Date of Award
2024
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Department
Psychology
First Advisor
Matthew Price
Abstract
The majority (89.7%) of US adults will encounter at least one traumatic event that meets Criterion A for a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) during their lifetime. While the majority of people will be resilient or recover from the traumatic event, some individuals may develop PTSD, depression, or anxiety. Currently, there is a broad range of digital treatments available that are designed to reduce symptoms of PTSD, depression, and anxiety; however, use and adherence to those interventions are quite low, ranging from 1-29%.
To inform effective user-centered intervention design, a better understanding of phone usage among those with elevated psychopathology is needed. The current study explores the frequency that individuals with post-trauma psychopathology engage in different activities on their mobile devices. A sample (N = 332) of trauma-exposed adults reported their engagement in various mobile activities (i.e., playing games, using social media, texting, surfing the web, listening to music, watching videos) and completed the PCL-5, PHQ-9, and GAD-7 as measures of PTSD, depression, and anxiety symptom severity, respectively.
Results revealed significant associations between mobile phone usage and heightened PTSD, depression, and anxiety symptoms. Individuals spending more time on mobile games and social media exhibited higher levels of psychopathology. The findings underscore the importance of tailoring digital interventions to accommodate individuals' existing mobile phone habits, emphasizing gamification and social components to enhance adherence. By leveraging insights into mobile phone usage patterns, interventions can be better designed to address the mental health needs of trauma-exposed populations.
Language
en
Number of Pages
52 p.
Recommended Citation
Ha, Jennifer, "Understanding The Relationship Between Mobile Phone Usage Behavior And Psychopathology Among Trauma-Exposed Individuals" (2024). Graduate College Dissertations and Theses. 1912.
https://scholarworks.uvm.edu/graddis/1912