@Article{info:doi/10.2196/12656,
author="Fleming, Theresa
and Merry, Sally
and Stasiak, Karolina
and Hopkins, Sarah
and Patolo, Tony
and Ruru, Stacey
and Latu, Manusiu
and Shepherd, Matthew
and Christie, Grant
and Goodyear-Smith, Felicity",
title="The Importance of User Segmentation for Designing Digital Therapy for Adolescent Mental Health: Findings From Scoping Processes",
journal="JMIR Ment Health",
year="2019",
month="May",
day="08",
volume="6",
number="5",
pages="e12656",
keywords="gamification; computerized therapy; mental health; adolescent; mobile apps; internet",
abstract="Background: New Zealand youth, especially those of M{\={a}}ori and Pacific descent, have high rates of depression, anxiety, and self-harm, but have low rates of help-seeking from mental health professionals. Apps, computerized therapy, and other digital tools can be effective, highly scalable treatments for anxiety and depression. Co-design processes are often used to foster engagement with end users, but this does not always lead to high levels of engagement. Objective: We aimed to carry out preliminary scoping to understand adolescents' current internet use and diversity of preferences to inform a planned co-design process for creating digital mental health tools for teenagers. Methods: Interactive workshops and focus groups were held with young people. Data were analyzed using a general inductive approach. Results: Participants (N=58) engaged in 2 wh{\={a}}nau (extended family) focus groups (n=4 and n=5), 2 school- or community-based focus groups (n=9 each), and 2 workshops (n=11 and n=20). The authors identified 3 overarching themes: (1) Digital mental health tools are unlikely to be successful if they rely solely on youth help-seeking. (2) A single approach is unlikely to appeal to all. Participants had diverse, noncompatible preferences in terms of look or feel of an app or digital tool. The authors identified 4 user groups players or gamers, engagers, sceptics, and straight-talkers. These groups differed by age and degree of current mental health need and preferred gamified or fun approaches, were open to a range of approaches, were generally disinterested, or preferred direct-to-the-point, serious approaches, respectively. (3) Digital mental health tools should provide an immediate response to a range of different issues and challenges that a young person may face. Conclusions: Defining the preferences of different groups of users may be important for increasing engagement with digital therapies even within specific population and mental health--need groups. This study demonstrates the importance of scoping possible user needs to inform design processes. ",
issn="2368-7959",
doi="10.2196/12656",
url="https://mental.jmir.org/2019/5/e12656/",
url="https://doi.org/10.2196/12656",
url="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31066705"
}