Board 5 - “No one wants to say it aloud”: Co-design and evaluation of a mental health and stigma-reduction smartphone app with church-affiliated black adults.
Abstract
Background
Despite efforts to address racial and ethnic mental health treatment disparities, only one in four Black Americans diagnosed with a mental health condition receives treatment. Predominantly Black churches have played a crucial role in tackling racial and ethnic health inequities, serving as venues for health promotion events, spaces for church member support exchange, and connectors to trusted healthcare resources. However, few of these initiatives have focused on mental health. To address this gap, we co-designed, developed, and evaluated a smartphone-based mental health promotion intervention featuring an embodied conversational agent (ECA) modeled as a peer health advisor. The aim of this intervention was to promote care-seeking intentions, reduce stigma, and train community members as compassionate responders.
Methods
This research includes two phases of data collection. First, participatory design workshops were held with church members to develop the intervention. Ten participants reviewed a culturally informed storyboard, provided feedback, and ranked app features. Then, the final digital intervention was evaluated in a two-week field study with 12 church members. Participants were interviewed before and after the study and completed system usability measures.
Results
Participants were satisfied with the digital mental health system, providing a range of satisfaction ratings significantly above neutral, and found the ECA pleasant, non-threatening, and reflective of their community values. Findings revealed how the application helped shift attitudes toward mental illness, primed care-seeking intentions and was used to support church members experiencing psychosocial stressors. Participants envisioned opportunities for implementing digital mental health tools alongside in-person events to effect change at the community level.
Conclusion
This is the first study to collaboratively co-design and implement a digital mental health promotion intervention with Black American church members. Results demonstrate the efficacy of leveraging faith-based digital mental health interventions to promote church member care-seeking practices and normalize discussions of mental wellness.
Presenter: Teresa O'Leary