Peer-reviewed article
Experts' Needs Assessment and Evaluation of Mobile Apps for Children of Parents With Mental Illness: Mixed Methods Study.
Lönnfjord V, Horn Iwaya L, Bäccman C, Priebe G ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This study assessed the quality of mobile health apps available to children of parents with mental illness in Sweden and consulted experts on what digital solutions they need. Researchers evaluated 9 popular free apps using a quality rating scale and found that only 3 scored highly, indicating a significant gap in suitable tools. Experts recommended that apps should protect privacy, allow anonymous access, and be complemented by web-based options to reach children who cannot download apps without parental permission. The biggest challenge identified is ensuring long-term sustainability of digital solutions through stable funding and partnerships with established organizations.
Key points
- Only 3 out of 9 evaluated apps received high quality scores across aesthetics, functionality, information, and engagement dimensions
- Experts preferred general apps not specifically targeted to children of parents with mental illness, as targeted apps may promote self-identification and stigmatization
- Apps should allow anonymous access to protect users' privacy and reduce barriers to help-seeking
- Web-based applications should complement or replace mobile apps to improve accessibility for children without independent app download permission
- Long-term sustainability requires stable funding, continuous maintenance, and partnerships with established organizations
Limitations
This study assesses app quality and expert opinion but does not evaluate whether any of these apps actually improve outcomes for children of parents with mental illness or whether the identified needs translate into effective interventions when implemented. The study is limited to Swedish context and existing apps rather than testing new solutions.
Abstract
Background Children of parents with mental health illness (COPMI) have the right to receive preventive interventions to avoid developing their own mental health and socioeconomic problems. However, access to interventions varies widely within health care and social services depending on their geographical location in Sweden. In this regard, mobile health (mHealth) interventions for COPMI provide a pathway for more equitable and sustainable preventive support. Objective This project aims to (1) map and assess the quality of available mHealth apps relevant to COPMI; (2) investigate experts' perceptions of COPMI needs for digital health solutions (particularly mHealth) by consulting and collaborating with an interdisciplinary reference group (scholars, child rights organizations, and IT professionals); and (3) explore the prerequisites for development, implementation, and sustainable access to future digital solutions for COPMI. Methods We collaborated with a reference group through a series of meetings and workshops, identifying and assessing the quality of 9 free, highly ranked apps (ie, using the well-known Mobile App Rating Scale [MARS]). All the workshop sessions were recorded and transcribed for further qualitative analysis, allowing us to document and derive our main findings. Results Three out of 9 apps received high scores across the MARS dimensions of aesthetics, perceived functionality, information, and engagement in the expert heuristic evaluation using recorded demonstrations of the apps, indicating a significant lack of high-quality apps relevant to COPMI. Further findings were derived, such as the experts' preference for more general apps that are not specifically targeted to COPMI, as these could promote self-identification and reduce stigmatization. Regarding the third aim, the results showed that it was important to find an app that protected users' privacy by allowing anonymous access to digital support and that mobile apps should be complemented (or replaced) by web-based applications to improve accessibility for children who may not be allowed to download apps without parental permission. Conclusions The sustainability of digital solutions (web applications or mobile apps) for COPMI is the biggest challenge for future developments. Long-term impact requires stable funding, continuous maintenance, and partnering with established organizations that already possess the infrastructure, expertise, and reach necessary to provide ongoing support. To address the limitations in the study design and deployment issues, it is important to actively involve children through participatory and co-creational approaches when designing and developing mHealth solutions. Also, future evaluations should include privacy and data security assessments such as app permissions, privacy-policy presence, and third-party sharing.