Abstract
Background: “Cuida tu Ánimo” (CTA [Take Care of Your Mood]) is an internet-based program for prevention and early intervention of adolescent depression implemented in Chile and Colombia. In the pilot application of the program, participants interacted with the program through a website that provided psychoeducational information, chat, and telephone appointments as well as monitoring and feedback messages. To date, most similar programs were not developed taking design features into consideration. The persuasive systems design (PSD) model is a comprehensive framework developed to aid in the design and evaluation of systems capable of influencing users' attitudes or behaviors. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the persuasiveness of CTA pilot program using the PSD model.Methods: The methodology used was expert evaluation, where specialists evaluate the program against a list of design principles.Results: Although the PSD model was not used to design the program, system features proposed by PSD were present, mainly “Dialogue support” features. Persuasion context analysis was not carried out by the developers. No aspects of the program could be related to “Primary task support” features because the developers did not define a primary task.Discussion: Key aspects of the PSD model could be incorporated in the CTA program to enhance system persuasiveness and improve adherence.
Highlights
IntroductionADOLESCENT DEPRESSIONAdolescent depression is a worldwide issue.[1]. It has been associated with significant general impairment, greater risk of smoking, substance misuse, and obesity, and more than half of adolescent suicide victims reported to have a depressive disorder at the time of death.[1,2,3,4] Despite this fact, adolescent depression is missed more often than in adults, possibly because of its similarity to adolescence itself and because of the lower percentage of adolescents seeking help to cope with symptoms.[1]
Adolescent depression is missed more often than in adults, possibly because of its similarity to adolescence itself and because of the lower percentage of adolescents seeking help to cope with symptoms.[1]
Expert evaluation was conducted by the authors, F.P. and V.M., to compare and cross-check design features included in the CTA program with those proposed by the original persuasive systems design (PSD) article.[11]
Summary
ADOLESCENT DEPRESSIONAdolescent depression is a worldwide issue.[1]. It has been associated with significant general impairment, greater risk of smoking, substance misuse, and obesity, and more than half of adolescent suicide victims reported to have a depressive disorder at the time of death.[1,2,3,4] Despite this fact, adolescent depression is missed more often than in adults, possibly because of its similarity to adolescence itself and because of the lower percentage of adolescents seeking help to cope with symptoms.[1].
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