TY  - JOUR
AU  - Borghouts, Judith
AU  - Neary, Martha
AU  - Palomares, Kristina
AU  - De Leon, Cinthia
AU  - Schueller, Stephen M
AU  - Schneider, Margaret
AU  - Stadnick, Nicole
AU  - Mukamel, Dana B
AU  - Sorkin, Dara H
AU  - Brown, Dakota
AU  - McCleerey-Hooper, Shannon
AU  - Moriarty, Gloria
AU  - Eikey, Elizabeth V
PY  - 2022
DA  - 2022/4/11
TI  - Understanding the Potential of Mental Health Apps to Address Mental Health Needs of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Community: Mixed Methods Study
JO  - JMIR Hum Factors
SP  - e35641
VL  - 9
IS  - 2
KW  - mental health
KW  - deaf and hard of hearing community
KW  - mHealth
KW  - digital health
KW  - needs assessment
KW  - deaf
KW  - hard of hearing
KW  - hearing
KW  - focus group
KW  - survey
KW  - mixed methods
KW  - intervention
KW  - health app
KW  - user needs
AB  - Background: Mental health concerns are a significant issue among the deaf and hard of hearing (D/HH) community, but community members can face several unique challenges to accessing appropriate resources. Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the mental health needs of the D/HH community and how mental health apps may be able to support these needs. Methods: A total of 10 members of the D/HH community participated in a focus group and survey to provide their perspectives and experiences. Participants were members of the Center on Deafness Inland Empire team, which comprises people with lived experience as members of and advocates for the D/HH community. Results: Findings identified a spectrum of needs for mental health apps, including offering American Sign Language and English support, increased education of mental health to reduce stigma around mental health, direct communication with a Deaf worker, and apps that are accessible to a range of community members in terms of culture, resources required, and location. Conclusions: These findings can inform the development of digital mental health resources and outreach strategies that are appropriate for the D/HH community. 
SN  - 2292-9495
UR  - https://humanfactors.jmir.org/2022/2/e35641
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2196/35641
UR  - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/35404259
DO  - 10.2196/35641
ID  - info:doi/10.2196/35641
ER  -