SynthesisJMIR mHealth and uHealth2019
Smartphone Apps Targeting Alcohol and Illicit Substance Use: Systematic Search in in Commercial App Stores and Critical Content Analysis.
Synthesis in JMIR mHealth and uHealth, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT04680741 (Application Based Addiction Treatment Adherence Trial), which is not on this map. Cited by 64 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled 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.
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.
Application Based Addiction Treatment Adherence Trial: a Pilot Study
Who cites it
64 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 119 citations in OpenAlex.
- Could the use of web-based applications assist in neuropsychiatric treatment? An umbrella review.BMC psychology · 2025Pooled it
- Does socioeconomic position moderate the associations between the content and delivery features of digital behaviour change interventions for smoking cessation and intervention effectiveness? A systematic review and meta-analysis.Health psychology review · 2024Pooled it
- Effect of smartphone breathalyzer feedback on willingness to drive in moderately intoxicated individuals: A randomized trial.Psychology of addictive behaviors : journal of the Society of Psychologists in Addictive Behaviors · 2025Trial
- Using intervention mapping to evaluate 'High-Alert,' a brief smartphone intervention to reduce youth cannabis-impaired driving.PloS one · 2025Trial
- A Digital Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Program for Adults With Alcohol Use Disorder: A Randomized Clinical Trial.JAMA network open · 2024Trial
- Effects of Bundling Medication for Opioid Use Disorder With an mHealth Intervention Targeting Addiction: A Randomized Clinical Trial.The American journal of psychiatry · 2024Trial
- A randomized clinical trial of smartphone self-managed recovery support services.Journal of substance abuse treatment · 2020Trial
- Technology Platform (Peer PLUS) Supporting the Work of Peer Recovery Coaches and the Communication Needs of Individuals in Recovery From Substance Use Disorder: Protocol for an R21 Development and Usability Trial.JMIR research protocols · 2026Article
- More Than Activity: The Effect of Sustained Engagement in Digital Alcohol Support Interventions for Regional and Remote Communities.The Journal of rural health : official journal of the American Rural Health Association and the National Rural Health Care Association · 2026Observational
- Implementation of Mobile-Based Programs for Alcohol Cessation in the Treatment of Alcohol-associated Liver Disease: Protocol for a Type 1 Hybrid Implementation-Effectiveness Trial.JMIR research protocols · 2026Article
- Smartphone Apps for Cannabis Cessation: Quality Assessment and Content Analysis.JMIR mHealth and uHealth · 2026Article
- Digital Therapeutic Content for Substance Use Disorder Treatment: Development and Evaluation Study.JMIR formative research · 2026Article
- Large language models for psychosocial risk assessment: A multi-method evaluation across suicide, intimate partner violence, and substance misuse.PLOS digital health · 2026Article
- Designing mHealth Apps for Substance Use Recovery Through Real-World Co-Design and Deployment: Mixed Methods Study.JMIR mHealth and uHealth · 2026Article
- A digital cognitive behavioral therapy program culturally adapted for Spanish-speaking individuals with alcohol use disorder: a stage 1 randomized clinical trial.Frontiers in digital health · 2026Article
- Article
- Living well? The unintended consequences of highly popular commercial fitness apps through social listening using Machine-Assisted Topic Analysis: Evidence from X.British journal of health psychology · 2025Article
- Economic Impact of an Employer-Sponsored Integrated Digital Intervention Targeting Substance Use Disorders: Return on Investment Analysis.Telemedicine journal and e-health : the official journal of the American Telemedicine Association · 2025Article
- Digital Psychosocial Interventions Tailored for People in Opioid Use Disorder Treatment: Scoping Review.Journal of medical Internet research · 2025Article
- Four dimensions of individualization in brain stimulation for psychiatric disorders: context, target, dose, and timing.Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology · 2025Review
4 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundSmartphone apps promise to enhance the reach of evidence-based interventions (cognitive behavior therapy, contingency management and therapeutic education system) for populations with substance use disorders, with minimal disruption to health systems. However, further studies are needed to systematically evaluate smartphone apps targeting alcohol and illicit substances.
objectiveThe aim of this study was to evaluate the functionality, aesthetics, and quality of information of free or low-cost apps claiming to target alcohol, benzodiazepine, cocaine, crack/cocaine, crystal methamphetamine, and heroin use using the validated Mobile App Rating Scale (MARS) and critical content analysis.
methodsA systematic search of iTunes and Google Play app stores for free or low-cost apps facilitating recovery was conducted in March 2018 and yielded 904 apps using the keywords described in previous studies (eg, recovery, sobriety, sober, alcohol, and heroin). An interdisciplinary team of clinicians, behavioral informatics, and public health reviewers trained in substance use disorders conducted a descriptive analysis of 74 apps categorized as reducing use. In addition to the MARS scale, a descriptive analysis of relevant apps was conducted by the study team to assess for quality indicators emphasized by expert guidelines and review articles.
resultsMost apps (n=74) claimed to reduce use or promote abstinence and yielded an overall low median MARS score of 2.82 (0.55) and a wide range of scores (1.64, 4.20). Ratings were also low for engagement (2.75 (0.72)), functionality (3.64 (0.78)), aesthetics (3.03 (0.87)), information (2.82 (0.62)), and satisfaction (1.76 (0.67)) subdomains. Innovative design and content features elicited in the review included initial assessments of substance use following app download, tracking substance use, and related consequences (eg, cost or calorie intake), remote and proximate peer support per geospatial positioning, and allowing users and family members of individuals with substance use disorders to locate 12-step meetings, treatment programs, and mental health services. Few apps integrated evidence-based psychotherapeutic (eg, cognitive behavioral therapy [CBT] or motivational interviewing) and pharmacologic interventions (eg, naloxone or buprenorphine).
conclusionsFew commercially available apps yielded in our search integrated evidence-based interventions (eg, extended-release naltrexone, buprenorphine, naloxone, Self-Management and Recovery Training recovery, or CBT), and a concerning number of apps promoted harmful drinking and illicit substance use.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
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.