Development and evaluation of the usability and acceptability of a psychological intervention mobile app in educational settings
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.59681/2175-4411.v18.2026.1745Keywords:
Mobile Applications, Mental Health, Health Information TechnologyAbstract
Objective: To describe the development of the Neurosaúde mobile application, designed to reduce anxiety, stress, and depression through a brief mindfulness and self-compassion intervention, and to assess its usability and acceptability based on the experience of participants who used the application and responded to the instrument in two randomized trials conducted with primary/secondary school teachers and university students. Methods: Mixed-methods, methodological-descriptive study based on secondary data analysis of 31 participants (9 primary/secondary school teachers and 22 university students). Usability was assessed using the Smartphone Usability Questionnaire (SURE); acceptability was examined through Inductive Thematic Analysis of open-ended questions. Results: The mean SURE score was 92.52 points (SD=14.40), with 90.3% of participants classified as having total agreement. No significant differences were identified between groups (t=0.746; p=0.462), nor were correlations found between usability and engagement. Thematic analysis identified four themes: usability and ease of use; perceived benefits; barriers to adherence; and technical limitations. Conclusion: Among the 31 participants who responded to the instrument (67.4% of eligible users), the findings indicate high usability and acceptability, a result that should be interpreted with caution given the possibility of self-selection bias, suggesting potential for the use of digital interventions in mental health.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Leonardo Júnior Souza Silva, Luiz Carlos Serramo Lopez
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