Towards a self-applied, mobile-based geolocated exposure therapy software for anxiety disorders: SyMptOMS-ET app

González-Pérez, Alberto ; Díaz-Sanahuja, Laura ; Matey-Sanz, Miguel ; Osma, Jorge (Universidad de Zaragoza) ; Granell, Carlos ; Bretón-López, Juana ; Casteleyn, Sven

Resumen: Objective: While exposure therapy (ET) has the potential to help people tolerate intense situation-specific emotions and change avoidance behaviours, no smartphone solution exists to guide the process of in-vivo ET. A geolocation-based smartphone software component was designed and developed to instrumentalize patient guidance in in-vivo ET and its psychological validity was assessed by a group of independent psychology experts. Methods: A team of computer scientists and psychologists developed the ET Component for in-vivo ET using geolocation-based technology, following the process-centred design methodology. The ET Component was integrated into the SyMptOMS-ET Android application, which was developed following the co-design methodology. Next, nine independent psychology experts tested and evaluated the ET Component and the SyMptOMS-ET app in the field, following the think-aloud methodology. Participants also completed the Mobile Application Rating Scale (MARS) instrument to quantitatively evaluate the solutions. Results: We present the SyMptOMS-ET app’s main features and the ET Component exposure workflow. Next, we discuss the feedback obtained and the results of the MARS instrument. Participants who tested the app were satisfied with the ET Component during exposure scenarios (score of [Formula: see text]4.32 out of 5 [[Formula: see text]0.28] on MARS quality aspects), agreed on the soundness of the theoretical foundations of the solutions developed (score of [Formula: see text]4.57 [[Formula: see text]0.48] on MARS treatment support aspects), and provided minor think-a-loud comments to improve them. Conclusions: The results of the expert evaluation demonstrate the psychological validity of the ET Component and the SyMptOMS-ET app. However, further studies are needed to discern the acceptability and efficacy of the mHealth tool in the target population.

Idioma: Inglés

DOI: 10.1177/20552076241283942

Año: 2024

Publicado en: Digital Health 10 (2024), [17 pp.]
ISSN: 2055-2076

Factor impacto JCR: 3.3 (2024)

Categ. JCR: HEALTH CARE SCIENCES & SERVICES rank: 42 / 185 = 0.227 (2024) - Q1 - T1
Categ. JCR: PUBLIC, ENVIRONMENTAL & OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH rank: 85 / 419 = 0.203 (2024) - Q1 - T1
Categ. JCR: PUBLIC, ENVIRONMENTAL & OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH rank: 85 / 419 = 0.203 (2024) - Q1 - T1
Categ. JCR: HEALTH POLICY & SERVICES rank: 15 / 124 = 0.121 (2024) - Q1 - T1
Categ. JCR: MEDICAL INFORMATICS rank: 25 / 48 = 0.521 (2024) - Q3 - T2

Factor impacto SCIMAGO: 0.874 - Computer Science Applications (Q2) - Health Policy (Q2) - Health Information Management (Q2) - Health Informatics (Q2)

Financiación: info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/AEI/PID2020-120250RB-I00
Financiación: info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/AEI/PID2022-1404475OB-C21
Financiación: info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/AEI/PID2022-1404475OB-C22
Financiación: info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/MCIU/FPU17-03832
Financiación: info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/MIU/FPU19-05352

Tipo y forma: Artículo (Versión definitiva)

Área (Departamento): Área Person.Eval.Trat.Psicoló. (Dpto. Psicología y Sociología)