Cortie, Dianna S. (2022) Digital Mental Health: The Influence of Attitude on Intentions and Preferences for Digital Mental Health Formats and the Impact of COVID-19. Honours thesis, University of Southern Queensland. (Unpublished)
Abstract
Only 44% of Australians who meet the diagnostic criteria for, and experience symptoms of mental illness access psychological support. Digital mental health (dMH) interventions circumvent many barriers that keep people from accessing psychological support. The empirical evidence supporting dMH efficacy continues to increase, yet preferences for and uptake of dMH services remain low. This study investigated the influence of attitudes towards dMH services on intentions to use and preferences for dMH interventions and whether this association differs if dMH services are accessed pre-COVID-19 or post-COVID19, when options were severely limited. The Theory of Planned Behaviour, highlighting attitude as the strongest predictor of behavioural intention, provides a strong theoretical framework for examining the relationship between attitudes towards and intentions and preferences to use dMH. A community sample of 687 adults, comprised of university students and community participants residing in Australia, self-selected to complete the cross-sectional online survey. Measures collected included demographics, e-Therapy Attitudes and Process questionnaire (eTAP), future intention to use dMH services, preferred format for delivery of mental health services and access to dMH services pre/post-COVID19. Unexpectedly, moderated regression analyses revealed that more positive attitude towards dMH predicted lower future intentions to use dMH services, and no association between attitudes and preferences for dMH were identified. Further, the use of dMH services pre- or post-COVID-19 did not moderate these relationships. This research contributes to the limited knowledge surrounding dMH utilisation by eliminating attitudes and circumstances surrounding prior use of dMH services as predictors of future use.
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| Item Type: | Thesis (Non-Research) (Honours) |
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| Item Status: | Live Archive |
| Additional Information: | Current UniSQ staff and students can request access to this thesis. Please email research.repository@unisq.edu.au with a subject line of SEAR thesis request and provide: Name of the thesis requested and Your name and UniSQ email address |
| Faculty/School / Institute/Centre: | Current – Faculty of Health, Engineering and Sciences - School of Psychology and Wellbeing (1 Jan 2022 -) |
| Supervisors: | Arlen Rowe |
| Qualification: | Bachelor of Psychology (Honours) |
| Date Deposited: | 19 May 2025 05:48 |
| Last Modified: | 19 May 2025 05:48 |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | digital mental health; support-seeking attitudes; preferences; intentions; COVID19 |
| Fields of Research (2008): | 17 Psychology and Cognitive Sciences > 1799 Other Psychology and Cognitive Sciences > 179999 Psychology and Cognitive Sciences not elsewhere classified |
| Fields of Research (2020): | 52 PSYCHOLOGY > 5299 Other psychology > 529999 Other psychology not elsewhere classified |
| URI: | https://sear.unisq.edu.au/id/eprint/52232 |
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