JMIR Human Factors

Ireland is ranked among the most disadvantageous European countries in terms of mental health challenges. Contrary to general health services that primarily focus on diagnosis and treatment, the mental-health sector in Ireland deals with highly sensitive psychiatric case notes based on patient-doctor conversations. Such data, therefore, must be collected, analyzed, and stored with an approach customized specifically for psychiatry.

Falls are the leading cause of injury-related death among adults aged 65 years and older. Falls and fear of falling in turn threaten older adults’ ability to live independently and often lead to self-imposed activity restriction, social isolation, decreased cognitive and physical function, and, paradoxically, an increased risk of serious falls. There has been extensive research on interventions that can reduce the risk of fall-related injury and mortality in older adults. One tool, home safety assessments, has been shown to significantly decrease the rate and risk of falling by up to 36%, along with reducing serious fall-related complications, including hip fractures and death. Despite their efficacy, there has been very low adoption and poor implementation of home safety assessments. Understanding barriers to implementation is critical for improving uptake of this evidence-based intervention.

Depression is a severe and prevalent mental disorder among youth that requires professional care; however, various barriers hinder access to effective treatments. Chatbots, one of the latest innovations in the research on digital mental health interventions (DMHIs), have shown potential in addressing these barriers. However, most studies on how to design chatbots to treat depression have focused on adult populations or prevention in the general population.

The use of individual wearable devices or online applications to collect biometric data from research participants is popular, but several devices may be needed to replace a full set of research measurements.

As the prevalence of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) among older adults increases, so does the need to enhance social participation and cognitive functions through innovative interventions. Digital storytelling in group settings holds potential not only to foster social connections but also to integrate with traditional in-person activities, leveraging both for greater impact.

Nurses face a higher risk of developing Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSD) given their primary roles in patient care. Participatory ergonomics (PE), an approach which integrates large-scale interventions that are performed at organizational and systems levels with small-scale interventions, is widely considered a promising approach to mitigating health problems at the workplace. However, their effectiveness in addressing WMSD and secondary outcomes such as sick absence and work performance among nurses are not fully understood.

Chatbots, as interactive platforms, have the potential to transform health education and behavior change interventions. Despite the growing use of chatbots, qualitative insights into user and provider experiences remain underexplored, particularly with respect to experiences and perceptions, adoption factors, and the role of theoretical frameworks in design.

Anxiety and depression symptoms have been rising among college students, with many increasingly meeting the criteria for 1 or more mental health problems. Due to a rise in internet access and lockdown restrictions associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, online mediums, such as teletherapy, repositories for mental health information, discussion forums, self-help programs, and online screening tools, have become more popular and used by college students to support their mental health. However, there is limited information about individual-level factors that lead college students to use these online tools to support their mental health.

The perinatal period is one of the most vulnerable times a woman experiences. Multidimensional, interprofessional, and personalized support is needed to improve outcomes in women’s and children’s health while strengthening partner relationships at the same time. Although a vast amount of support services already exists in Germany for psychosocial counseling during the perinatal period, groups who are especially at risk do not take advantage of them.

Public sector organizations increasingly adopt information systems (IS) to improve economic efficiency, service quality and overall adaptability. These projects represent substantial financial investments, making their success critical for organizational performance and societal impact.

The use of digital technologies, such as mobile applications, Zoom, virtual reality, and video games, to promote physical activity in individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) has been increasing. However, there are no studies utilizing ChatGPT, a popular tool in recent years, for promoting physical activity in children with ASD.

Digital mental health interventions (DMHIs) are effective in reducing symptoms of depression and anxiety. Low user engagement and uptake of DMHIs observed in previous research may be addressed by involving the intended target audience in the design of the DMHI from the outset.