Adoption and Advocacy of Mental Health Apps Among Indonesia's Productive-Age Users: Influencing Factors and App Observations

Abstract

Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs), including Indonesia, are facing a significant shortage of mental healthcare facilities despite the growing need, leaving 20% of the population affected by related issues. In this context, Mobile health (mHealth) interventions offer potential solutions by overcoming barriers such as stigma and reluctance to obtain traditional services. Therefore, this research aims to evaluate the factors influencing the use and recommendation of mental health apps by analyzing data from online questionnaires distributed to 400 participants through a combination of purposive and random sampling. The analysis is conducted using Structural Equation Modeling with Partial Least Squares (SEM-PLS). Simultaneously, popular Indonesian mHealth apps providing mental health services are observed and categorized based on primary functionality to enhance comprehensiveness. The results show that intention to use these apps significantly impacts recommendations. Factors such as usefulness and social influence drive engagement, while affordability, symptom insights, and time constraints are cited as reasons for favoring apps over traditional services. Furthermore, Halodoc is recognized as the most effective app for meeting diverse user needs. Academic understanding of factors driving mental health app acceptance is also enhanced, and practical opportunities are provided for providers to customize app features to reach a wider audience, specifically underserved populations and areas.