iCare: Findings from the Design and Initial Evaluation of a Mental Health App Prototype for Working-Class Women in India

Researchers have long recognized women’s prevalence of stress, anxiety, and depression. The role of a professional or a housewife can significantly negatively impact stress and anxiety, so a better understanding of gender as a social predictor of workplace health is required. In this paper, we designed a mental health app prototype iCare which was evaluated by 40 women to determine the perceived effectiveness of mobile health apps in helping working-class Indian women to manage stress. Based on our qualitative study, we found that the Aesthetics, Anonymity, Customization, Personalization, Usefulness of Feedback Provided by the App, App User Interface, and Effectiveness of the App for Stress and Anxiety Management, are critical needs of this target audience from an app of this type. We believe that India and many countries in Africa share numerous similarities, particularly in the experiences of working-class women. Thus, the findings from this research can be effectively applied to an African context as well.