Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39152505›Full record

ArticleArchives of public health = Archives belges de sante publique2024

Mental health apps within the healthcare system: associations with stigma and mental health literacy.

Sophia Fürtjes, Mariam Al-Assad, Hanna Kische, Katja Beesdo-Baum

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Article in Archives of public health = Archives belges de sante publique, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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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

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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

4 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Sophia FürtjesBehavioral Epidemiology, Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, Chemnitzer Straße 46, Dresden, 01187, Germany. Sophia.Fuertjes@tu-dresden.de.
Mariam Al-AssadBehavioral Epidemiology, Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, Chemnitzer Straße 46, Dresden, 01187, Germany.
Hanna KischeBehavioral Epidemiology, Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, Chemnitzer Straße 46, Dresden, 01187, Germany.
Katja Beesdo-BaumBehavioral Epidemiology, Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, Chemnitzer Straße 46, Dresden, 01187, Germany.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundMental health apps (MHA) as a new form of self-help have gained popularity over the last years. Tentative evidence has suggested that MHA might also present a first step into the help-seeking process, because their anonymity circumvents stigma. Using MHA might also increase mental health literacy and reduce stigma through psychoeducation, which could encourage formal help-seeking. To date, it remains unclear how MHA usage relates to stigma, mental health literacy, and utilization of professional help within the public healthcare system.

methodsWe conducted a cross-sectional survey with N = 1,263 individuals from the general population (mean age 32.56 ± 11.51, 58.2% female) and employed structural equation modeling to investigate associations between stigma (against individuals with psychological disorders and against help-seeking), mental health literacy, MHA usage, and service utilization within the public healthcare system for mental health problems.

resultsMHA usage is high within the general population (40.5% of participants). Results indicate that higher stigma against help-seeking is associated with and increased likelihood of MHA usage, which in turn is positively associated with increased likelihood of service utilization. Symptoms of psychological disorder were associated with higher likelihood of service utilization, but not MHA usage.

conclusionsIt can be concluded that MHA appeal especially to individuals with higher stigma against help-seeking and therefore might provide an opportunity to reach underserviced individuals. At the current time, MHA usage appears to take place mostly in a preventative manner or as a supplement to treatment. Better integration into the public healthcare system might help to exploit both preventative and interventional benefits of MHA.

Indexed as

Healthcare systemMental health appsService utilizationStigma

Identifiers

PMID39152505
PMCPMC11328358

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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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.