ABSTRACT Self‐guided digital mental health apps often show high attrition, highlighting the need to understand engagement beyond behavioural metrics. The Homework Rating Scale—Mobile Application (HRS‐MA) was developed to assess cognitive, emotional and attitudinal aspects of engagement. This study evaluated its psychometric properties. The HRS‐MA was integrated into the MoodMission app and administered after 30 days of use, alongside additional self‐report measures. Data from 2100 users were analysed for reliability, construct, convergent, divergent and predictive validity. The HRS‐MA showed excellent internal consistency (Cronbach's α = 0.90; McDonald's ω = 0.94). Factor analyses supported a two‐factor structure—engagement and difficulty and obstacles. The measure demonstrated strong convergent and divergent validity and modest predictive validity. A derived coefficient of psychological effort, representing the interaction between engagement and perceived barriers, significantly predicted symptom reduction, particularly in depression. The HRS‐MA is a psychometrically sound tool for capturing cognitive and attitudinal dimensions of engagement in digital interventions. It complements behavioural indicators by offering a more comprehensive view of user experience and effort, providing researchers and developers with a valuable framework for optimizing mental health app design and evaluation.
Moggia et al. (Thu,) studied this question.