Identifying the Determinants of Behavioral Intention to Use Smartphone Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) Recovery Apps

Recently, non-traditional modes of treatment using mobile devices have been explored to supplement recovery from Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD). Although the literature has shown promising results of their efficacy, mobile interventions generally remain underused. The Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT), was applied to explain the findings on the acceptance and use of Smartphone AUD recovery apps. The researcher surveyed 160 participants from addiction treatment facilities across Ontario and from various AUD recovery support groups on social media. The results demonstrated social influence to be the key antecedent to behavioral intention to use these apps and suggested a potential positive relationship between behavioral intention and use behavior. This study also highlighted the app features considered to be the most important to participants. The findings contribute to the IT acceptance literature as it pertains to addiction apps and offers practical implications for health care providers and app developers.