Identifying Usability Challenges of eHealth Applications for People with Mental Disorders: Errors and Design Recommendations

Mental disorders are a major public health issue and have a strong impact on the people affected by these disabilities. A considerable number of eHealth applications are readily available on a wide range of health topics, and they are becoming increasingly important components of general medical care models, as well as in the treatment of mental illness. However, there is a lack of appropriate design recommendations regarding applications for people with mental disorders. For them, usability can be greatly improved by developing designs that meet their needs, such as low cognitive effort. The aim of this study is to develop an understanding of the usability aspects that influence the ability of people with mental disorders. For this purpose, this article includes a systematic literature review with regard to usability errors and design recommendations of eHealth applications in the field of mental illness. Based on this review, the results are grouped according the PACMAD model and then analyzed and discussed.