Mobile Apps for Mental Health Issues: Meta-Review of Meta-Analyses
BackgroundMental health apps have great potential to help people needing support to cope with distress or specific symptoms. In fact, there is an exponential increase in the number of mental health apps available on the internet, with less than 5% being actually studied. ObjectiveThis st...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
JMIR Publications
2020-05-01
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| Series: | JMIR mHealth and uHealth |
| Online Access: | https://mhealth.jmir.org/2020/5/e17458 |
| _version_ | 1818385613249839104 |
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| author | Lecomte, Tania Potvin, Stéphane Corbière, Marc Guay, Stéphane Samson, Crystal Cloutier, Briana Francoeur, Audrey Pennou, Antoine Khazaal, Yasser |
| author_facet | Lecomte, Tania Potvin, Stéphane Corbière, Marc Guay, Stéphane Samson, Crystal Cloutier, Briana Francoeur, Audrey Pennou, Antoine Khazaal, Yasser |
| author_sort | Lecomte, Tania |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | BackgroundMental health apps have great potential to help people needing support to cope with distress or specific symptoms. In fact, there is an exponential increase in the number of mental health apps available on the internet, with less than 5% being actually studied.
ObjectiveThis study aimed to assess the quality of the available evidence regarding the use of mental health apps and to summarize the results obtained so far.
MethodsSystematic reviews and meta-analyses were searched, specifically for mobile apps on mental health issues or symptoms, and rated using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation system.
ResultsA total of 7 meta-analyses were carefully reviewed and rated. Although some meta-analyses looked at any mental health issue and analyzed the data together, these studies were of poorer quality and did not offer strong empirical support for the apps. Studies focusing specifically on anxiety symptoms or depressive symptoms were of moderate to high quality and generally had small to medium effect sizes. Similarly, the effects of apps on stress and quality of life tended to offer small to medium effects and were of moderate to high quality. Studies looking at stand-alone apps had smaller effect sizes but better empirical quality than studies looking at apps with guidance. The studies that included follow-ups mostly found a sustained impact of the app at an 11-week follow-up.
ConclusionsThis meta-review revealed that apps for anxiety and depression hold great promise with clear clinical advantages, either as stand-alone self-management or as adjunctive treatments. More meta-analyses and more quality studies are needed to recommend apps for other mental health issues or for specific populations. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-14T03:40:56Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-4b6b2b2e29ed433ab5a70c3ab1547367 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2291-5222 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-14T03:40:56Z |
| publishDate | 2020-05-01 |
| publisher | JMIR Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | JMIR mHealth and uHealth |
| spelling | doaj.art-4b6b2b2e29ed433ab5a70c3ab15473672022-12-21T23:18:29ZengJMIR PublicationsJMIR mHealth and uHealth2291-52222020-05-0185e1745810.2196/17458Mobile Apps for Mental Health Issues: Meta-Review of Meta-AnalysesLecomte, TaniaPotvin, StéphaneCorbière, MarcGuay, StéphaneSamson, CrystalCloutier, BrianaFrancoeur, AudreyPennou, AntoineKhazaal, YasserBackgroundMental health apps have great potential to help people needing support to cope with distress or specific symptoms. In fact, there is an exponential increase in the number of mental health apps available on the internet, with less than 5% being actually studied. ObjectiveThis study aimed to assess the quality of the available evidence regarding the use of mental health apps and to summarize the results obtained so far. MethodsSystematic reviews and meta-analyses were searched, specifically for mobile apps on mental health issues or symptoms, and rated using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation system. ResultsA total of 7 meta-analyses were carefully reviewed and rated. Although some meta-analyses looked at any mental health issue and analyzed the data together, these studies were of poorer quality and did not offer strong empirical support for the apps. Studies focusing specifically on anxiety symptoms or depressive symptoms were of moderate to high quality and generally had small to medium effect sizes. Similarly, the effects of apps on stress and quality of life tended to offer small to medium effects and were of moderate to high quality. Studies looking at stand-alone apps had smaller effect sizes but better empirical quality than studies looking at apps with guidance. The studies that included follow-ups mostly found a sustained impact of the app at an 11-week follow-up. ConclusionsThis meta-review revealed that apps for anxiety and depression hold great promise with clear clinical advantages, either as stand-alone self-management or as adjunctive treatments. More meta-analyses and more quality studies are needed to recommend apps for other mental health issues or for specific populations.https://mhealth.jmir.org/2020/5/e17458 |
| spellingShingle | Lecomte, Tania Potvin, Stéphane Corbière, Marc Guay, Stéphane Samson, Crystal Cloutier, Briana Francoeur, Audrey Pennou, Antoine Khazaal, Yasser Mobile Apps for Mental Health Issues: Meta-Review of Meta-Analyses JMIR mHealth and uHealth |
| title | Mobile Apps for Mental Health Issues: Meta-Review of Meta-Analyses |
| title_full | Mobile Apps for Mental Health Issues: Meta-Review of Meta-Analyses |
| title_fullStr | Mobile Apps for Mental Health Issues: Meta-Review of Meta-Analyses |
| title_full_unstemmed | Mobile Apps for Mental Health Issues: Meta-Review of Meta-Analyses |
| title_short | Mobile Apps for Mental Health Issues: Meta-Review of Meta-Analyses |
| title_sort | mobile apps for mental health issues meta review of meta analyses |
| url | https://mhealth.jmir.org/2020/5/e17458 |
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