Development of a Multiuser Interactive Health Response Application (MITHRA) for depression in women from a...

In India, women in rural areas have high rates of depression. They have poor access to mental healthcare resources and, hence, mental health symptoms remain largely unaddressed. Existing mobile telephone applications (apps) do not engage end-users, lack local language options, may not be socioculturally relevant and do not use audiovisual formats. We thus developed a mobile mental health app, Multiuser Interactive Health Response Application (MITHRA), to screen and provide brief behavioural intervention for mild to moderate depression among rural women attending self-help groups (SHGs) in India.

This qualitative study explores the process and findings of focus groups conducted with SHG administrators and women to inform the iterative development of the MITHRA app.

In total, 22 participants were interviewed (17 SHG participants and five administrators), and a thematic analysis of the data was conducted using the acceptability of interventions framework.

Frequent themes across the focus groups were affective attitude, burden, self-efficacy and perceived effectiveness. All women showed a positive attitude towards the app and depression interventions, while older women demonstrated less self-efficacy in using mobile mental health apps.

MITHRA is a promising app in the management of mild to moderate depression in women in SHG. With adequate training and education of family members, MITHRA has the potential to identify and treat women with mild to moderate depression.