This applied dissertation was designed to examine variables contributing to mental health providers’ attitudes toward the use of apps in psychotherapy, using the UTAUT2 post-COVID-19. There is a dearth of literature regarding the ways mental healthcare practitioners perceive the use of apps and how it affects their decision-making and acceptance of apps post-COVID-19. This dissertation was guided by the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology UTAUT2which posits that behavioral intention and use behavior are influenced by seven core constructs: performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, facilitating conditions, hedonic motivation, price value, and habit. These constructs are subject to potential moderation by variables such as age, gender, experience, and voluntariness of use. The researcher distributed a survey to collect demographic information and professional characteristics of psychotherapists across the United States, along with UTAUT2 questionnaire questions, to 383 psychotherapists. An analysis of the data revealed that age, gender, race, years practicing psychotherapy, years using smartphone apps, voluntary use of smartphone apps, or professional setting do not substantially change the ways in which core predictors (e.g., performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence) influence behavioral intention or use. Performance Expectancy and Habit were the strongest factors that influenced therapists’ intention to use apps and their actual use of them. This means therapists were more likely to use an app if they saw how it helped them in their work and if it fit easily into their daily routine
| Date of Award | Jan 1 2025 |
|---|
| Original language | English |
|---|
| Supervisor | Katrina M. Pann (Supervisor), David Weintraub (Advisor) & Kimberly Durham (Advisor) |
|---|