Acceptability of an e-mental health self-help intervention aiming to improve psychological distress among persons experiencing unstable housing in France

Abstract Background People experiencing socioeconomic disadvantage are at high risk of having mental health needs. E-mental health tools could help address the mental health needs of this hard-to-reach population. The aim of our study was to explore the acceptability and appropriateness of a mobile-supported website adaptation of WHO’s stress management guide “Doing What Matters in Times of Stress” (DWM) among individuals experiencing unstable housing conditions, as well as among relevant health and social care sector professionals working with this population in Paris. Methods 48 individuals (22 persons experiencing unstable housing conditions and 26 key informants including health care and social workers) participated in a two-phase qualitative study. Participants completed free listing individual interviews (FLI) aiming to investigate access to communication technologies as well as barriers and facilitators of use e-mental health tools, and focus groups (FG) examining barriers and facilitators of use of the DWM online intervention (DWM-OI). All FLIs and FGs were transcribed and content analysis was implemented. Results DWM-OI was considered a useful tool to help individuals deal with stress, both by individuals experiencing unstable housing conditions and by health care and social professionals. Identified barriers to use included: low literacy, lack of face-to-face interaction, and intermittent accessibility to a smartphone or to the Internet. Some participants experiencing unstable housing conditions requested assistance to use DWM-OI as they would not be entirely at ease with this technology. Conclusion Our data suggest that the DWM e-mental health intervention (DWM-OI) is probably well-accepted by persons experiencing unstable housing conditions and by healthcare and social workers in contact with this group. However, certain barriers need to be addressed to make this type of e-mental health tool widely accessible to individuals who experience socioeconomic disadvantage.