Text Message Interventions Show High Satisfaction for Mental Health Support During Wildfires
A study evaluating the Text4Hope-AB and Text4Hope-NS supportive text message interventions, deployed during the 2023 wildfires in Alberta and Nova Scotia, Canada, found high levels of user satisfaction. The interventions aimed to provide psychological support during the high-stress period. Participants reported a mean satisfaction score of 8.66 out of 10. The majority of participants indicated that the daily messages helped them cope with stress (76.0%), anxiety (73.4%), and depression (67.0%). Furthermore, 79.5% felt connected to a support system, 77.9% felt hopeful about managing mental health issues, 78.2% reported improved overall mental well-being, and 72.8% experienced an enhanced quality of life. The study also revealed that older participants generally reported higher satisfaction than younger participants, and male and female participants showed higher satisfaction compared to those identifying as 'other gender,' though the latter group had a very small sample size.
