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Preliminary evidence for the use and efficacy of mobile health applications in managing posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms

  • Original Article
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Health Systems

Abstract

Mobile health applications like PTSD Coach are emerging as tools to help individuals manage post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. However, these applications will not be effective if people do not use them. Using PTSD Coach as the focal application, we address two interrelated questions: (1) what are the primary determinants of PTSD Coach use? and (2) is PTSD Coach use related to changes in PTSD symptomatology? Building on the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology, we develop and test a research model that addresses these questions. Our results show that performance expectancy and social influence are positively related to PTSD Coach use; however, effort expectancy and facilitating conditions are not related to PTSD Coach use. We also found that PTSD Coach use is positively related to improvements in PTSD symptomatology. Our results provide preliminary evidence for the use and efficacy of mobile health applications in managing PTSD symptoms.

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Notes

  1. See http://www.ptsd.va.gov/public/pages/PTSDCoach.asp for more information about PTSD Coach.

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Acknowledgements

The authors are thankful for financial support from the Office of Sponsored Awards and Research Support at University of South Carolina Upstate. The views expressed in this manuscript are those of the authors and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of Defense, or the United States Government.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, University of South Carolina Upstate, Spartanburg, U.S.A.

    Stefanie M Keen

  2. Department of Computer Information Systems, College of Business, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, U.S.A.

    Nicholas Roberts

Authors
  1. Stefanie M Keen
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  2. Nicholas Roberts
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Nicholas Roberts.

Appendix

Appendix

Survey items

Performance Expectancy (Venkatesh et al, 2003)

  1. 1

    Using PTSD Coach will enable me to learn about PTSD.

  2. 2

    Using PTSD Coach will help me manage my PTSD symptoms.

  3. 3

    Using PSTD Coach will help me assess my level of PTSD.

  4. 4

    Using PTSD Coach will help me maintain a support network.

  5. 5

    Using PTSD Coach will enhance my quality of life.

(1=Strongly Disagree, 7=Strongly Agree)

Effort Expectancy (Venkatesh et al, 2003)

  1. 1

    Learning to operate PTSD Coach would be easy for me.

  2. 2

    My interaction with PTSD Coach would be clear and understandable.

  3. 3

    It would be easy for me to become skillful at using PTSD Coach.

  4. 4

    I would find PTSD Coach easy to use.

(1=Strongly Disagree, 7=Strongly Agree)

Social Influence (Venkatesh et al, 2003)

  1. 1

    My family thinks that I should use PTSD Coach.

  2. 2

    My friends think that I should use PTSD Coach.

  3. 3

    My colleagues think that I should use PTSD Coach.

(1=Strongly Disagree, 7=Strongly Agree)

Facilitating Conditions (Venkatesh et al, 2003)

  1. 1

    I have the resources necessary to use PTSD Coach.

  2. 2

    I have the knowledge necessary to use PTSD Coach.

  3. 3

    I have the support necessary to use PTSD Coach.

(1=Strongly Disagree, 7=Strongly Agree)

PTSD Coach Use (Bhattacherjee, 2001)

Please think about your use of PTSD Coach in the past 4 months when evaluating these statements.

  1. 1

    I have carried on using PTSD Coach.

  2. 2

    I have continued to use PTSD Coach.

  3. 3

    I have kept on using PTSD Coach.

(1=Not at all true, 7=Absolutely true)

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Keen, S., Roberts, N. Preliminary evidence for the use and efficacy of mobile health applications in managing posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms. Health Syst 6, 122–129 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1057/hs.2016.2

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