Implementation and Evaluation of an App Prototype for Identifying Appropriate Psychoeducational Modules through Questionnaires: A Comparative Study between Digital and Paper-Based Assessments

A recent study conducted in 29 countries has shown, that by the age of 75 half of the population will have or is experiencing one or more mental disorders [1]. Meeting this high demand is a considerable challenge - for example, the World Health Organization estimates that only 29% of people with psychosis are in treatment [2]. Even in an industrialized nation like Germany, the average waiting time for therapy, as reported by the BPtK, ranges from 3 to 9 months [3]. Since in today's digital age, mobile applications have become increasingly popular [4] and accessible tools for various purposes, the question arises if mobile applications can help in treating mental health issues. Unfortunately, many mental health apps available for users to download, are not developed or evaluated by professionals [5]. Although the efficacy of some Apps could not be proven, the general concept of mental Health Apps seems to be promising [6, 7]

Researchers at the Privaten Hochschule Göttingen (PFH) aim to create an evidence-based Mental Health App. Designed to meet scientific standards and offer effective support to patients, the app is planned to be transdiagnostic and therefore caters to a range of symptoms. In the app, people should be able to do questionnaires and get assigned psychoeducational modules based on their answers. In this thesis, a prototype for that purpose should be developed, and compared to paper questionnaires.

This thesis explores designing, implementing, and evaluating a mobile application prototype dedicated to psychological assessments and assigning the right psychoeducational modules. The study aims to investigate potential differences between utilising the digital app versus traditional paper-based questionnaires. This should provide insights into the advantages or disadvantages of adopting apps in psychological assessments.

The goal is to create a working app prototype, that uses a questionnaire provided by the PFH Göttingen, which assigns the user psychoeducational modules, based on their answers. Depending on the selected modules, the user gets specific questionnaires, that measure the extent of the disorder. This prototype will then be used in a user study that compares the results to whether the questionnaire was filled out in the app or on paper. The findings of the study will be analysed to show if there is a difference in the outcome of the digital app and paper-based questionnaires.

• Conducting a literature review to ground the research
• Analysing and specifying user requirements through expert interviews
• Developing the prototype
• Conducting a user study with a prototype app and paper questionnaire
• Evaluating the results

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[1] Age of onset and cumulative risk of mental disorders: A cross-national analysis of population surveys from 29 countries—ScienceDirect. (o. J.). Abgerufen 16. Januar 2024, von ttps:www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2215036623001931?dgcid=author
[2] Mental Health Atlas. (2020) Geneva: World Health Organization. Abgerufen 22. Januar 2024, von https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/345946
[3] BPtK-Auswertung: Monatelange Wartezeiten bei Psychotherapeut*innen. (2021, März 29). BPtK. Abgerufen 17. Januar 2024, von https://bptk.debptk-auswertung-monatelange-wartezeiten-bei-psychotherapeutinnen
[4] Global: Mobile app downloads by segment 2019-2027. (o. J.). Statista. Abgerufen 17. Januar 2024, von https://www.statista.com/forecasts/1262881/mobile-app-download-worldwide-by-segment
[5] Sucala, M., Cuijpers, P., Muench, F., Cardoș, R., Soflau, R., Dobrean, A., Achimas-Cadariu, P., & David, D. (2017). Anxiety: There is an app for that. A systematic review of anxiety apps. Depression and Anxiety, 34(6), 518–525. https://doi.org/10.1002/da.22654
[6] Lui, J. H. L., Marcus, D. K., & Barry, C. T. (2017). Evidence-based apps? A review of mental health mobile applications in a psychotherapy context. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 48(3), 199–210. https://doi.org/10.1037/pro0000122
[7] Neary, M., & Schueller, S. M. (2018). State of the Field of Mental Health Apps. Cognitive and Behavioral Practice, 25(4), 531–537. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cbpra.2018.01.002