Evidence map›Paper›PMID 35916692›Full record

ArticleJMIR serious games2022

A Biofeedback-Based Mobile App With Serious Games for Young Adults With Anxiety in the United Arab Emirates: Development and Usability Study.

Mariam Almeqbaali, Sofia Ouhbi, Mohamed Adel Serhani, Leena Amiri, Reem K Jan, Nazar Zaki, Ayman Sharaf, Abdulla Al Helali, Eisa Almheiri

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in JMIR serious games, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
2.3field-weighted citation impact, top 12% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 16 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Mariam AlmeqbaaliDepartment of Computer Science and Software Engineering, College of Information Technology, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7522-4346
Sofia OuhbiDepartment of Computer Science and Software Engineering, College of Information Technology, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7614-9731
Mohamed Adel SerhaniDepartment of Information Systems and Security, College of Information Technology, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7001-3710
Leena AmiriDepartment of Psychiatry, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3359-4920
Reem K JanCollege of Medicine, Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1685-5594
Nazar ZakiDepartment of Computer Science and Software Engineering, College of Information Technology, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6259-9843
Ayman SharafDepartment of Computer Science and Software Engineering, College of Information Technology, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6082-3912
Abdulla Al HelaliDepartment of Psychiatry, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4331-2795
Eisa AlmheiriDepartment of Psychiatry, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4344-5467
United Arab Emirates University · AEMohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences · AE

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundFollowing the outbreak of COVID-19, several studies have reported that young adults encountered a rise in anxiety symptoms, which could negatively affect their quality of life. Promising evidence suggests that mobile apps with biofeedback, serious games, breathing exercises, and positive messaging, among other features, are useful for anxiety self-management and treatment.

objectiveThis study aimed to develop and evaluate the usability of a biofeedback-based app with serious games for young adults with anxiety in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

methodsThis study consists of two phases: Phase I describes the design and development of the app, while Phase II presents the results of a usability evaluation by experts. To elicit the app's requirements during Phase I, we conducted (1) a survey to investigate preferences of young adults in the UAE for mobile games for stress relief; (2) an analysis of serious games for anxiety; and (3) interviews with mental health professionals and young adults in the UAE. In Phase II, five experts tested the usability of the developed app using a set of Nielsen's usability heuristics.

resultsA fully functional biofeedback-based app with serious games was co-designed with mental health professionals. The app included 4 games (ie, a biofeedback game, card game, arcade game, and memory game), 2 relaxation techniques (ie, a breathing exercise and yoga videos), and 2 additional features (ie, positive messaging and a mood tracking calendar). The results of Phase II showed that the developed app is efficient, simple, and easy to use. Overall, the app design scored an average of 4 out of 5.

conclusionsThe elicitation techniques used in Phase I resulted in the development of an easy-to-use app for the self-management of anxiety. Further research is required to determine the app's usability and effectiveness in the target population.

Indexed as

anxietyappbiofeedbackconnected mental healthdevelopmentdigital gamegamificationgamingmental healthmHealthmobile healthserious gamestressstress reliefusabilityuser-centered designuser-centred designuser experienceuser feedbackuser needyoung adultyouth

Identifiers

PMID35916692
PMCPMC9382548
OpenAlexW4289638756

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.