Conceptual model of wearable persuasive multimedia as digital persuader for controllability awareness of academic depression amongst university students

The prevalence of depression among university students in Malaysia can be reflected in unprecedented suicide acts and attempts. However, reliable, practical, and comprehensive methods are scarce to curb the issue’s root cause to empower one's controllability awareness. Awareness of the importance of mental health can be enhanced through wearable technology, which is increasingly recognised for its ability to monitor well-being while also persuading and motivating users toward healthier behaviours. Several studies have also confirmed the relevance of persuasive methods in wearable technology through varying degrees. In most awareness studies, persuasive principles, methods, techniques and models have been integrated to raise certain levels of awareness for persuasive technology (PT). Nevertheless, efficient methods to represent the awareness attributes in wearable interaction design are still lacking. Moreover, very few studies have focused on enhancing controllability awareness, especially concerning academic depression. Therefore, this study seeks to leverage the wearable devices like smartwatches as the PT by integrating persuasive, multimedia, and wearable design principles into a conceptual model that enhances controllability awareness of depression amongst university students in Malaysia. This study adopted the Design Science Research Process Methodology (DSRPM), which consists of problem awareness, suggestion, development, evaluation, and communication. Additionally, the robustness of the proposed conceptual model was validated through multidisciplinary expert reviews, prototyping, focus group study, and user evaluations. The evaluation of the semantic quality of the conceptual model encompasses the constructs of perceived controllability awareness. Statistical testing confirms the presence of a difference in users’ controllability awareness, even though the variation is not statistically significant. The proposed conceptual model's validity, credibility, utility, and feasibility requirements prove it is sufficiently robust to enhance controllability awareness of mental health issues amongst university students. Consequently, the conceptual model can guide wearable interaction designers in creating persuasive multimedia applications for smartwatches, aiming to enhance social well-being and contribute to the sustainable development of youth in Malaysia.