User-Centered Development of STOP (Successful Treatment for Paranoia): Material Development and Usability Testing for...

Area of Science:

• Mental Health
• Psychology
• Digital Therapeutics

Background:

• Paranoia is a severe mental health condition.
• Cognitive bias modification for paranoia (CBM-pa) targets interpretation bias.
• Developing digital therapeutics for paranoia requires rigorous, iterative content creation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate new CBM-pa therapy content for the STOP digital therapeutic.
• To use a user-centered approach involving individuals with lived experience, clinicians, and academics.
• To co-design and pilot-test the STOP mobile app prototype.

Main Methods:

• 18 individuals with lived experience generated scenarios; 240 intervention and control items were created with graphics.
• Items were evaluated for paranoia severity, readability, and length by experts and clinicians.
• The STOP app was co-designed with stakeholders, and user acceptance was tested in pilot studies.

Main Results:

• Developed materials met predefined criteria for paranoia severity, readability, and length.
• No systematic differences were found in graphics ratings between intervention and control items.
• Pilot testing indicated the STOP app is user-friendly, interactive, and helpful.

Conclusions:

• User-centered development is crucial for creating effective digital therapeutics.
• The iterative process ensures the creation of engaging and acceptable mobile health apps.
• The STOP app demonstrates potential as a user-friendly digital therapeutic for paranoia.