Curing or triggering mental health challenges? A qualitative research study on consumer experience with the use of mHealth in the context of mental health disorders
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2024-07-02
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en
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This study explores the experiences of users with mental challenges using mHealth apps, focusing on their motives, paradoxical experiences, and strategies to manage these experiences. The research questions addressed were: "How do users with eating problems experience the use of mHealth apps?" and "How do users with eating problems manage their experience of using mHealth apps?" An abductive analysis of semi-structured interviews with individuals who had eating disorders and used mHealth during their challenges, building further on the paradox lens outlined by Mick and Fournier (1998). The data revealed that this group of consumers primarily uses mHealth to regulate food intake and physical exercise. In addition, it was found that their experience with mHealth is mainly characterized by paradoxical tensions, consisting of self-regulation/exacerbating mental health issues, confirmation/disconfirmation, hiding eating problems/exposing eating problems and competence/incompetence. Moreover, this study reconfirms the notion that consumers of digital technology cope with paradoxical tensions, by identifying eight coping strategies: compensating, pushing boundaries, accommodation, abandonment, avoiding triggering features, effective disengagement, verifying information, cheating.
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Faculteit der Managementwetenschappen