INTRODUCTION: Mental illness affects millions of people worldwide, and Innovative digital solutions are essential to improving mental health literacy, overcoming access barriers, and enhancing engagement with care. This is a pilot cross-sectional survey study designed to evaluate a mental health application (App) usability in Rwanda.
METHODS: A cross-sectional study design was employed to assess the usability, user experience, and satisfaction with the E-Ruhuka app. A total of 78 students from the University of Rwanda, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, participated in the study. The evaluation utilized the System Usability Scale (SUS), the User Experience Questionnaire (UEQ), and the Client Satisfaction Questionnaire (CSQ) to measure key outcomes.
RESULTS: The majority of participants (78.3%) rated their experience with the App as good or excellent, with 74.4% expressing high satisfaction. However, only 51.3% rated the App’s usability as good or acceptable based on the System Usability Scale Questionnaire (SUSQ). Participants provided specific recommendations to enhance usability, including improved navigation, multilingual support, offline access, interactive features such as live chat with mental health professionals, and an emergency support function.
CONCLUSION: Findings from this pilot study indicate high user satisfaction and positive engagement with the E-Ruhuka app. However, usability challenges highlight the need for refinements to improve functionality and accessibility. Implementing suggested improvements will be essential to maximizing the App’s effectiveness in promoting mental health awareness and support.
