Does digital health improve equity for Latine mental health after a disaster? Evidence from a randomized trial with 2017 and 2018 hurricane survivors.
Arthur R Andrews, Laura M Acosta, Laura Perez Villagomez et al.
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In 30 seconds
This analysis of a randomized clinical trial examined whether use and outcomes of Bounce Back Now, a mobile self-help app, differed between Latine and non-Latine hurricane survivors from the 2017 and 2018 seasons. The sample included 1,357 survivors, 49.5% of whom were Latine. App use across components and efficacy were not significantly different between groups (p > .05). About half of participants in both groups who had significant symptoms had not received mental health care in the previous month, suggesting the app reached people with unmet care needs.
Key findings
- Use of multiple Bounce Back Now components did not differ significantly between Latine and non-Latine participants (p > .05).
- Efficacy was similar between groups in latent change score models (p > .05).
- Approximately half of Latine and non-Latine participants with significant symptoms had received no mental health care in the past month.
Why it matters
Digital self-help tools are often proposed to address disparities in mental health access. These findings suggest that this app was used and had similar efficacy across Latine and non-Latine survivors, while reaching many participants with significant symptoms who were not receiving recent care. The results inform efforts to assess whether digital tools can contribute to more equitable access after disasters.
What to keep in mind
The findings concern one mobile self-help app in hurricane survivors and do not establish that digital tools generally reduce mental health disparities.