Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32348289›Full record

SynthesisJMIR mHealth and uHealth2020

Mobile Apps for Mental Health Issues: Meta-Review of Meta-Analyses.

Tania Lecomte, Stéphane Potvin, Marc Corbière, Stéphane Guay, Crystal Samson, Briana Cloutier, Audrey Francoeur, Antoine Pennou, Yasser Khazaal

2 registry-linked trialsAbstract readMeta-Analysis
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in JMIR mHealth and uHealth, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to 2 registered trials, which are not on this map. Cited by 158 papers, 10 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
158citing papers in PubMed, 10 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
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.

NCT05027113 nacompletednot on this mapstarted 2021, after this paper: background citation

App-Based Mindfulness Meditation for People of Color Who Experience Race-Related Stress: A Randomized Control Trial

TypeinterventionalSponsorUniversity of California, Los AngelesRan2021 to 2022Enrolled155ConditionsStress, Psychological, Anxiety, Depression, RuminationArmsMindfulness meditation
NCT05121675 nacompletednot on this mapstarted 2021, after this paper: background citation

Investigating How Incentives Impact Engagement With an Online Mental Health Application (Neuroflow)

TypeinterventionalSponsorUniversity of PennsylvaniaRan2021 to 2022Enrolled107ConditionsBehavioral Economics, Gifts, Financial, PointArmsNeuroflow app: Mental health and wellbeing resources for adults
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

158 citing papers in PubMed, 10 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

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98 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

9 authors.

Tania LecomteDepartment of Psychology, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada.ORCID 0000-0002-0340-3759
Stéphane PotvinCentre de recherche, l'Institut Universitaire en Santé Mentale de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada.ORCID 0000-0003-1624-378X
Marc CorbièreCentre de recherche, l'Institut Universitaire en Santé Mentale de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada.ORCID 0000-0002-1777-1544
Stéphane GuayCentre de recherche, l'Institut Universitaire en Santé Mentale de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada.ORCID 0000-0001-9638-3242
Crystal SamsonDepartment of Psychology, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada.ORCID 0000-0003-4912-1922
Briana CloutierDepartment of Psychology, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada.ORCID 0000-0002-2739-2169
Audrey FrancoeurDepartment of Psychology, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada.ORCID 0000-0001-6517-5731
Antoine PennouDepartment of Psychology, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada.ORCID 0000-0002-2076-5559
Yasser KhazaalDepartment of Psychiatry, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, Lausanne, Switzerland.ORCID 0000-0002-8549-6599

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

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.

Indexed as

Mobile ApplicationsAnxietyHumansInternetMental HealthQuality of Lifeanxietyappsdepressionmental healthmetareview

Identifiers

PMID32348289
PMCPMC7293054

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
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.