Evaluating participants' satisfaction with supportive text message interventions during the 2023 wildfires and the impact of age and gender on overall satisfaction scores.

Background: Supportive text message interventions provide reassurance and psychological support during high-stress situations like wildfires. By assessing user satisfaction with these interventions, we can gauge their effectiveness. Objective: This study explored subscriber satisfaction, experience, and perception related to the Text4Hope-AB and Text4Hope-NS text message interventions designed to provide psychological support during wildfires. It also explored the age and gender differences in overall satisfaction with the programs. Methods: A mixed-methods approach was utilized, involving both quantitative and qualitative data collection. Quantitative data were gathered using categorical responses to an online satisfaction and user experience survey, while qualitative data were collected through written responses to open-ended questions on the online survey. Participants included 312 individuals who received daily text messages over 3 months. An Analysis of Variance and Games-Howell Results: The mean satisfaction score was 8.66 (SD = 1.63)/10. Most participants reported that the daily messages helped them cope with stress (76.0%), anxiety (73.4%), and depression (67.0%). In addition, 79.5% reported feeling connected to a support system, 77.9% felt hopeful about managing their mental health or addiction issues, 78.2% reported improved overall mental wellbeing, and 72.8% reported an enhanced quality of life. Participants generally perceived the messages positively. The qualitative analysis identified two main themes reflecting participants' experiences and perceptions: expectations and recommendations, and experiences with the service. Satisfaction differed significantly by age and gender, with older participants generally reporting higher satisfaction than younger participants; male and female participants reported higher satisfaction than those identifying as other gender; however, the other-gender subgroup comprised only two participants, and this comparison should therefore be interpreted with considerable caution. Conclusion: Text4Hope-AB/NS were well received and positively perceived as useful and supportive during the wildfires. The findings demonstrate high user satisfaction, positive participant experiences, and differences in satisfaction across demographic groups. Future interventions may benefit from greater personalization and adaptation to the needs and preferences of different populations. Gender-related findings should be interpreted cautiously due to the small sample size.