Use of short messaging services to assess depressive symptoms among refugees in South Africa: Implications for social services providing mental health care in resource-poor settings

Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare

Volumn 22, Issue 6, 2016, Pages 369-377

  Tomita, Andrew ^a,b   Kandolo, Ka Muzombo ^c   Susser, Ezra ^b,d   Burns, Jonathan K ^a  

^a UNIVERSITY OF KWAZULU NATAL   (South Africa)

^b Department of Medicine   (United States)

^c DURBAN UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY   (South Africa)

^d NEW YORK STATE PSYCHIATRIC INSTITUTE   (United States)

Author keywords

depression; mobile phone; Refugees; SMS; South Africa

Indexed keywords

ADULT; DEPRESSION; DEVELOPING COUNTRY; FEMALE; HEALTH CARE DELIVERY; HUMAN; MALE; MIDDLE AGED; MOBILE PHONE; PATIENT SATISFACTION; PSYCHOLOGICAL RATING SCALE; PSYCHOLOGY; REFUGEE; RURAL POPULATION; SOUTH AFRICA; TEXT MESSAGING; YOUNG ADULT;

ADULT; CELL PHONES; DEPRESSION; DEVELOPING COUNTRIES; FEMALE; HEALTH SERVICES ACCESSIBILITY; HUMANS; MALE; MIDDLE AGED; PATIENT SATISFACTION; PSYCHIATRIC STATUS RATING SCALES; REFUGEES; RURAL POPULATION; SOUTH AFRICA; TEXT MESSAGING; YOUNG ADULT;

EID: 84983048357     PISSN: 1357633X     EISSN: 17581109     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1177/1357633X15605406     Document Type: Article

References (36)

1. J.LindertO.S.EhrensteinS.Priebe. Depression and anxiety in labor migrants and refugees – a systematic review and meta-analysis. Soc Sci Med2009; 69: 246–257.
2. Z.SteelT.CheyD.Silove. Association of torture and other potentially traumatic events with mental health outcomes among populations exposed to mass conflict and displacement: A systematic review and meta-analysis. J Am Med Assoc2009; 302: 537–549.
3. P.S.WangS.Aguilar-GaxiolaJ.Alonso. Use of mental health services for anxiety, mood, and substance disorders in 17 countries in the WHO world mental health surveys. Lancet2007; 370: 841–850.
4. Shannon PJ, Vinson GA, Cook TL, et al. Characteristics of successful and unsuccessful mental health referrals of refugees. Admin Pol Ment Health; 2015. DOI 10.1007/s10488-015-0639-8
5. Burns JK. The mental health gap in South Africa – a human rights issue. Equal Rights Review 2011; 6: 99–113
6. S.SeedatD.R.WilliamsA.A.Herman. Mental health service use among South Africans for mood, anxiety and substance use disorders. S Afr Med J2009; 99: 346–352.
7. United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. 2015 UNHCR country operations profile – South Africa, www.unhcr.org/pages/49e485aa6.html2015 (2015, accessed 15 March 2015)
8. National Department of Health. Strategic plan for the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases 2013-17, www.hsrc.ac.za/uploads/pageContent/3893/NCDs%20STRAT%20PLAN%20%20CONTENT%208%20april%20proof.pdf (2013, accessed 15 March 2015)
9. H.JackR.G.WagnerI.Petersen. Closing the mental health treatment gap in South Africa: A review of costs and cost-effectiveness. Global Health Act2014; 7: 23431–23431.
10. R.AndersenJ.F.Newman. Societal and individual determinants of medical care utilization in the United States. Milbank Q – Health Soc1973; 51: 95–124.
11. R.M.Andersen. Revisiting the behavioral model and access to medical care: Does it matter?J Health Soc Behav1995; 36: 1–10.
12. R.M.AndersenP.L.DavidsonS.E.BaumeisterImproving access to care. In: (ed). Changing the U.S. health care system: Key issues in health services, policy, and management, San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 2013, pp. 35–35.
13. A.PortesD.KyleW.W.Eaton. Mental illness and help-seeking behavior among Mariel Cuban and Haitian refugees in South Florida. J Health Soc Behav1992; 33: 283–298.
14. D.B.MitschleA.E.MitschkeRefugee voices: Health issues. In: (eds). Refugees worldwide: mental health in refugees, Santa Barbara, CA: Praeger, 2012, pp. 15–29.
15. Orr JA, King RJ, Hawke P, et al. Can we text you? A qualitative exploration of young unemployed job-seekers’ attitudes to receiving resilience-building SMS messages. Advances in Mental Health 2013; 11: 268–285
16. A.AguileraR.F.Munoz. Text messaging as an adjunct to CBT in low-income populations: A usability and feasibility pilot study. Prof Psychol Res Pract2011; 42: 472–478.
17. H.SongA.MayV.Vaidhyanathan. A two-way text-messaging system answering health questions for low-income pregnant women. Patient Educ Couns2013; 92: 182–187.
18. C.DégliseL.S.SuggsP.Odermatt. SMS for disease control in developing countries: A systematic review of mobile health applications. J Telemed Telecare2012; 18: 273–281.
19. D.Ben-ZeevS.M.KaiserI.Krzos. Remote “hovering” with individuals with psychotic disorders and substance use: Feasibility, engagement, and therapeutic alliance with a text-messaging mobile interventionist. J Dual Diagn2014; 10: 197–203.
20. E.R.BuhiT.E.TrudnakM.P.Martinasek. Mobile phone-based behavioural interventions for health: A systematic review. Health Educ J2013; 72: 564–583.
21. Orr JA and King RJ. Mobile phone SMS messages can enhance healthy behaviour: A meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. Health Psychol Rev; 2015. DOI:10.1080/17437199.2015.1022847
22. D.ConstantK.de TollyJ.Harries. Mobile phone messages to provide support to women during the home phase of medical abortion in South Africa: A randomised controlled trial. Contraception2014; 90: 226–233.
23. S.KonrathPositive technology: using mobile phones for psychosocial interventions. In: (ed). Encyclopedia of mobile phone behavior, Hershey, PA: IGI Global, 2015, pp. 871–897.
24. K.E.MurrayG.R.DavidsonR.D.Schweitzer. Review of refugee mental health interventions following resettlement: Best practices and recommendations. Am J Orthopsychiatry2010; 80: 576–585.
25. A.J.RushM.H.TrivediH.M.Ibrahim. The 16-item quick inventory of depressive symptomatology (QIDS), clinician rating (QIDS-C), and self-report (QIDS-SR): A psychometric evaluation in patients with chronic major depression. Biol Psychiatr2003; 54: 573–583.
26. D.J.MiklowitzJ.PriceE.A.Holmes. Facilitated integrated mood management for adults with bipolar disorder. Bipolar Disorders2012; 14: 185–197.
27. J.M.BoppD.J.MiklowitzG.M.Goodwin. The longitudinal course of bipolar disorder as revealed through weekly text messaging: a feasibility study. Bipolar Disorders2010; 12: 327–334.
28. R.C.KesslerH.G.BirnbaumV.Shahly. Age differences in the prevalence and co-morbidity of DSM-IV major depressive episodes: Results from the WHO world mental health survey initiative. Depress Anxiety2010; 27: 351–364.
29. J.R.LandisG.G.Koch. The measurement of observer agreement for categorical data. Biometrics1977; 33: 159–174.
30. T.CrankshawI.B.CorlessJ.Giddy. Exploring the patterns of use and the feasibility of using cellular phones for clinic appointment reminders and adherence messages in an antiretroviral treatment clinic, Durban, South Africa. AIDS Patient Care STDS2010; 24: 729–734.
31. A.BreenL.SwartzA.J.Flisher. Experience of mental disorder in the context of basic service reforms: The impact on caregiving environments in South Africa. Int J Environ Health Res2007; 17: 327–334.
32. I.Jack-IdeL.UysL.E.Middleton. A comparative study of mental health services in two African countries: South Africa and Nigeria. Int J Nurs Midwifery2012; 4: 50–57.
33. Human Rights Watch. No healing here: violence, discrimination and barriers to health for migrants in South Africa, www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/reports/SA.pdf (2009, accessed 15 March 2015)
34. A.AguileraC.Berridge. Qualitative feedback from a text messaging intervention for depression: Benefits, drawbacks, and cultural differences. JMIR Mhealth Uhealth2014; 2: e46–e46.
35. M.L.RanneyE.K.ChooR.M.Cunningham. Acceptability, language, and structure of text message-based behavioral interventions for high-risk adolescent females: A qualitative study. J Adolesc Health2014; 55: 33–40.
36. L.NorrisL.SwartzM.Tomlinson. Mobile phone technology for improved mental health care in South Africa: Possibilities and challenges. S Afr J Psychol2013; 43: 379–388.