A cross-sectional study of digital mental health literacy and communication, predictors of the TAM, and willingness to use smartphone mental health applications among adults in Bangladesh.
- 1Bangladesh University of Professionals (BUP)
Abstract
BackgroundDigital mental health applications offer scalable pathways to expand mental healthcare access in low- and middle-income countries, yet limited evidence exists on factors predicting willingness to use such applications in South Asia. This study examined associations between digital mental health literacy (DMHL), Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) constructs, mental health symptoms, and willingness to use smartphone-based mental health applications among adults in Bangladesh.
MethodsCross-sectional study conducted from February to June 2026 across urban (Dhaka), semi-urban (Chattogram), and rural (Sylhet) divisions of Bangladesh. Adults aged 18-60 years attending primary care facilities with smartphone access (n = 400) completed a face-to-face interview in Bangla assessing sociodemographic, depression (PHQ-9), anxiety (GAD-7), DMHL (6-item scale, = .762), TAM perceived usefulness (5-item, = .937) and ease of use (5-item, = .924), and willingness to use mental health applications (5-item scale, = .946). Hierarchical binary logistic regression examined associations with willingness (dichotomized at mean [≥]3.5).
ResultsGreater DMHL was associated with higher willingness (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 1.24, 95% CI: 1.11- 1.38). Both perceived usefulness (aOR = 1.29, 95% CI: 1.18-1.41) and perceived ease of use (aOR = 1.17, 95% CI: 1.07-1.28) independently predicted willingness. Anxiety symptoms were positively associated (aOR = 1.08 per 1-point increase, 95% CI: 1.01-1.15), whereas depression symptoms, age, and sex were not independently significant after adjustment for other variables.
ConclusionsDigital literacy, perceived utility of technology, and symptom-specific phenomenology but not demographics alone are associated with willingness to use digital mental health applications. Building DMHL, optimizing the usefulness and usability of the app, and overcoming implementation barriers should all be given priority.
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BibTeX
@misc{maruf2026crosssectional,
title = {{A cross-sectional study of digital mental health literacy and communication, predictors of the TAM, and willingness to use smartphone mental health applications among adults in Bangladesh.}},
author = {S. A. Maruf and M. H. Rahman and M. B. Khan and M. A. M. Rashid and T. A. Faria and H. Mahmud and M. S. Azmin},
howpublished = {medRxiv},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.64898/2026.09.21.26363570},
url = {https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.21.26363570v1},
note = {CC BY-ND},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - A cross-sectional study of digital mental health literacy and communication, predictors of the TAM, and willingness to use smartphone mental health applications among adults in Bangladesh.
AU - S. A. Maruf
AU - M. H. Rahman
AU - M. B. Khan
AU - M. A. M. Rashid
AU - T. A. Faria
AU - H. Mahmud
AU - M. S. Azmin
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/21
PB - medRxiv
DO - 10.64898/2026.09.21.26363570
UR - https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.21.26363570v1
AB - BackgroundDigital mental health applications offer scalable pathways to expand mental healthcare access in low- and middle-income countries, yet limited evidence exists on factors predicting willingness to use such applications in South Asia. This study examined associations between digital mental health literacy (DMHL), Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) constructs, mental health symptoms, and willingness to use smartphone-based mental health applications among adults in Bangladesh. MethodsCross-sectional study conducted from February to June 2026 across urban (Dhaka), semi-urban (Chattogram), and rural (Sylhet) divisions of Bangladesh. Adults aged 18-60 years attending primary care facilities with smartphone access (n = 400) completed a face-to-face interview in Bangla assessing sociodemographic, depression (PHQ-9), anxiety (GAD-7), DMHL (6-item scale, = .762), TAM perceived usefulness (5-item, = .937) and ease of use (5-item, = .924), and willingness to use mental health applications (5-item scale, = .946). Hierarchical binary logistic regression examined associations with willingness (dichotomized at mean [≥]3.5). ResultsGreater DMHL was associated with higher willingness (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 1.24, 95% CI: 1.11- 1.38). Both perceived usefulness (aOR = 1.29, 95% CI: 1.18-1.41) and perceived ease of use (aOR = 1.17, 95% CI: 1.07-1.28) independently predicted willingness. Anxiety symptoms were positively associated (aOR = 1.08 per 1-point increase, 95% CI: 1.01-1.15), whereas depression symptoms, age, and sex were not independently significant after adjustment for other variables. ConclusionsDigital literacy, perceived utility of technology, and symptom-specific phenomenology but not demographics alone are associated with willingness to use digital mental health applications. Building DMHL, optimizing the usefulness and usability of the app, and overcoming implementation barriers should all be given priority.
ER -