Quality Evaluation of Welfare and Healthcare Professionals’ perspectives on a Mobile Application for self-harm support: An interdisciplinary questionnaire Survey using the uMARS.

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HORATIO CONGRESS 2025 Berlin
Host: German Association of Psychiatric Nursing
Main theme: "Complex Interventions in Mental Health"
Date of the event: May 15-17, 2025
Abstract for Poster
Presentation Title
Quality Evaluation of Welfare and Healthcare Professionals’ perspectives on a Mobile Application for self-harm support: An interdisciplinary questionnaire Survey using the uMARS.
Background
People who self-harm experience significant distress, impacting both themselves, their next of kin and professionals. The SAFE app, co-created with individuals who have experience with self-harm, offers educational content and calming techniques to support individuals, relatives, and professionals in managing stress. While digital solutions can complement treatment for non-suicidal self-harming behavior, assessing their quality remains challenging.
Aim
To evaluate the user interface and quality of the SAFE app using the uMARS to determine usability as perceived by potential end-users e.g. nurses and peer workers.
Methods
A nation-wide survey using the Mobile Application Rating Scale (uMARS) was conducted in Denmark. The uMARS includes 20 items across five objective and subjective quality subscales. Welfare, healthcare professionals and peer workers participated.
Results
The survey captured professionals’ experiences with SAFE app’s user interface and perceived usability. Responses from participants (n=112) revealed insights into the perceived quality and usability of the SAFE app. More than 2/3 of the informants found SAFE app useful and recommendable.
Discussion
This study contributes to understanding how professionals and individuals engaging in self-harm perceive the SAFE app’s engagement and utility. Results from the survey suggest, that health care professionals find SAFE app useful and recommendable. More in dept knowledge will be generated, when we talk to professionals in the end of the implementation process. The findings can guide future improvements to the SAFE app and similar technologies to better support individuals who engage in self-harm. By addressing engagement, functionality, and perceived usefulness, developers can optimize user experience, impacting attitudes, engagement, and sustained app use. This aligns with the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) (Davis, 1989), which highlights how perceived usefulness and ease of use drive technology adoption. Insights into how users interact with SAFE app in real-world settings provide critical information for tailoring the app to meet end-users' needs. These insights are crucial for optimizing digital interventions to support diverse user groups effectively.
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Reading references
Berring L et al. 2024. Submitted. Emergency Department Nurses’ Learning and Evolving Perspectives in Interacting with Patients who Self-Harm. An Explorative Interview Study of the Use of a Mobile Application. Health Informatic Journal DOI: 10.1177/14604582241301363/ ID: HIJ-24-0123.R2) Bygum C et al, 2022 Self-harm, Digital solutions in somatic emergency departments - A qualitative study. International Journal of Integrated Care 22(S3):303 DOI: doi.org/10.5334/ijic.ICIC22303 Davis FD. Perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and user acceptance of information technology. MIS Q Manag Inf Syst. 1989;13(3):319-339. doi:10.2307/249008 Stoyanov SR, Hides L, Kavanagh DJ, Wilson H. Development and Validation of the User Version of the Mobile Application Rating Scale (uMARS). JMIR Mhealth Uhealth 2016;4(2) doi: 10.2196/mhealth.5849
Personal details of author/presenter
Lise Bachmann Oestergaard
Research Assistant
Psychiatric Research Unit
Fælledvej 6
4200 Slagelse
Denmark
E-Mail address: [email protected]
Name and E-Mail address second author
Lene Lauge Berring
[email protected]
Name and E-Mail address of third author
Ingrid Charlotte Andersen
[email protected]