Usability Issues in Evidence-Based Psychosocial Interventions and Implementation Strategies: Cross-project Analysis

Area of Science:

• Mental Health Services Research
• Human-Computer Interaction
• Implementation Science

Background:

• Evidence-based psychosocial interventions (EBPIs) are often inaccessible in non-specialty settings like primary care and schools.
• Usability, a human-centered design concept, can identify barriers and facilitators to EBPI adoption and redesign.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify and categorize usability issues within EBPIs and their associated implementation strategies.

Main Methods:

• Adapted a usability issue analysis format from human-centered design.
• Analyzed 13 National Institute of Mental Health-funded projects using this format.
• Employed iterative affinity diagramming and coding to categorize usability issues.

Main Results:

• Identified 90 usability issues across 13 projects, categorized into 12 distinct themes.
• Common issues include complexity, time constraints, workflow incompatibility, and inadequate training/support.
• Proposed 12 heuristics to guide the design and redesign of EBPIs and implementation strategies.

Conclusions:

• Usability problems are prevalent in EBPIs and implementation strategies, significantly impacting their effectiveness.
• Recommends employing usability evaluation as a critical lens to overcome barriers and enhance the reach of mental health interventions.