SupportGroove: An interdisciplinary collaboration to develop an online positive psychology
intervention for dyads post-spinal cord injury
Corinne Buffo, BA, Hop Nguyen, BS, Adam Bullough, BS, Jackie Einerson, MOT, OTR/L, Alexandra L. Terrill, PhD
Department of Occupational & Recreational Therapies, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, USA
Participant Feedback
Research Overview
• Navigating changes following a spinal cord injury (SCI) can contribute
to deleterious effects on mental health and quality of life for individuals
with SCI and their carepartners.
“...what might be more intuitive to me is if you
• Current literature provides little evidence regarding interventions could have a drop-down menu for everything.”
addressing these issues or various accessibility barriers. - Individual with SCI
• Existing interventions lack the convenience of mobile interventions.
Objective: In response, we developed a web-based app (SupportGroove)
in collaboration with therapeutic gaming and apps lab (GApp Lab) to
deliver a positive psychology intervention (PPI) for dyads post-SCI.
“I would kind of just take away the
icons and put them in the menu. It
Figure 1. Design Process would be nice to be able to change
the date of the activity, instead of
having everything be today.”
- Carepartner
Table 1. Participant Characteristics
Participant Time since SCI SCI cause
501 18 years Motor vehicle accident
502 7 years, 10 months Epidural
503 12 years, 3 months Sledding
504 1 year, 3 months Cancer
506 8 months Fall
“...it just helped us make sure
that there was at least one time
a week, that we were talking
about life and not about, ‘how is
self-care?’ And, ‘when's your
next appointment? What's going
Methods on next week?’”
- Carepartner
• Based on a previous PPI for couples coping with stroke.
• Stakeholders/end-users informed design and usability of
SupportGroove. Design process outlined in Figure 1.
• Preliminary testing of app was completed by five dyads, recruited
primarily through clinical referral. Participant characteristics are “...that’s one of the things where people can
described in Table 1. get into a lot of trouble with this, is all of a
sudden, I’ve seen it in my marriage honestly, I
• Eight-week self-administered PPI including activities to be done became a job, not a partner…just having
individually and together, which was recorded on a mobile device. something to work on together that we both
Activity categories consisted of gratitude, kindness, relationships, could do that…it could be simple stuff, but it’s
positivity, goals, savoring and spirituality. something to do together to reinforce yes,
we’re still partners.”
• Quantitative and qualitative feedback related to feasibility and - Individual with SCI
usability of the app were collected via post-intervention web-based
surveys and phone interviews.
Results
Qualitative data from participant feedback interviews supported and expanded
on quantitative results (Table 2).
Table 2. Results
• Data collected from 5 dyads (1 dyad dropped out)
• Age range: 27-53 (Mean = 36 [SD = 9.21])
• Female: 2 individuals with SCI (40%), 3 carepartners (60%)
• Found at least moderate benefit from activities for self and as a dyad
100% • Were neutral or disagreed that they would recommend the beta
version of the app to those with SCI and their carepartner
“...if it’s a rehab setting or • Were at least moderately satisfied with activities
something you can say...this is 75% • Mostly disagreed that even with training, most people would NOT be
something that will help you able to use the app effectively
cope with your injury.”
- Individual with SCI 62.5% • At least somewhat agreed the app provided useful information
• At least somewhat agreed the app was accessible to those with SCI
• At least somewhat agreed that the app was easy to use
50% • At least somewhat agreed that the app was frustrating to use
• At least somewhat agreed that the app was confusing to use
Activities perceived to be most helpful:
Working towards goals, expressing gratitude,
Complete/ fostering relationships, and acts of kindness
SCI level
Incomplete
Incomplete C4 Figure 2a. Previous layout of app
Incomplete T5
Incomplete C4-C5
Incomplete C6
Incomplete L1
“...as far as the society we’re in
now, I think having just kind of
the app there as a reminder, Figure 2b. Layout of latest prototype
because we’re on our phones all
the time, and then from there it
helps me to remember to do
things to build our relationship.”
- Carepartner
Conclusion
• Online tools provide ease and accessibility for behavioral interventions. SupportGroove’s first cohort,
on average, appear to have benefitted from the intervention, showing future promise for the app.
• Participant feedback on app design and interface (depicted in figure 2) will be implemented as the app
undergoes structural changes prior to data collection from a second cohort.
Acknowledgement of financial support: Craig H. Neilsen Foundation PSR#440457; University of Utah Consortium for Families & Health Research
Contact: alex.terrill@hsc.utah.edu