Internet-delivered emotional self-management program for the general population during the COVID-19 pandemic: Usability testing

Introduction: Internet-based self-help interventions have the potential to help people address their emotional needs at relatively low costs. However, if the system does not offer optimal functions, it could reduce end-user adherence and satisfaction with treatment and compromise the effectiveness of the program. This study evaluated the usability of an Internet-based self-help intervention for emotional self-management among the general population of Italy during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A balanced sex-age sample of 10 individuals who met the inclusion criteria were consecutively recruited online. The think-aloud testing method, the system usability scale and an ad hoc semi-structured interview were used to determine the overall system usability. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and qualitative data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Results: The participants were mostly satisfied with the usability of the program. However, older users (<45 years) encountered some problems, which took longer, made more mistakes, and needed more help in performing the tasks than their younger counterparts. The analysis of the interviews revealed three central themes: general thoughts about the platform, weaknesses of the platform and difficulties encountered while navigating and completing tasks, and strengths of the platform. Discussion: Based on the results of this study, important improvements will be made before the RinasciMENTE program is tested under real-world conditions. Conducting usability testing is a crucial step at an early stage of the development process of an Internet-based self-help intervention to identify potential usability problems with the system.