Implementation of an online self-knowledge and mental health promotion journey for the Brazilian population: opportunities and challenges

Abstract

The study aimed to investigate opportunities and challenges in implementing an online self-knowledge journey for the Brazilian population. The journey offers free psychological self-assessments and psychoeducational materials to participants. Personalized feedbacks are also provided by filling in standardized scales from international literature (on personality, emotions, values, beliefs, spirituality and mental health). In order to assess the challenges of using the online self-knowledge journey interviews were conducted with a think-aloud protocol (N=16). The findings of the interviews fed into the process of developing a new version. This new version was evaluated through focus groups (N=9) and qualitative interviews (N=6) which helped to validate the adjustments implemented. The strengths found in using the journey were high conceptual acceptance, good therapeutic opportunities, clear language, reliability and personal identification with the personalized feedbacks. To improve the journey we identified the need for usability adjustments, shorter texts and simpler graphics. The adjustments were incorporated and validated in the new release version, which was well accepted and has promising prospects to be used in the Brazilian Unified Health System. Based on the evaluations carried out, good results are expected in the clinical area with the use of the journey, which can be a useful technological device to complement health promotion actions linked to mental health and to personal development services.