Research master thesis | Psychology (research) (MSc)
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Objective: Childhood anxiety disorders are a widespread concern that may impede children’s development. Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) with exposure is considered an effective treatment for...Show moreObjective: Childhood anxiety disorders are a widespread concern that may impede children’s development. Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) with exposure is considered an effective treatment for childhood anxiety. After treatment, home practice helps children to develop skills that they learned during CBT. However, home practice is often challenging for children. Mobile health (mHealth) apps have the potential to facilitate home practice. We aimed to describe the development of the KiBA (Kids Beat Anxiety) app and test its usability. Method: In Study 1 (development phase), we included therapists (n = 5) and children (n = 8, aged 7- 14) to review app mock-ups during five meetings. IT-specialists incorporated the feedback multiple times. Next, two beta-tester groups tested the app and rated its usability. The first group tested the app for one hour at school (n = 14, mean age = 9.50), and the second group tested the app for one week at home (n = 8, mean age = 10.55). In Study 2 (clinical sample), children with a specific phobia (n = 8, Mage = 12.10) used the app for four weeks at home following CBT, and children and parents rated its usability. Results: Feedback led to multiple improvements (e.g., game elements, layout, colors, instructions). Usability ratings were both high in the beta-tester groups in the development phase (8.4/10 and 8.1/10) and the clinical sample (8.6/10 children and 8.1/10 parents). Children indicated they found the app easy, fun, and user-friendly. Conclusions: This study underlines the value of including end-users in the development of mHealth apps. The KiBA app (1) offers tools for children and their parents to practice exposure at home, and (2) helps therapists to monitor children’s progress.Show less
