The paradox of choice: user preferences and completion rates in single-session vs. multi-session digital mental health interventions

Abstract

Digital mental health interventions (DMHIs) offer scalable solutions for addressing mental health needs, but low adherence remains a significant challenge. Single session DMHIs may offer a feasible alternative to address this issue, providing an accessible and low-effort option for users. The present study examines whether adding the choice of a single session DMHI in addition to a multi-session DMHI provides a feasible alternative for users who might otherwise disengage. This study examined naturalistic data from 509 university students who registered for a 12-session DMHI, single session DMHI, or both. The majority (58%) chose only the multi-session DMHI, while 24.2% chose only the single-session option, and 17.5% registered for both. Rates of completing one session of the chosen DMHI were highest for the single session DMHI (56.1%), with the lowest rates among those who registered for both programs. Users who chose the single session DMHI reported lower motivation and less frequent intentions to address mental health. Satisfaction with the single-session program was high. These results highlight the promise of single-session DMHIs as a feasible and acceptable intervention to help navigate adherence challenges with longer programs, while raising questions about the effectiveness of having users choose between single-session and multi-session DMHIs.

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