Developing mental health mobile apps: Exploring adolescents’ perspectives

TLDR

Mobile apps hold promise for adolescent mental health interventions, yet research on users’ needs remains scarce. This study aimed to investigate adolescents’ needs and concerns regarding mental health mobile applications. Five focus groups with 34 adolescents aged 15–16 collected views on mental‑health technology and responses to an app prototype. Participants highlighted eight key factors—safety, engagement, functionality, social interaction, awareness, accessibility, gender, and user control—that should guide future youth‑oriented mental‑health app development.

Abstract

Mobile applications or 'apps' have significant potential for use in mental health interventions with adolescents. However, there is a lack of research exploring end users' needs from such technologies. The aim of this study was to explore adolescents' needs and concerns in relation to mental health mobile apps. Five focus groups were conducted with young people aged 15-16 years (N = 34, 60% male). Participants were asked about their views in relation to the use of mental health mobile technologies and were asked to give their responses to a mental health app prototype. Participants identified (1) safety, (2) engagement, (3) functionality, (4) social interaction, (5) awareness, (6) accessibility, (7) gender and (8) young people in control as important factors. Understanding end users' needs and concerns in relation to this topic will inform the future development of youth-oriented mental health apps that are acceptable to young people.