Wellness-enhanced contingency management for stimulant use: A formative qualitative study

The purpose of the current study was to describe the initial stages of co-designing a smartphone app that delivers wellness-enhanced contingency management (WECM) to individuals with stimulant use disorder (StUD). WECM integrates the principles of contingency management with a Wellness Model that helps individuals build self-directed wellness habits to sustain long-term recovery.

In collaboration with a Community Advisory Board, interviews and focus groups with individuals with lived experience were conducted to collect information about smartphone access, comfort with technology, experiences with health-related smartphone apps and financial incentives, as well as the perceived feasibility and acceptability of the WECM app. Descriptive and thematic analyses were conducted to characterize the obtained data.

Outcomes from interviews and focus groups indicated that some individuals faced barriers related to smartphones and had varied experience using smartphone apps to support their health/wellness and substance use recovery. Overall, participant feedback on the feasibility and acceptability of the three core features of the WECM app: (1) wellness psychoeducation, (2) financial incentives for healthy habits, and (3) financial incentives for stimulant abstinence, was positive.

Findings from the current study and valuable input provided by CAB members are presently being used to inform the design of the WECM app to ensure it meets the needs of individuals with StUD. This study adds to the limited research employing a co-production model in the development of CM interventions and serves as a preliminary step toward our long-term goal of co-producing a WECM smartphone app for StUD.