User Perspectives on a Resilience-Building App (JoyPop): Qualitative Study.

Area of Science:

• Digital mental health interventions
• Psychology of resilience
• Technology in behavioral science

Background:

• Resilience is crucial for adapting to stress and adversity.
• Technological advancements offer new avenues for delivering and evaluating resilience interventions.
• The JoyPop app shows promise in enhancing resilience, but user experiences require further exploration.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore undergraduate students' experiences with the JoyPop resilience app.
• To understand user perspectives on the app's utility and effectiveness.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative description study using semistructured interviews with first-year undergraduates.
• Explored app usage frequency, feature preferences, barriers, facilitators, and improvement suggestions.
• Inductive content analysis was used for data coding and categorization.

Main Results:

• Participants used the app frequently, with 'Rate My Mood', 'Journal', and 'SquareMoves' being most used and helpful.
• Facilitators included prompts and routine integration; barriers involved lack of variety and student lifestyle.
• Outcomes included increased awareness, self-monitoring, and emotional control.

Conclusions:

• User experiences highlight the value of self-monitoring, emotional expression, and distraction features.
• The JoyPop app can be integrated into routines, motivating users.
• Recommendations focus on enhancing features and personalization to improve long-term uptake.