Topic: mHealth Apps That Support Mental Health of People Living With HIV on AntiRetroviral Therapy; A Narrative literature Review

Background: HIV has been a world pandemic since the 1980’s and still it's an ongoing worldwide public health issue with Sub-Saharan Africa as the hotspot for the virus. Mental health is another challenge that continues to be a major public health issue. Living with Hiv has proved to have an impact on an individual's daily functioning and this has been observed and documented by studies. The introduction of Mobile Health(mHealth) in 2014 offered a promise of interventions for mental health challenges faced by this population. This systematic review aims to identify and evaluate existing mental health tracker apps tailored specifically for people living with HIV(PLHIV). Aims: This study aims to systematically identify and evaluate mHealth apps that support PLHIV. It seeks to identify features, usability and effectiveness of these interventions. It also aims to investigate access to these interventions by the Sub Saharan region. The goal of this study is to play a pivotal role in the development of evidence based intervention and support for this population. Objectives: The primary objective of this study is 1) to identify mHealth apps targeting PLHIV, 2) to evaluate the features and functioning of this interventions, 3) to assess their usability and access to sub Saharan Africa, 4) to determine effectiveness of the interventions in improving the mental health of PLHIV. Methods: A systematic search will be conducted using electronic databases search including: PubMed, PsyciNFO, JMIR and app reposition using keywords that will be predetermined. Studies published from January 2015 to December 2023 will be included. The screening of titles, abstracts, features and ratings will be evaluated by the author and approved by the supervisor. Collected data will be synthesised from various sources to investigate through comprehensive analysis of the Apps. A rigorous quality assessment framework will be established to evaluate mental health tracker apps tailored for PLWHIV to ensure methodological robustness in assessing their efficacy, access, user experience, and alignment with evidence-based approaches. Conclusion: This systematic review will offer a comprehensive review of mental health trackers for PLHIV, offering valuable insights for PLHIV, healthcare providers, researchers, and app developers. By identifying gaps and strengths in existing apps, this review will inform future research directions and contribute to the development of tailored interventions to enhance the mental well-being of PLHIV. By assessing the accessibility of these apps, this review will inform policy makers,app developers for better access and usage by Sub Saharan Africa. Keywords: Mental Health, PLHIV, mHealth, ARV/ART

Background: HIV has been a world pandemic since the 1980’s and still it is an ongoing worldwide public health issue with Sub-Saharan Africa as the hotspot for the virus. Mental health is another challenge that continues to be a major public health issue. Living with HIV has proved to have an impact on an individual's daily functioning and this has been observed and documented by studies. The introduction of Mobile Health(mHealth) in 2014 offered a promise of interventions for mental health challenges faced by this population. This systematic review aims to identify and evaluate existing mental health tracker apps tailored specifically for people living with HIV(PLHIV). Aims: This study aims to systematically identify and evaluate mHealth apps that support PLHIV. It seeks to identify features, usability and effectiveness of these interventions. It also aims to investigate access to these interventions by the Sub Saharan region. The goal of this study is to play a pivotal role in the development of evidence based intervention and support for this population. Objectives: The primary objective of this study is 1) to identify mHealth apps targeting PLHIV, 2) to evaluate the features and functioning of this interventions, 3) to assess their usability and access to sub Saharan Africa, 4) to determine effectiveness of the interventions in improving the mental health of PLHIV. Methods: A systematic search will be conducted using electronic databases search including: PubMed, PsyciNFO, JMIR and app reposition using keywords that will be predetermined. Studies published from January 2015 to December 2023 will be included. The screening of titles, abstracts, features and ratings will be evaluated by the author and approved by the supervisor. Collected data will be synthesised from various sources to investigate through comprehensive analysis of the Apps. A rigorous quality assessment framework will be established to evaluate mental health tracker apps tailored for PLHIV to ensure methodological robustness in assessing their efficacy, access, user experience, and alignment with evidence-based approaches. Conclusion: This systematic review will offer a comprehensive review of mental health trackers for PLHIV, offering valuable insights for PLHIV, healthcare providers, researchers, and app developers. By identifying gaps and strengths in existing apps, this review will inform future research directions and contribute to the development of tailored interventions to enhance the mental well-being of PLHIV. By assessing the accessibility of these apps, this review will inform policy makers,app developers for better access and usage by Sub Saharan Africa. Keywords: Mental Health, PLHIV, mHealth, ARV/ART