lmplementing MyAIM™ as a Smartphone-based App Intervention for Youth Stimulant Use in a Middle-Income Country: Challenges and Proposed Solutions

This presentation will be featured at Indonesia 2025, on the 18.09.2025.

Author: Professor Dr Suzaily Wahab - Department of Psychiatry, Hospital Canselor Tuanku Muhriz, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala                  Lumpur, Malaysia

Abstract:

The rise of stimulant use is a global concern as highlighted by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). This is especially true for Southeast Asian nations where there has been steady increase in stimulant seizures yearly. 

Although interventions for stimulant use are present, access to them remains an issue. The digital landscape offers promising avenues for addressing substance use, yet its implementation in middle-income countries presents distinct challenges contrasting with high-income nations.

This presentation highlights the complexities of deploying a newly developed app for Malaysian youths who use stimulants, MyAIM™ , in the community setting which focuses on key challenges and actionable solutions to ensure their successful adoption and sustainability.

Key challenges include limited smartphone access, varying levels of digital literacy, inconsistent internet connectivity, and the critical need for cultural relevance. Socioeconomic factors further compound these challenges, influencing user engagement, and retention. To navigate these obstacles, comprehensive steps addressing technical, personal and social factors were proposed to improve the success of implementing the app in a middle-income nation.