ArticleInternet interventions2021
Assessing the usability and user engagement of Thought Spot - A digital mental health help-seeking solution for transition-aged youth.
Article in Internet interventions, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 11 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
11 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Personalization variables in digital mental health interventions for depression and anxiety in adolescents and youth: a scoping review.Frontiers in digital health · 2025Pooled it
- Acceptability, Feasibility, and Preliminary Effectiveness of a Mobile App for Teens With or at High Risk for Eating Disorders: A Three-Arm Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing Self-Help, Guided Self-Help, and Guided Self-Help With a Social Networking Component.The International journal of eating disorders · 2026Trial
- Digital support for female students in physical education universities in Japan.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Effectiveness of Digital Mental Health Interventions for Children and Adolescents.Children (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Review
- Usability testing of the Pathway app: engaging stakeholders to improve access to mental health support for students.Frontiers in digital health · 2025Article
- Engagement in computerized cognitive training instructions by older people. A within-subject design to evaluate comprehension and acceptability of serious games instructions.Frontiers in aging · 2025Article
- Mental Health Care Navigation Tools in Australia: Infoveillance Study.JMIR public health and surveillance · 2024Article
- Acceptability and Utility of a Smartphone App to Support Adolescent Mental Health (BeMe): Program Evaluation Study.JMIR mHealth and uHealth · 2023Article
- The Role of Aesthetics in Intentions to Use Digital Health Interventions.PLOS digital health · 2023Article
- Online mental health interventions designed for students in higher education: A user-centered perspective.Internet interventions · 2021Review
- The Potential Impact of Adjunct Digital Tools and Technology to Help Distressed and Suicidal Men: An Integrative Review.Frontiers in psychology · 2021Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
15 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectiveTo evaluate the perceived usability of and user engagement with a digital platform (Thought Spot) designed to enhance mental health and wellness help-seeking among transition-aged youth (TAY; 17-29-years old). MATERIALS AND
methodsSurvey responses and usage patterns were collected as part of a randomized controlled trial evaluating the efficacy of Thought Spot. Participants given Thought Spot completed an adapted Usefulness, Satisfaction, and Ease of Use (USE) Questionnaire to measure perceived usability of the platform. User engagement patterns on Thought Spot were examined using analytics data collected throughout the study (March 2018-June 2019).
resultsA total of 131 transition-aged participants completed the USE questionnaire and logged on to Thought Spot at least once. Ease of learning scored higher than ease of use, usefulness and satisfaction. Participants identified numerous strengths and challenges related to usability, visual appeal, functionality and usefulness of the content. In terms of user engagement, most participants stopped using the platform after 3 weeks. Participants searched and were interested in a variety of resources, including mental health, counselling and social services. DISCUSSION: Participants reported mixed experiences while using Thought Spot and exhibited low levels of long-term user engagement. User satisfaction, the willingness to recommend Thought Spot to others, and the willingness for future use appeared to be influenced by content relevance, ease of learning, available features, and other contextual factors. Analysis of the types of resources viewed and searches conducted by TAY end-users provided insight into their behaviour and needs.
conclusionUsers had mixed perceptions about the usability of Thought Spot, which may have contributed to the high attrition rate. User satisfaction and engagement appears to be influenced by content relevance, ease of learning, and the types of features available. Further investigation to understand the contextual factors that affect TAYs' adoption and engagement with digital mental health tools is required.
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