Design and Evaluation of an mHealth Application in Self-Management of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Recent developments in the use of mobile technologies have given rise to opportunities for more effective and cost-efficient services for people with chronic diseases. Considering the relatively high prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in Iran and the lack of a native application for the self-management of many complications of this disorder, the present study aims to develop and evaluate a mobile application for PTSD self-management.

This developmental-applied study was conducted in two stages. In the first stage, interviews and a literature review were carried out to identify users’ requirements and expectations of the application. Then, the application was modeled, designed, developed, and tested based on the requirements. In the second stage, the usability of developed application was evaluated by experts and users.

The following services were implemented in the application: psychoeducation, coping skills, breathing exercise, relaxation, positive affect, social support, self-assessment, reminders, useful links, and self-monitoring. According to experts’ evaluation, the application was of acceptable quality (78.25%). The application was relatively acceptable from the users’ point of view (68.67%). In the evaluation process, experts were most satisfied with the functionality of the application (80 %), and users were most satisfied with the application’s ease of use (76%).

Using the application can be useful in promoting access to healthcare services for patients with PTSD, and in addition to saving time and costs, it can be effective in the self-management of this disorder.