ArticleJMIR mental health2023
The Impact of a Gamified Mobile Mental Health App (eQuoo) on Resilience and Mental Health in a Student Population: Large-Scale Randomized Controlled Trial.
Article in JMIR mental health, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 13 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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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
13 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled 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
- Gamified Health Promotion in Schools: The Integration of Neuropsychological Aspects and CBT-A Systematic Review.Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) · 2024Pooled it
- Efficacy of a digital mental health program for university students: A randomized controlled trial comparing online and hybrid delivery.Internet interventions · 2026Article
- Practical applications of gamification in patient-centered outcomes research and digital health, and its acceptance in clinical trials.Frontiers in digital health · 2026Article
- A scoping review of nursing interventions of improving resilience among university students during online learning.BMC nursing · 2025Article
- Health-Promoting Effects and Everyday Experiences With a Mental Health App Using Ecological Momentary Assessments and AI-Based Ecological Momentary Interventions Among Young People: Qualitative Interview and Focus Group Study.JMIR mHealth and uHealth · 2025Article
- Modeling the path to digital health intention: the mediating role of system expectation and health beliefs.Frontiers in public health · 2025Article
- Developing a digital intervention to combat fatphobia and anti-fat bias.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2025Article
- Applying Digital Technology to Understand Human Experiences of Climate Change Impacts on Food Security and Mental Health: Scoping Review.JMIR public health and surveillance · 2024Article
- An Exploratory Study of the Potential of Online Counseling for University Students by a Human-Operated Avatar Counselor.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
- A systematic review on the efficacy of virtual reality and gamification interventions for managing anxiety and depression.Frontiers in digital health · 2023Review
- Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundWith many digital mental health interventions failing to engage clients for enough time to demonstrate substantive changes to their well-being and with only 2% of all digital solutions on app stores having undergone randomized controlled trials, the rising demand for mental health prevention and early intervention care is not being met. Young adults in particular struggle to find digital well-being apps that suit their needs.
objectiveThis study explored the effects of eQuoo, an evidence-based mental health game that teaches psychological skills through gamification, on resilience, depression, anxiety, and attrition in a student population.
methodsIn total, 1165 students from 180 universities in the United Kingdom participated in a 5-week, 3-armed randomized controlled trial. Participants were randomly allocated into 1 of 3 groups: eQuoo users, users of a treatment-as-usual evidence-based cognitive behavioral health app called Sanvello, and a no-intervention waitlist. The Rugged Resilience Scale, Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7, and Patient Health Questionnaire-8 were administered to all participants at baseline and every 7 days until completion.
resultsA repeated measures-ANOVA revealed statistically significant increases in resilience scores in the test group (P<.001) compared with both control groups (Sanvello: P=.10 and waitlist: P=.82) over 5 weeks. The app also significantly decreased anxiety and depression scores (both P<.001). With 64.5% (251/389) adherence, the eQuoo group retained 42% more participants than the control groups.
conclusionsDigital health interventions such as eQuoo are effective, scalable, and low-cost solutions for supporting young adults and are available on all leading mobile platforms. Further investigation could clarify the extent to which specific elements of the eQuoo app (including gamification) led to better outcomes.
trial registrationGerman Clinical Trials Register (DRKS) DRKS00027638; https://drks.de/search/en/trial/DRKS00027638.
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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.