Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 1, 2025
04:54
Iterative Development of an Innovative Smartphone-Based Dietary Assessment Tool: Traqq
Published on: March 19, 2021
4.7K
Operationalizing Engagement With an Interpretation Bias Smartphone App Intervention: Case Series
Ramya Ramadurai1, Erin Beckham2, R Kathryn McHugh3
1Department of Psychology, American University, Washington, DC, United States.
JMIR Mental Health
|August 17, 2022
Summary
Engagement with mental health apps varies significantly. This study identified five distinct behavioral patterns, highlighting the need to view engagement as a complex, multifaceted construct for better app efficacy.
Area of Science:
- Digital mental health
- Human-computer interaction
- Psychological interventions
Background:
- Understanding user engagement is crucial for enhancing the effectiveness of mental health smartphone applications.
- Engagement is an understudied but critical factor in the success of digital mental health interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine engagement as a multidimensional construct within the novel HabitWorks app.
- To investigate strategies used by HabitWorks to enhance user engagement, including human support, personalization, and self-monitoring.
Main Methods:
- A pilot study with 31 participants was conducted to analyze app usage patterns.
- Five distinct behavioral engagement patterns were identified: consistently low, drop-off, adherent, high diary, and superuser.
Main Results:
- The study illustrated five cases (16% of participants) representing diverse engagement patterns.
- Analysis revealed variations in behavioral, cognitive, and affective engagement across different user types.
- Participant-level data underscored the heterogeneous nature of engagement.
Conclusions:
- The idiographic exploration of engagement with HabitWorks offers a model for operationalizing engagement in other mental health apps.
- Recognizing engagement as multifaceted is essential for developing more effective digital mental health tools.
