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A Mobile App Design to Motivate Help-Seeking Behavior in University Students with Mental Illness

Chen, Tianran
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1623241946373706

Abstract Details

2021, MDES, University of Cincinnati, Design, Architecture, Art and Planning: Design.
Background: University students have a high prevalence of mental illness, but research demonstrates they are reluctant to seek help. Objective: This study aimed to improve their help-seeking behavior by assessing the challenges university students faced that prevent them from seeking help. Methods: University students aged 18-25 with mental illness who reluctant to seek professional mental health assistance were recruited through an online survey. The study used qualitative research methods to access participants’ attitudes towards mental illness and help-seeking behavior. Interviews were conducted to gather a deeper understanding of their barriers and frustrations. Participatory design sessions and three rounds of prototype testing were conducted at the design phase from design concept to high-fidelity prototype in order to measure the efficacy of the design. Results: A total of 73 responses were collected, and 46 of them are eligible participants. Interviews were conducted with seven eligible participants. The result indicated that negative attitudes are significantly associated with mental illness. In addition to the negative attitudes, the participants also indicated that lack of awareness, knowledge, trust, social and financial support were barriers for them to taking action. A mobile app that includes a series of key elements that fights the barriers that prevent them from help-seeking was proposed. Conclusion: Participants expressed high interest in the mental health app and appreciated some of the main features in contrast to the current in-person and web-based services portal. The mobile-based application should be able to provide an efficient mental health service for university students who have a mental illness, especially in terms of help-seeking behaviors.
Yong-Gyun Ghim, M.Des. M.S. (Committee Chair)
Rebecca Vidourek, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
95 p.
Design
Mental Health; Mental Illness; Help-Seeking Behavior; University Students; Mobile App

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Chen, T. (2021). A Mobile App Design to Motivate Help-Seeking Behavior in University Students with Mental Illness [Master's thesis, University of Cincinnati]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1623241946373706

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Chen, Tianran. A Mobile App Design to Motivate Help-Seeking Behavior in University Students with Mental Illness. 2021. University of Cincinnati, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1623241946373706.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Chen, Tianran. "A Mobile App Design to Motivate Help-Seeking Behavior in University Students with Mental Illness." Master's thesis, University of Cincinnati, 2021. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1623241946373706

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

ucin1623241946373706
209
© 2021, some rights reserved.Creative Commons License A Mobile App Design to Motivate Help-Seeking Behavior in University Students with Mental Illness by Tianran Chen is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. Based on a work at etd.ohiolink.edu.
This open access ETD is published by University of Cincinnati and OhioLINK.
Release 3.2.12