Handy Apps for Mental Health on Mobile Devices for Moderate to Severe Depression

For adults with moderate to severe depression, a meta-analysis supports the use of mobile mental health apps as an adjunct to traditional treatment or as a stand-alone intervention.

METHODS:

There is a dearth of data regarding the efficacy of mobile mental health apps across various patient populations, despite their proliferation.

To find out more, researchers performed a meta-analysis and systematic review of 13 randomized clinical trials evaluating the effectiveness of mobile mental health apps as a treatment for 1470 adults with moderate to severe depression.

The main result was the reduction in depressive symptoms from before to after treatment; patient-level variables linked to the effectiveness of the app were among the secondary results.

LESSONS TO NOTE:

Compared to both active and inactive control groups, mobile app interventions were associated with significantly fewer depressive symptoms, with a medium effect size (standardized mean difference [SMD] 0.50).

Delivered for less than eight weeks, app interventions had a substantially bigger effect size (SMD 0.77 vs 0.43) than those delivered for more than eight weeks. Patients who were not receiving therapy or medication responded better to apps. Additionally, it seemed that apps with incentives or awards were more successful.

Treatment outcomes were significantly worse for interventions with in-app notifications (SMD 0.45) compared to those without (SMD 0.45 vs 0.71).

IN ACTIVITY:

“The significant treatment efficacy of app-based interventions compared with active and inactive controls suggests the potential of mobile app interventions as an alternative to conventional psychotherapy, with further merits in accessibility, financial affordability, and safety from stigma,” the authors write.