (author), Mohamed Basel Almourad (15865238) (author), Majid Altuwairiqi (15865239) (author), John McAlaney (230606) (author)
منشور في: 2022
الموضوعات:
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author Maryam Aziz (15865175)
author2 Aiman Erbad (14150589)
Mohamed Basel Almourad (15865238)
Majid Altuwairiqi (15865239)
John McAlaney (230606)
author2_role author
author
author
author
author_facet Maryam Aziz (15865175)
Aiman Erbad (14150589)
Mohamed Basel Almourad (15865238)
Majid Altuwairiqi (15865239)
John McAlaney (230606)
author_role author
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Maryam Aziz (15865175)
Aiman Erbad (14150589)
Mohamed Basel Almourad (15865238)
Majid Altuwairiqi (15865239)
John McAlaney (230606)
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2022-08-19T00:00:00Z
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv 10.3390/life12081266
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv https://figshare.com/articles/journal_contribution/Did_Usage_of_Mental_Health_Apps_Change_during_COVID-19_A_Comparative_Study_Based_on_an_Objective_Recording_of_Usage_Data_and_Demographics/23130308
dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv CC BY 4.0
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv Human society
Demography
Information and computing sciences
Data management and data science
Psychology
Social and personality psychology
mental health
COVID-19
mindfulness
digital health
mobile health
social isolation
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Did Usage of Mental Health Apps Change during COVID-19? A Comparative Study Based on an Objective Recording of Usage Data and Demographics
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv Text
Journal contribution
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
text
contribution to journal
description <p dir="ltr">This paper aims to objectively compare the use of mental health apps between the preCOVID-19 and during COVID-19 periods and to study differences amongst the users of these apps based on age and gender. The study utilizes a dataset collected through a smartphone app that objectively records the users’ sessions. The dataset was analyzed to identify users of mental health apps (38 users of mental health apps pre-COVID-19 and 81 users during COVID-19) and to calculate the following usage metrics; the daily average use time, the average session time, the average number of launches, and the number of usage days. The mental health apps were classified into two categories: guidance-based and tracking-based apps. The results include the increased number of users of mental health apps during the COVID-19 period as compared to pre-COVID-19. Adults (aged 24 and above), compared to emerging adults (aged 15–24 years), were found to have a higher usage of overall mental health apps and guidance-based mental health apps. Furthermore, during the COVID-19 pandemic, males were found to be more likely to launch overall mental health apps and guidance-based mental health apps compared to females. The findings from this paper suggest that despite the increased usage of mental health apps amongst males and adults, user engagement with mental health apps remained minimal. This suggests the need for these apps to work towards improved user engagement and retention.</p><h2>Other Information</h2><p dir="ltr">Published in: Life<br>License: <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" target="_blank">https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/</a><br>See article on publisher's website: <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/life12081266" target="_blank">https://doi.org/10.3390/life12081266</a></p>
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
id Manara2_db5668cd4bff3cde7c5cbe76f7682bb1
identifier_str_mv 10.3390/life12081266
network_acronym_str Manara2
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oai_identifier_str oai:figshare.com:article/23130308
publishDate 2022
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spelling Did Usage of Mental Health Apps Change during COVID-19? A Comparative Study Based on an Objective Recording of Usage Data and DemographicsMaryam Aziz (15865175)Aiman Erbad (14150589)Mohamed Basel Almourad (15865238)Majid Altuwairiqi (15865239)John McAlaney (230606)Human societyDemographyInformation and computing sciencesData management and data sciencePsychologySocial and personality psychologymental healthCOVID-19mindfulnessdigital healthmobile healthsocial isolation<p dir="ltr">This paper aims to objectively compare the use of mental health apps between the preCOVID-19 and during COVID-19 periods and to study differences amongst the users of these apps based on age and gender. The study utilizes a dataset collected through a smartphone app that objectively records the users’ sessions. The dataset was analyzed to identify users of mental health apps (38 users of mental health apps pre-COVID-19 and 81 users during COVID-19) and to calculate the following usage metrics; the daily average use time, the average session time, the average number of launches, and the number of usage days. The mental health apps were classified into two categories: guidance-based and tracking-based apps. The results include the increased number of users of mental health apps during the COVID-19 period as compared to pre-COVID-19. Adults (aged 24 and above), compared to emerging adults (aged 15–24 years), were found to have a higher usage of overall mental health apps and guidance-based mental health apps. Furthermore, during the COVID-19 pandemic, males were found to be more likely to launch overall mental health apps and guidance-based mental health apps compared to females. The findings from this paper suggest that despite the increased usage of mental health apps amongst males and adults, user engagement with mental health apps remained minimal. This suggests the need for these apps to work towards improved user engagement and retention.</p><h2>Other Information</h2><p dir="ltr">Published in: Life<br>License: <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" target="_blank">https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/</a><br>See article on publisher's website: <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/life12081266" target="_blank">https://doi.org/10.3390/life12081266</a></p>2022-08-19T00:00:00ZTextJournal contributioninfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersiontextcontribution to journal10.3390/life12081266https://figshare.com/articles/journal_contribution/Did_Usage_of_Mental_Health_Apps_Change_during_COVID-19_A_Comparative_Study_Based_on_an_Objective_Recording_of_Usage_Data_and_Demographics/23130308CC BY 4.0info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessoai:figshare.com:article/231303082022-08-19T00:00:00Z
spellingShingle Did Usage of Mental Health Apps Change during COVID-19? A Comparative Study Based on an Objective Recording of Usage Data and Demographics
Maryam Aziz (15865175)
Human society
Demography
Information and computing sciences
Data management and data science
Psychology
Social and personality psychology
mental health
COVID-19
mindfulness
digital health
mobile health
social isolation
status_str publishedVersion
title Did Usage of Mental Health Apps Change during COVID-19? A Comparative Study Based on an Objective Recording of Usage Data and Demographics
title_full Did Usage of Mental Health Apps Change during COVID-19? A Comparative Study Based on an Objective Recording of Usage Data and Demographics
title_fullStr Did Usage of Mental Health Apps Change during COVID-19? A Comparative Study Based on an Objective Recording of Usage Data and Demographics
title_full_unstemmed Did Usage of Mental Health Apps Change during COVID-19? A Comparative Study Based on an Objective Recording of Usage Data and Demographics
title_short Did Usage of Mental Health Apps Change during COVID-19? A Comparative Study Based on an Objective Recording of Usage Data and Demographics
title_sort Did Usage of Mental Health Apps Change during COVID-19? A Comparative Study Based on an Objective Recording of Usage Data and Demographics
topic Human society
Demography
Information and computing sciences
Data management and data science
Psychology
Social and personality psychology
mental health
COVID-19
mindfulness
digital health
mobile health
social isolation