@文章{info:doi/10.2196/37968，作者="Dambi, Jermaine和Norman, Clara和Doukani, Asmae和Potgieter, Stephan和Turner, Jean和Musesengwa, Rosemary和Verhey, Ruth和Chibanda, Dixon"，标题="针对津巴布韦成年人常见精神健康障碍的数字心理健康干预(Inuka)，以应对COVID-19大流行:可行性与可接受性试点研究"，期刊="JMIR Ment Health"，年="2022"，月="10"，日="7"，卷="9"，号="10"，页="e37968"，关键词="可接受性;COVID-19;可行性;友谊的长椅上;Inuka;试点;任务转变;"，摘要="背景:常见精神健康障碍(CMDs)是全球残疾的主要原因。目前的COVID-19大流行进一步加重了疾病的负担。 COVID-19 containment measures, including lockdowns, have disrupted access to in-person mental health care. It is therefore imperative to explore the utility of digital mental health interventions to bridge the treatment gap. Mobile health technologies are effective tools for increasing access to treatment at a lower cost. This study explores the utility of Inuka, a chat-based app hinged on the Friendship Bench problem-solving therapy intervention. The Inuka app offers double anonymity, and clients can book or cancel a session at their convenience. Inuka services can be accessed either through a mobile app or the web. Objective: We aimed to explore the feasibility of conducting a future clinical trial. Additionally, we evaluated the feasibility, acceptability, appropriateness, scalability, and preliminary effectiveness of Inuka. Methods: Data were collected using concurrent mixed methods. We used a pragmatic quasiexperimental design to compare the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary clinical effectiveness of Inuka (experimental group) and WhatsApp chat-based counseling (control). Participants received 6 problem-solving therapy sessions delivered by lay counselors. A reduction in CMDs was the primary clinical outcome. The secondary outcomes were health-related quality of life (HRQoL), disability and functioning, and social support. Quantitative outcomes were analyzed using descriptive and bivariate statistics. Finally, we used administrative data and semistructured interviews to gather data on acceptability and feasibility; this was analyzed using thematic analysis. Results: Altogether, 258 participants were screened over 6 months, with 202 assessed for eligibility, and 176 participants were included in the study (recruitment ratio of 29 participants/month). The participants' mean age was 24.4 (SD 5.3) years, and most participants were female and had tertiary education. The mean daily smartphone usage was 8 (SD 3.5) hours. Eighty-three users signed up and completed at least one session. The average completion rate was 3 out of 4 sessions. Inuka was deemed feasible and acceptable in the local context, with connectivity challenges, app instability, expensive mobile data, and power outages cited as potential barriers to scale up. Generally, there was a decline in CMDs (F2,73=2.63; P=.08), depression (F2,73=7.67; P<.001), and anxiety (F2,73=2.95; P=.06) and a corresponding increase in HRQoL (F2,73=7.287; P<.001) in both groups. Conclusions: Study outcomes showed that it is feasible to run a future large-scale randomized clinical trial (RCT) and lend support to the feasibility and acceptability of Inuka, including evidence of preliminary effectiveness. The app's double anonymity and structured support were the most salient features. There is a great need for iterative app updates before scaling up. Finally, a large-scale hybrid RCT with a longer follow-up to evaluate the clinical implementation and cost-effectiveness of the app is needed. ", issn="2368-7959", doi="10.2196/37968", url="https://mental.www.mybigtv.com/2022/10/e37968", url="https://doi.org/10.2196/37968", url="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/35960595" }