JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

The rates of mental illness among African American women are comparable to the general population, however they significantly underutilize mental health services compared to their white counterparts. Previous studies revealed that interventions delivered via text messaging are effective, and can be used to increase access to services and resources. More insight into whether this modality is acceptable for use to deliver mental health care to help African American women manage anxiety and depression is needed.

Objective:

The aim of this exploratory study is to gain insight on the acceptability of using text messaging to help African American women manage anxiety and depression.

Methods:

A self-administered web-based survey was launched in June 2018 and closed August 2018. Eligible participants were African American women (≥ 18 years of age) that reside in the U.S.A. Participants were recruited through convenience sampling (e.g. email distributed via listservs, social media posts). Respondents were provided an anonymous link to the online questionnaire. The survey consisted of 53 questions on the following subjects: sociodemographic characteristics, attitudes toward seeking professional psychological help, mobile phone use, and acceptability of using a mobile phone to receive mental health care.

Results:

The results of this exploratory study (N=101) showed that less than 50% of respondents endorsed the use of text messaging to communicate with a professional to receive help to manage anxiety and depression. Fifty-one percent agreed that having the option to use text messaging to communicate with a professional if they are dealing with anxiety would be helpful. Similarly, 49% agreed that having the option to use text messaging to communicate with a professional if they are dealing with depression would be helpful. Over 50% of respondents indicated having concerns about using text messaging to communicate with a professional. No statistically significant associations were found between age and agreement with the use of text messaging (all p > .05).

Conclusions:

The use of text messaging was not highly endorsed by African American women as an acceptable mode of communication with a professional to help them manage anxiety or depression. Concerns around privacy, confidentiality, and the impersonal feel of communicating about sensitive issues via text messages must be addressed in order for this modality to be a viable option. The findings of this study demonstrated the need for further research into the use of mobile technology to provide this population with more accessible and convenient options for mental health care.