Mobile Sensing Apps and Self-management of Mental Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Web-Based Survey

Banuchitra Suruliraj; Kitti Bessenyei; Alexa Bagnell; Patrick McGrath; Lori Wozney; Rita Orji; Sandra Meier

doi:10.2196/24180

Mobile Sensing Apps and Self-management of Mental Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Web-Based Survey

JMIR Form Res. 2021 Apr 26;5(4):e24180. doi: 10.2196/24180.

Authors

Banuchitra Suruliraj¹, Kitti Bessenyei², Alexa Bagnell², Patrick McGrath², Lori Wozney³, Rita Orji¹, Sandra Meier²

Affiliations

¹ Faculty of Computer Science, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada.
² Department of Psychiatry, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada.
³ Nova Scotia Health Authority, Halifax, NS, Canada.

PMID: 33872181
PMCID: PMC8078366
DOI: 10.2196/24180

Abstract

Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, people had to adapt their daily life routines to the currently implemented public health measures, which is likely to have resulted in a lack of in-person social interactions, physical activity, or sleep. Such changes can have a significant impact on mental health. Mobile sensing apps can passively record the daily life routines of people, thus making them aware of maladaptive behavioral adjustments to the pandemic.

Objective: This study aimed to explore the views of people on mobile sensing apps that passively record behaviors and their potential to increase awareness and helpfulness for self-managing mental health during the pandemic.

Methods: We conducted an anonymous web-based survey including people with and those without mental disorders, asking them to rate the helpfulness of mobile sensing apps for the self-management of mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. The survey was conducted in May 2020.

Results: The majority of participants, particularly those with a mental disorder (n=106/148, 72%), perceived mobile sensing apps as very or extremely helpful for managing their mental health by becoming aware of maladaptive behaviors. The perceived helpfulness of mobile sensing apps was also higher among people who experienced a stronger health impact of the COVID-19 pandemic (β=.24; 95% CI 0.16-0.33; P<.001), had a better understanding of technology (β=.17; 95% CI 0.08-0.25; P<.001), and had a higher education (β=.1; 95% CI 0.02-0.19; P=.02).

Conclusions: Our findings highlight the potential of mobile sensing apps to assist in mental health care during the pandemic.

Keywords: COVID-19; app; awareness; behavior; helpfulness; mobile health; mobile sensing; self-management; sensing; web-based survey.

©Banuchitra Suruliraj, Kitti Bessenyei, Alexa Bagnell, Patrick McGrath, Lori Wozney, Rita Orji, Sandra Meier. Originally published in JMIR Formative Research (https://formative.jmir.org), 26.04.2021.