Perceptions and Attitudes Toward a Mobile Phone App for Mental Health for College Students: Qualitative Focus Group Study

BACKGROUND: Many college students who have mental health issues do not receive professional care for various reasons. Students who do not receive help often have both short- and long-term adverse health outcomes. Mobile apps for mental health services such as MySSP, a service provided to college students through their university, may help eliminate barriers to seeking mental health care and result in more positive outcomes for college students. OBJECTIVE: This qualitative study aims to better understand college students’ perceptions and attitudes toward the adoption and use of a mobile phone app for mental health, MySSP, using the technology acceptance model (TAM). METHODS: A series of nine focus groups were conducted with college students (N=30) between February and May 2019 at a large, public Midwestern university. The moderator’s guide was based on the TAM, and focus group sessions primarily focused on the use and knowledge of apps for mental health, specifically, MySSP. The focus group transcriptions were hand-coded to develop a set of themes that encompassed students’ perceptions and attitudes toward MySSP. RESULTS: The analysis of the focus groups suggested the following themes: (1) existing awareness of the app, (2) perceived usefulness, (3) perceived ease of use, (4) attitudes toward apps for mental health and MySSP, and (5) social influence. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study provide deeper insights into the perceptions of a mobile app for mental health among college students. Future research should explore the specific contexts in which an app for mental health will be most effective for college students.