ArticleJournal of technology in behavioral science2021
Ethical and Safety Concerns Regarding the Use of Mental Health-Related Apps in Counseling: Considerations for Counselors.
Article in Journal of technology in behavioral science, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers.
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.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
7 citing papers in PubMed, 23 citations in OpenAlex.
- Prevalence, Digital Tools, and Management Strategies for Depression in Medical Students: A Narrative Review.Advances in medical education and practice · 2026Review
- Critical behavioral traits foster peer engagement in Online Mental Health Communities.PloS one · 2025Article
- Monitoring oral health remotely: ethical considerations when using AI among vulnerable populations.Frontiers in oral health · 2025Article
- Project Body Neutrality: Piloting a digital single-session intervention for adolescent body image and depression.The International journal of eating disorders · 2023Article
- Time to Have Effective Regulation of the Mental Health Apps Market: Maximize Gains and Minimize Harms.Indian journal of psychological medicine · 2022Article
- Mobile Applications in Mood Disorders and Mental Health: Systematic Search in Apple App Store and Google Play Store and Review of the Literature.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Review
- Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
2 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Mental health-related smartphone apps (MHapps) have the potential to greatly enhance and enrich the counseling relationship, and dramatically improve the lives of clients. However, a large portion of MHapps have not been empirically researched and found to be effective. An average of 2 million apps are available in the Apple and Android stores, and users average more than 80 apps on their phones. Many of the apps lack disclaimers about the collection of user information, and there is no governing body to oversee and regulate app development and availability. This is particularly problematic with mental health-related smartphone apps, because many developers are not affiliated with mental health professionals, and many apps do not provide emergency information should a mental health emergency occur while using the app. Moreover, users are left to haphazardly make decisions about health-related apps usage without assistance. Counselors who supplement counseling with mental health-related smartphone apps could unknowingly violate their Code of Ethics by integrating apps that may jeopardize their clients' safety. The authors review literature related to mental health-related app efficacy, safety, and ethics and provide a compilation of items to consider that can be used before supplementing counseling with mental health-related apps.
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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.