Symposia
Technology
Jacqueline B. Duong, B.A., M.A., M.S. (she/her/hers)
Graduate Student
University of Texas at Austin
Austin, Texas
Alexandria Viltz, B.A.
Undergraduate Student
University of Texas at Austin
Austin, Texas
Avery Hendrick, B.A.
undergraduate student
University of Texas at Austin
austin, Texas
Claudia Marquez, B.A.
undergraduate student
Florida international university
miami, Florida
Olivia Hornik, B.A.
undergraduate student
University of Texas at Austin
austin, Texas
Purna Zaman, B.A.
undergraduate student
university of texas at austin
austin, Texas
Zachary Bricken, B.A.
undergraduate student
university of texas at austin
austin, Texas
Kayla E. Carta, B.S.
PhD Student
The University of Texas at Austin
Austin, Texas
Sierra N. Walters, B.A.
PhD Student
The University of Texas at Austin
Austin, Texas
Dominique I. Benamu, B.A.
Research Coordinator
The University of Texas at Austin
Austin, Texas
Grace A. Jumonville, B.A.
Research Coordinator
The University of Texas at Austin
Austin, Texas
Adela C. Timmons, Ph.D. (she/her/hers)
Assistant Professor
The University of Texas at Austin
Austin, Texas
Although mobile health (mHealth) technology shows promise as a tool to reduce disparities among clients by improving treatment accessibility, utilization, engagement, and effectiveness, there still exists is a high burden from unmet mental health needs among under-resourced individuals and individuals from racial/ethnic minority backgrounds in the U.S. This convergent mixed method study explores potential socioculturally-based barriers and supports to utilizing mHealth tools to treat mental health. Do current barriers to “traditional” access, engagement, and service utilization for mental health treatment still apply in the digital domain?
Using a purposeful strategy, we recruited 47 caregivers in South Florida who were part of a larger study examining parent-child relationships using smartphones and wearables. Quantitative instruments include 4 measures assessing health literacy, e-health literacy, general technology use, and technology privacy and security concerns. Qualitative assessment of challenges and supports to utilizing mHealth tools was explored using 45-minute semi-structured interviews adapted from the Cultural Formulation Interview.
Data analysis will utilize mixed methods thematic analysis. Quantitative data from the surveys will be analyzed using descriptive statistics and inferential statistics to identify patterns and relationships; qualitative data from the transcribed interviews will be analyzed using thematic analysis to identify and report patterns within the data. Preliminary codes will be constructed with 6 coders to create a codebook. Themes generated from the codebook will be integrated with the quantitative data to provide a more comprehensive understanding of users' challenges and ease in utilizing mHealth tools to treat their mental health. Findings from quantitative and qualitative data will be triangulated to identify areas of convergence and divergence.
Findings may identify enhancements to mHealth tools to facilitate the receptivity of racially/ethnically diverse or under-resourced caregivers. Understanding these mechanisms will inform client-centered, health-literate digital strategies and reduce disparities in mental health care in these high-need populations.
