Co-Designed Mental Health Screening App (Here for You) for University Students: Pilot Feasibility Mixed Methods Study

Area of Science:

• Digital mental health interventions
• mHealth app development
• Student mental health

Background:

• Mental health disorders are a significant concern for university students in India, with stigma and limited access to care being major barriers.
• Mobile health (mHealth) apps present a potential solution, but user engagement and cultural relevance are critical challenges.
• The 'Here for You' app was co-designed with Indian university students to offer accessible and non-stigmatizing mental health support.

Purpose of the Study:

• To detail the user-centered co-development and pilot testing of the 'Here for You' mental health screening app.
• To assess the app's feasibility, user acceptability, and engagement among university students.
• To evaluate the concurrent validity of the app's Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21) against established clinical assessments.

Main Methods:

• A 4-phase user-centered design process involving students, clinicians, and developers.
• Pilot testing with 30 university students diagnosed with depression, anxiety, or stress.
• Mixed methods analysis including app-based DASS-21, clinical assessments (HAM-D, HAM-A, PSS), User Mobile App Rating Scale, and qualitative feedback.

Main Results:

• The app-based DASS-21 demonstrated strong concurrent validity with clinical measures: HAM-D (r=0.819), HAM-A (r=0.887), and PSS (r=0.972).
• The app achieved high usability ratings (mean score 4.4/5), exceeding benchmarks for low-resource settings, particularly in functionality and aesthetics.
• Qualitative feedback emphasized usability, privacy features (quick exit), cultural resonance, and a desire for integrated support.

Conclusions:

• The 'Here for You' app shows preliminary evidence of feasibility and user acceptability for mental health screening in Indian university students.
• The app's strong concurrent validity suggests it is a promising tool for accessible, non-stigmatizing mental health support.
• Further multisite validation is needed, but the app offers a scalable, culturally resonant model for digital mental health in low-resource settings.