Integrating Patient-Generated Digital Data Into Mental Health Therapy: Mixed Methods Analysis of User Experience

Therapists and their patients increasingly discuss digital data from social media, smartphone sensors, and other online engagements within the context of psychotherapy.

We examined patients' and mental health therapists' experiences and perceptions following a randomized controlled trial in which they both received regular summaries of patients' digital data (eg, dashboard) to review and discuss in session. The dashboard included data that patients consented to share from their social media posts, phone usage, and online searches.

Following the randomized controlled trial, patient (n=56) and therapist (n=44) participants completed a debriefing survey after their study completion (from December 2021 to January 2022). Participants were asked about their experience receiving a digital data dashboard in psychotherapy via closed- and open-ended questions. We calculated descriptive statistics for closed-ended questions and conducted qualitative coding via NVivo (version 10; Lumivero) and natural language processing using the machine learning tool latent Dirichlet allocation to analyze open-ended questions.

Of 100 participants, nearly half (n=48, 49%) described their experience with the dashboard as "positive," while the other half noted a "neutral" experience. Responses to the open-ended questions resulted in three thematic areas (nine subcategories): (1) dashboard experience (positive, neutral or negative, and comfortable); (2) perception of the dashboard's impact on enhancing therapy (accountability, increased awareness over time, and objectivity); and (3) dashboard refinements (additional sources, tailored content, and privacy).

Patients reported that receiving their digital data helped them stay "accountable," while therapists indicated that the dashboard helped "tailor treatment plans." Patient and therapist surveys provided important feedback on their experience regularly discussing dashboards in psychotherapy.