Leveraging the Power of Mobile Technology to Incorporate Wellness into Recovery: An Innovative Samhsa Application Based on the Eight Dimensions of Wellness

Background:  20 percent of (more than 80 million) adults experience behavioral health conditions every year (Kesler, Chiu, Demler & Walters, 2005).  People with behavioral health conditions smoke at rates 70% higher than most Americans, resulting in as many as 200,000 deaths per year (CDC, 2013). People with serious mental illness and substance use disorders are 25 to 40% more likely to die from heart disease and twice as likely to be overweight or obese, adding to greater risk for diabetes and hypertension.  Promoting the holistic wellness of those with co-occurring mental and/or substance use disorders contributes to recovery. Accordingly, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) began promoting holistic wellness through the Eight Dimensions of Wellness (the Dimensions) in 2007.

Program background:  SAMHSA’s new Program to Achieve Wellness (PAW) is designed to operationalize SAMHSA’s existing Wellness Initiative and support recovery and holistic well-being for all Americans. The Dimensions, which promote a healthy, holistic lifestyle, can help individuals live longer by better managing their conditions and experiencing recovery. By collaborating with people with lived experience in recovery from mental and/or substance use disorders, those who have experienced homelessness, as well as national organizations, communities, states, and tribes, the PAW provides evidence-based tools for achieving and maintaining wellness. Many wellness materials are text heavy and available only in print form. These materials are impractical for persons on the go, as they’re inaccessible in real life when daily challenges to maintaining wellness are faced. A mobile application, however, may be used throughout the day to offer options, advice, and insight as needed, while also tracking progress toward individual goals. SAMHSA, Policy Research Associates, Westat, and Informatics developed a mobile messaging application designed around the Dimensions. Contrary to some expectations, a growing number of individuals with behavioral health conditions and experiencing homelessness are utilizing mobile phones and technology to support their recovery.

Evaluation Methods and Results:  We conducted usability testing with members of the intended audience, diverse in age, gender, mental and/or substance use disorders, race, and geographic location, and key stakeholders who use digital media. Westat and Informatics administered 45-minute one-on-one virtual sessions for the first round of testing. The data was aggregated, resulting in recommended revisions which will be reviewed and incorporated into the app for a second round of testing.

Conclusions:  Wellness is not the absence of illness or stress; individuals can strive for wellness while experiencing behavioral health conditions. The SAMHSA PAW app will help persons support their recovery by maintaining quality of life via the pursuit of emotional, physical, environmental, financial, intellectual, occupational, social, and spiritual wellness. The app will be available in August 2016. It will be the second mental health app developed by individuals with lived experience and the only app based on the Eight Dimensions of Wellness.

Implications for research and/or practice:  The SAMHSA PAW app will allow individuals in recovery to set/track goals and activities, and access timely tips and resources to support their wellness on-the-go. It will also assist national organizations, communities, states, and tribes with understanding and use of wellness principles.