Efficacy of a cell phone e-health application in changing knowledge, stigmatizing attitudes, and intention to seek help associated with obsessive-compulsive disorder: preliminary results of a pilot study. (Preprint)

Abstract

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a disabling disorder associated with high interference in people’s lives. However, sufferers do not seek or delay seeking help. Research suggests that this could be explained by poor mental health literacy on the disorder and the associated stigma.

The aim of this study is to explore the efficacy of a mental health cell phone application (app) to improve mental health literacy, intention to seek help, and reduce stigmatizing attitudes and social distance associated with OCD.

From the ninety participants from the community that enrolled in the study, sixty-two used the app until finishing all the missions and completed the pre- and post- intervention assessment on mental health literacy, intention to seek help, stigma, and social distance. Forty-three of these participants also completed the 3-month follow-up assessment.

Repeated measures analysis of variance (n=43) showed a significant increase in mental health literacy and intention to seek help, and reduction in stigmatizing attitudes and social distance.

Preliminary data show the potential of technology-based interventions to increase intention to seek help and to reduce stigma associated to OCD. Further study is needed to explore the app in a larger community sample.