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

Area of Science:

• Digital Health
• Behavioral Science
• Addiction Treatment

Background:

• Stimulant Use Disorder (StUD) presents significant public health challenges.
• Contingency Management (CM) is an evidence-based behavioral intervention for substance use disorders.
• Integrating wellness principles into CM may enhance long-term recovery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the co-design process of a smartphone app delivering Wellness-Enhanced Contingency Management (WECM) for individuals with StUD.
• To gather user input on app features, feasibility, and acceptability.
• To inform the development of a WECM app tailored to the needs of individuals with StUD.

Main Methods:

• Collaborative co-design involving a Community Advisory Board (CAB) and individuals with lived experience.
• Interviews and focus groups to assess smartphone access, technology comfort, and app perceptions.
• Descriptive and thematic analyses of qualitative data.

Main Results:

• Participants reported varied experiences with smartphone health apps and faced some technological barriers.
• Overall positive feedback was received regarding the feasibility and acceptability of the WECM app's core features.
• Key features include wellness psychoeducation, financial incentives for healthy habits, and stimulant abstinence.

Conclusions:

• User input is crucial for developing effective digital health interventions for StUD.
• The co-production model ensures the WECM app meets the needs of the target population.
• This preliminary work supports the development of a WECM smartphone app for StUD recovery.