A mobile health (mHealth) intervention was just as effective as a conventional clinic-based group intervention in treating patients with serious mental illness, according to a study published May 25 in Psychiatric Services.
Reaching mental health specialists can be difficult for most patients, but mHealth is able to bring providers directly to patients. In this study, researchers led by Dror Ben-Zeev, PhD, with the University of Washington, examined the effectiveness of an mHealth intervention on patients with serious mental illness when compared to the conventional Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP) intervention.
The study included 163 participants with a long-term, serious mental illness like schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, bipolar disorder or major depressive disorder. Participants either received conventional in-person care or the FOCUS intervention. FOCUS is a smartphone delivered intervention that includes an app, clinician dashboard and specialist support.
Users can complete self-assessment prompts and access video or audio clips and written material with images. Their responses are sent to a support specialist who holds weekly calls with users.
Results showed that 90 percent of participants in the mHealth group sought mental health treatment, compared to 58 percent of the conventional care participants. Additionally, mHealth users were more likely to complete eight or more weeks of treatment. After the study, mHeath users showed a significant improvement in recovery and quality of life.
Cara joined TriMed Media in 2016 and is currently a Senior Writer for Clinical Innovation & Technology. Originating from Detroit, Michigan, she holds a Bachelors in Health Communications from Grand Valley State University.