Personal Stigma, Determinants of Intention to Use Technology, and Acceptance of Internet-based Psychological Interventions for Depression

Abstract Objective Despite showing comparable levels of efficacy, internet-based psychological interventions (IPI) exhibited lower acceptance and intention of use as compared to psychological treatment delivered by face-to-face methods. Surprisingly, no research has inspected whether IPI acceptance is associated with variables linked with intentions of technology use and with barriers to seeking professional psychological help, such as personal depression stigma. Informed by the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology, the current study tested the role of technology and mental health-related determinants as predictors of acceptance of IPI for depression. Methods Participants were 417 community Portuguese adults, who completed a pencil-and-paper survey. Results Our results indicated that performance expectancy, social influence, and personal stigma against depression were significantly associated with the acceptance of IPI for depression. Conclusions These results suggest that barriers to seeking professional psychological help should be considered in the understanding of IPI acceptance.