Evidence map›Paper›PMID 30607530›Full record

SynthesisEuropean archives of psychiatry and clinical neuroscience2020

Smartphone applications for depression: a systematic literature review and a survey of health care professionals' attitudes towards their use in clinical practice.

Ariane Kerst, Jürgen Zielasek, Wolfgang Gaebel

Registry-linked trialAbstract readSystematic Review
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in European archives of psychiatry and clinical neuroscience, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT04638231 (Supportive Text Messaging Versus Supportive E-mail Messaging for Patients With Major Depressive Disorder - A Non-Inferiority Randomized Trial), which is not on this map. Cited by 70 papers, 6 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
70citing papers in PubMed, 6 pooled it
15.2field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT04638231 nacompletednot on this mapstarted 2021, after this paper: background citation

Supportive Text Messaging Versus Supportive E-mail Messaging for Patients With Major Depressive Disorder - A Non-Inferiority Randomized Trial

TypeinterventionalSponsorUniversity of AlbertaRan2021 to 2023Enrolled66ConditionsMajor Depressive DisorderArmsSupportive messages
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

70 citing papers in PubMed, 6 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 170 citations in OpenAlex.

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10 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.

Ariane KerstDepartment of Psychiatry, Medical Faculty, LVR-Klinikum Düsseldorf, Heinrich-Heine-University, Düsseldorf, Germany. ariane.kerst@lvr.de.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4654-3671
Jürgen ZielasekLVR-Institute for Healthcare Research, Cologne, Germany.
Wolfgang GaebelDepartment of Psychiatry, Medical Faculty, LVR-Klinikum Düsseldorf, Heinrich-Heine-University, Düsseldorf, Germany.
LVR-Klinik Köln · DEEmpowerment Program · US

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Smartphone applications ("apps") may contribute to closing the treatment gap for depression by reaching large populations at relatively low costs. The general public seems open towards the use of apps for mental disorders but less is known about the attitudes of health care professionals. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine the available evidence on the effectiveness of apps for depression and to explore the attitudes of health care professionals towards their use in practice. A systematic literature search was performed aimed at studies utilizing smartphone applications for depression. In addition, a survey was conducted to explore health care professionals' attitudes towards using these treatment apps in clinical practice. Twelve articles were identified in the systematic literature review. All included trials reported a decline in depressive symptoms after the intervention periods. In the survey, 72 health care professionals participated. Significant differences were found between the level of technology experience and how much the health care professional would consider the use of mobile applications in clinical practice. Survey participants reported openness towards therapeutic app use but very little knowledge and experience in the field. Apps appear to be a promising self-management tool for reducing depressive symptoms. Despite some concerns, health care professionals' attitudes towards the use of smartphone applications in clinical practice are quite positive. The provision of information on the potential benefits of e-health interventions as well as the training of professionals in the application of new technologies may increase health care professionals' awareness and knowledge about mobile apps for the treatment of mental disorders.

Indexed as

Attitude of Health PersonnelMedical Informatics ApplicationsMobile ApplicationsSelf-ManagementSmartphoneTelemedicineDepressive DisorderHumansSurveys and QuestionnairesAppsDepressione-Mental healthmHealthMobile healthSmartphone applications

Identifiers

PMID30607530
OpenAlexW2907007935

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.