Open AccessGetting Change-Space: A Grounded Theory Study of Automated eHealth Therapy
Author(s) -
Marianne Therese Smogeli Holter,
Ottar Ness,
Ayna B. Johansen,
Håvar Brendryen
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
the qualitative report
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2160-3715
DOI - 10.46743/2160-3715/2019.3988
Subject(s) - ehealth , alliance , grounded theory , mhealth , psychology , qualitative research , avatar , psychological intervention , social psychology , internet privacy , computer science , health care , sociology , human–computer interaction , social science , political science , law , psychiatry , economics , economic growth
A promising tool for bettering people’s health is eHealth (or “mHealth”) programs: fully automated, web-based health interventions. However, we know surprisingly little about eHealth’s working mechanisms. One possible working mechanism is that program users benefit from a collaborative “relationship”—a “working alliance”—with the program. Although evidence support the existence of a person-to-program alliance it is unclear if and how it influences change. Therefore, we conducted a grounded theory study of how relating to an eHealth program for quitting smoking influenced the participants’ change processes. The ensuing model focuses on how participants got change-space—feeling free from social forcing and able to work constructively on changing—and how the relational processes “making come-alive” and “keeping un-alive” were instrumental in this process. By presenting evidence that relating may influence change in automated therapy, this study supports the person-to-program alliance as a working mechanism in eHealth.