Which Apps Help Depressive Patients? A Discussion of User-centric Features and Preferences

An increasing number of depressive people is not just now leading to the healthcare system being overburdened. Therapy places are limited and waiting times to start a therapy are long. So-called depression apps have been developed that to bridge the gap or supplement a therapy. A depression app can have various features. Design Science Research (DSR) oriented, we determine 15 specific features of a depression app based on results, findings, and knowledge from a literature review and 46 expert interviews (Family doctors/Psychotherapists/Psychiatrists, Developers, Patients). Our features are then classified with a survey with 624 patients into basic features, very important features, important features and less important features. User-specific features priorities are identified based on various characteristics. Finally, we discuss and evaluate our findings and present a further research agenda. App developers and healthcare providers can use our features and focus areas to provide user-centered depression apps.