Therapy Companion Mobile App for Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Exercises (ACTaide): Therapist and Client...

Area of Science:

• Mental Health Technology
• Digital Therapeutics
• Psychotherapy Research

Background:

• Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) effectiveness is enhanced by between-session practice, but adherence is a significant challenge.
• Mobile applications present a viable solution to improve adherence to therapeutic exercises.
• Few existing ACT apps involve stakeholders in their design or focus solely on supporting between-session practice.

Purpose of the Study:

• To co-design the ACTaide mobile app with input from therapists and clients.
• To ensure the app's features and design align with clinical objectives and end-user needs.
• To explore stakeholder preferences for app functionality, aesthetics, and engagement features.

Main Methods:

• A qualitative, user-centered design framework was employed.
• Four focus groups were conducted: two with 10 ACT therapists and two with 14 clients.
• Data collection involved semistructured discussions and co-design activities, analyzed via thematic content analysis.

Main Results:

• Nine themes emerged, highlighting consensus and differences between therapists and clients.
• Both groups favored ACTaide for supporting between-session practice, emphasizing user-friendly, visually appealing interfaces.
• Personalization and customization were key for engagement; therapists prioritized clinical appropriateness, while clients desired more interactivity and gamification.

Conclusions:

• A user-centered, co-design approach is valuable for developing adjunctive mental health apps like ACTaide.
• Integrating stakeholder feedback is crucial for creating tools that balance clinical goals with user preferences.
• Future research will evaluate the acceptability, usability, and engagement of high-fidelity ACTaide prototypes.