Preferences of young adults on the development of a new digital add-on alcohol intervention for depression treatment: A qualitative study

Aim: To explore the preferences of young adults with regard to the development of a new digital add-on alcohol intervention to complement depression treatment. Methods: This qualitative study included young adults (18–35 years) with experience of either problematic alcohol use or depression or both (n = 29). Two rounds of focus groups were conducted, with two focus groups in each round. All focus groups were recorded, transcribed and analysed deductively and inductively on the basis of qualitative content analysis of the intervention type, features and design. Results: Young adults preferred a mobile health application with a clear and simple objective and navigation which was also accessible on a computer. With regard to intervention features, participants indicated a preference for in-depth, gain-framed information on alcohol use and a main feature enabling them to record their alcohol use and mood, which would be rewarded. Other preferences included personal goal-setting and monitoring, an activity list, experience stories, peer contact, guidance from experts by experience or volunteers and receiving notifications from the application. In terms of design, participants preferred short, animated videos and animation figure illustrations to complement written text. Moreover, participants rated the design of the intervention as highly important, yet very personal. Generally, participants preferred a light pastel colour scheme. Once again, participants indicated a need for a clear dashboard using pictograms to reduce the amount of text and fast, easy-to-use navigation. Conclusion: The preferences indicated by young adults with regard to the intervention type, features and design may enhance the development of a new digital add-on alcohol intervention to complement depression treatment.