3.2.2. RQ2: Changes in Usage Time, Launches, Session Time and Number of Days

The results showed no statistically significant difference between the average daily usage time of mental health apps between 2019 and 2020. Additionally, no statistically significant relationship was found between mental health app usage and the demographics within 2019 and 2020. The results from comparing the change in mental health usage based on average session time also had no statistically significant relationship within and across 2019 and 2020.

The daily average number of launches of mental health apps was found to be statistically significant for gender in 2020. The average number of launches was greater for males (Mdn = 1.43, n = 30) compared to females (Mdn = 0.76, n = 51), *U* = 982, *p* = 0.034, |*r*| = 0.28.

For the number of days of use, age, and gender were both significant for 2020. The results showed that males (Mdn = 13.0 days, n = 30) had a higher number of days of use compared to females (Mdn = 7.0 days, n = 51), *U* = 994.5, *p* = 0.025, |*r*| = 0.30. On the other hand, in terms of days of use, adults (Mdn = 10.5 days, n = 48) were more likely to use mental health apps compared to emerging adults (Mdn = 5.0 days, n = 33), *U* = 547, *p* = 0.018, |*r*| = 0.31.

### 3.2.3. RQ3: Changes in Usage across the Two Categories of Mental Health Apps

The results for the daily average time spent on guidance-based mental health apps were found to have no significance with the period, age, and gender. Comparing the average session time for guidance-based apps with the year 2019 and 2020 showed a significant relationship where users in 2020 (Mdn = 1.34 min, n = 65) had a higher daily average session time compared to users in 2019 (Mdn = 1.05 min, n = 30), *U* = 695, *p* = 0.025, |*r*| = 0.29.

The results for the daily average number of launches of guidance-based mental health apps showed age to be significant for 2019 and both age and gender to be significant for 2020. For 2019, the results showed emerging adults (Mdn = 0.38, n = 8) as having lower daily average launches compared to adults (Mdn = 1.60, n = 22), *U* = 39, *p* = 0.023, |*r*| = 0.56. Similarly, in 2020, emerging adults (Mdn = 0.48, n = 25) were found to have lower daily average launches compared to adults (Mdn = 1.60, n = 40), *U* = 288.5, *p* = 0.004, |*r*| = 0.42. Additionally, males (Mdn = 1.48, n = 25) were found to have higher number of daily average launches compared to females (Mdn = 0.74, n = 40), *U* = 649, *p* = 0.045, |*r*| = 0.30.

The number of days of use of guidance-based apps showed significant results for age in both 2019 and 2020. In 2019, adults (Mdn = 12 days, n = 22) had a higher number of usage days of guidance-based mental health apps compared to emerging adults (Mdn = 3.5 days, n = 8), *U* = 32, *p* = 0.009, |*r*| = 0.64. Similarly, in 2020, adults (Mdn = 11.5 days, n = 40) again

showed a higher number of usage days for guidance-based mental health apps compared to emerging adults (Mdn = 4 days, n = 25), *U* = 247.5, *p <* 0.001, |*r*| = 0.51.

For tracking-based mental health apps, a significant relationship for gender was found in 2020 where males (Mdn = 17 days, n = 5) had a higher usage in terms of number of days compared to females (Mdn = 6 days, n = 16), *U* = 68.5, *p* = 0.020, |*r*| = 0.712.
