Abstract:
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[EN] Background: Despite a growing interest in the use of technology in order to support the treatment of psychotic disorders, limited
knowledge exists about the viability and acceptability of these eHealth interventions ...[+]
[EN] Background: Despite a growing interest in the use of technology in order to support the treatment of psychotic disorders, limited
knowledge exists about the viability and acceptability of these eHealth interventions in relation to the clinical characteristics of
patients.
Objective: The objective of this study was to assess the access and use of, as well as experiences and interest in, new technologies
using a survey of patients diagnosed with early psychosis compared with a survey of patients diagnosed with chronic psychotic
disorders.
Methods: We designed a structured questionnaire. This questionnaire was divided into five parts: (1) clinical and demographic
information, (2) access and use of the internet, (3) use of the internet in relation to mental health, (4) experiences with technology,
and (5) patients¿ interest in eHealth services. In total, 105 patients were recruited from early psychosis units (n=65) and recovery
units (n=40).
Results: In this study, 84.8% (89/105) of the patients had access to the internet and 88.6% (93/105) owned an electronic internet
device. In total, 71.3% (57/80) of patients who owned a mobile phone were interested in eHealth systems and 38.2% (37/97)
reported negative experiences related to the internet usage. We observed differences between the groups in terms of device
ownership (P=.02), the frequency of internet access (P<.001), the use of social media (P=.01), and seeking health information
(P=.04); the differences were found to be higher in the early psychosis group. No differences were found between the groups in
terms of the use of internet in relation to mental health, experiences and opinions about the internet, or interest in eHealth
interventions (P=.43).
Conclusions: The availability and use of technology for the participants in our survey were equivalent to those for the general
population. The differences found between the groups in relation to the access or use of technology seemed to due to age-related
factors. The use of technology involving mental health and the interest in eHealth interventions were mainly positive and equivalent between the groups. Accordingly, this group of patients is a potential target for the emerging eHealth interventions, regardless
of their clinical status. However, 28.7% (23/80) of the studied patients rejected the use of internet interventions and 38.2% (37/97)
had unpleasant experiences related to its usage; thus, more in-depth studies are needed to better define the profile of patients with
psychosis who may benefit from eHealth treatments.
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