Trial reportJMIR mHealth and uHealth2020
Effectiveness of a Mobile App Intervention for Anxiety and Depression Symptoms in University Students: Randomized Controlled Trial.
Trial report 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 trial NCT03032952 (The Efficacy of a Mobile Application for Treating Depression and Anxiety Symptoms in University Students), which is not on this map. Cited by 53 papers, 10 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.
The Efficacy of a Mobile Application for Treating Depression and Anxiety Symptoms in University Students
Who cites it
53 citing papers in PubMed, 10 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 110 citations in OpenAlex.
- The intervention effect of internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy on anxiety, depression, and stress in college students: a systematic review and meta-analysis based on randomized controlled trials.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Pooled it
- Early-stage profiles of adolescent mental health difficulties and well-being: A systematic review of cluster analyses in large school and community samples.Journal of research on adolescence : the official journal of the Society for Research on Adolescence · 2025Pooled it
- Effectiveness of evidence based mental health apps on user health outcome: A systematic literature review.PloS one · 2025Pooled it
- Personalization variables in digital mental health interventions for depression and anxiety in adolescents and youth: a scoping review.Frontiers in digital health · 2025Pooled it
- Digital Psychotherapies for Adults Experiencing Depressive Symptoms: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.JMIR mental health · 2024Pooled it
- Pooled it
- Efficacy of stand-alone digital mental health applications for anxiety and depression: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.Journal of psychiatric research · 2023Pooled it
- Time-Dependent Changes in Depressive Symptoms Among Control Participants in Digital-Based Psychological Intervention Studies: Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.Journal of medical Internet research · 2023Pooled it
- Determination of Markers of Successful Implementation of Mental Health Apps for Young People: Systematic Review.Journal of medical Internet research · 2022Pooled it
- Effectiveness of Mobile App-Based Psychological Interventions for College Students: A Systematic Review of the Literature.Frontiers in psychology · 2021Pooled it
- Effectiveness, Usability, and Satisfaction of a Self-Administered Digital Intervention for Reducing Depression, Anxiety, and Stress in a University Community in the Andean Region of Peru: Randomized Controlled Trial.JMIR formative research · 2025Trial
- Usefulness of Interventions Using a Smartphone Cognitive Behavior Therapy Application for Children With Mental Health Disorders: Prospective, Single-Arm, Uncontrolled Clinical Trial.JMIR formative research · 2025Trial
- Randomized clinical trial comparing the effects of an asynchronous mobile application to guided brief cognitive behavioral therapy for managing anxiety among medical students.Trends in psychiatry and psychotherapy · 2025Trial
- Efficacy of Individualized Sensory-Based mHealth Interventions to Improve Distress Coping in Healthcare Professionals: A Multi-Arm Parallel-Group Randomized Controlled Trial.Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Trial
- The effects of values-based digital microinterventions on mental health and valued living, and the role of photography and practice quality: A protocol for a randomized controlled trial.Contemporary clinical trials communications · 2026Article
- Digital and In-Person Mindfulness-Based Interventions for University Students' Mental Health: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- Who gets included? Equity in digital and decentralised mental health and neurodevelopmental trials: A systematic review.PLOS digital health · 2026Article
- Impact of Different Onboarding Strategies on Low Adoption and Engagement With a Self-Monitoring and Management App for Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain: Prospective Study.JMIR mHealth and uHealth · 2026Article
- Patient and Care Team Perspectives of Barriers to and Facilitators for the Implementation of a Digital Health Program for Depression in Primary Care: Qualitative Study.Journal of medical Internet research · 2026Article
- A mobile app compared with an educational pamphlet on menopause hormone therapy initiation: a randomized pilot study.Frontiers in reproductive health · 2026Article
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 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundDepression and anxiety symptoms are common among university students, but many do not receive treatment. This is often because of lack of availability, reluctance to seek help, and not meeting the diagnostic criteria required to access services. Internet-based interventions, including smartphone apps, can overcome these issues. However, a large number of apps are available, each with little evidence of their effectiveness.
objectiveThis study aims to evaluate for the first time the effectiveness of a self-guided mobile app, Feel Stress Free, for the treatment of depression and anxiety symptoms in students.
methodsA web-based randomized controlled trial compared a cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)-based mobile app Feel Stress Free with a wait-list control. University students self-identified as experiencing symptoms of anxiety or depression and were randomized to 6 weeks of intervention (n=84) or control (n=84), unblinded. The app is self-guided and incorporates behavioral relaxation activities, mood tracking and thought challenging, and minigames. Participants completed the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale online at baseline and every fortnight.
resultsAt week 6, the primary end point, there was evidence that the Feel Stress Free app reduced depression symptoms (mean difference -1.56; 95% CI -2.67 to -0.44; P=.006) but only very weak evidence that it reduced anxiety symptoms (mean difference -1.36; 95% CI -2.93 to 0.21; P=.09). At week 4, there was evidence to support the effectiveness of the intervention for anxiety symptoms (mean difference -1.94; 95% CI -3.11 to -0.77; P=.001) and, though weaker, depression symptoms (mean difference -1.08; 95% CI -2.12 to -0.04; P=.04). At week 6, 83% (34/41) of participants indicated that they were using the app weekly or more frequently.
conclusionsThe Feel Stress Free app is a promising mobile intervention for treating symptoms of anxiety and depression in students and overcomes many of the barriers to traditional CBT. Further research is needed to establish its effectiveness at and beyond 6 weeks.
trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT03032952; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03032952.
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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.