Modeling Consumer Adoption of Digital Mental Health Services (DMHS) in Indonesia: The Role of Desire

Introduction The rapid growth of digital mental health services (DMHS) offers new opportunities to address unmet mental health needs, yet consumer adoption remains uneven, particularly in emerging economies. Objectives Drawing on the model of goal-directed behavior (MGB) and the health belief model (HBM), this study develops and tests an integrated framework that positions desire to manage mental health as a central motivational mechanism underlying consumers’ intention to purchase DMHS in Indonesia. Methods The study employed a quantitative research method, a self-administered online survey, among Indonesians aged 18–45 who had engaged in online shopping within the previous 6 months. Screening questions were used to assess the respondent’s eligibility. The DAS-21 (depression-anxiety-stress) scales were used to measure the respondents’ mental health condition with their consent. The PLS-SEM with SmartPLS was used to examine the proposed relationships. Result The attitude toward purchasing DMHS and the subjective norm significantly influence desire, while perceived severity and perceived susceptibility also emerge as important motivational antecedents. Perceived behavioral control does not significantly affect desire, suggesting that instrumental capability alone is insufficient to activate emotional motivation in the mental health context. Importantly, desire exhibits a strong and positive effect on behavioral intention, confirming its role as the most proximal predictor of adoption intention. Conclusion The study aimed to model consumer adoption of digital mental health services (DMHS) in Indonesia by integrating the goal-directed behavior (MGB) model with the health belief model (HBM), positioning the desire to manage mental health as a central motivational mechanism. The findings claim there is robust evidence that desire plays a pivotal role in translating cognitive evaluations and health beliefs into behavioral intention to purchase DMHS.