Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33574573›Full record

ReviewNPJ digital medicine2021

Smartphone apps for depression and anxiety: a systematic review and meta-analysis of techniques to increase engagement.

Ashley Wu, Matthew A Scult, Emily D Barnes, Jessica A Betancourt, Avital Falk, Faith M Gunning

Abstract readReview
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Review in NPJ digital medicine, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 80 papers, 12 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
80citing papers in PubMed, 12 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.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

80 citing papers in PubMed, 12 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

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  3. Effectiveness of unguided web-based interventions for the treatment of depressive symptoms in improving the quality of life: a meta-analysis.Quality of life research : an international journal of quality of life aspects of treatment, care and rehabilitation · 2025
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  18. Evaluation of the internet-based intervention "Selfapy" in participants with unipolar depression and the impact on quality of life: a randomized, parallel group study.Quality of life research : an international journal of quality of life aspects of treatment, care and rehabilitation · 2024
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20 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

6 authors.

Ashley Wu *MD Program, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2780-0409
Matthew A Scult *Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA. mas9591@med.cornell.edu.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5554-8186
Emily D BarnesDepartment of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
Jessica A BetancourtDepartment of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6940-3391
Avital FalkDepartment of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2502-5549
Faith M GunningDepartment of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA. fgd2002@med.cornell.edu.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1854-9969

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Meta-analyses have shown that digital mental health apps can be efficacious in reducing symptoms of depression and anxiety. However, real-world usage of apps is typically not sustained over time, and no studies systematically examine which features increase sustained engagement with apps or the relationship between engagement features and clinical efficacy. We conducted a systematic search of the literature to identify empirical studies that (1) investigate standalone apps for depression and/or anxiety in symptomatic participants and (2) report at least one measure of engagement. Features intended to increase engagement were categorized using the persuasive system design (PSD) framework and principles of behavioral economics. Twenty-five studies with 4159 participants were included in the analysis. PSD features were commonly used, whereas behavioral economics techniques were not. Smartphone apps were efficacious in treating symptoms of anxiety and depression in randomized controlled trials, with overall small-to-medium effects (g = 0.2888, SE = 0.0999, z(15) = 2.89, p = 0.0119, Q(df = 14) = 41.93, p < 0.0001, I

Identifiers

PMID33574573
PMCPMC7878769

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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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.