ArticleBMJ open2024
Common practices for sociodemographic data reporting in digital mental health intervention research: a scoping review.
Article in BMJ open, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.
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
6 citing papers in PubMed.
- Sociodemographic and clinical predictors of digital mental health intervention engagement among treatment-seeking psychiatric outpatients.Journal of affective disorders · 2026Trial
- Review
- Digital Humanities in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services: A Review.Children (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- Core sociodemographic data variables reported in Canadian intensive care unit studies: a scoping review.Canadian journal of anaesthesia = Journal canadien d'anesthesie · 2025Review
- Equity in Digital Mental Health Interventions in the United States: Where to Next?Journal of medical Internet research · 2024Article
- Dealing with Diversity in Digital Psychological Interventions for Young People: A Structured Review.ACI open · 2024Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
12 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundThe ability of digital mental health interventions (DMHIs) to reduce mental health disparities relies on the recruitment of research participants with diverse sociodemographic and self-identity characteristics. Despite its importance, sociodemographic reporting in research is often limited, and the state of reporting practices in DMHI research in particular has not been comprehensively reviewed.
objectivesTo characterise the state of sociodemographic data reported in randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of app-based DMHIs published globally from 2007 to 2022.
methodsA scoping review of RCTs of app-based DMHIs examined reporting frequency for 16 sociodemographic domains (eg, gender) and common category options within each domain (eg, woman). The search queried five electronic databases. 5079 records were screened and 299 articles were included.
resultsOn average, studies reported 4.64 (SD=1.79; range 0-9) of 16 sociodemographic domains. The most common were age (97%) and education (67%). The least common were housing situation (6%), residency/location (5%), veteran status (4%), number of children (3%), sexual orientation (2%), disability status (2%) and food security (<1%). Gender or sex was reported in 98% of studies: gender only (51%), sex only (28%), both (<1%) and gender/sex reported but unspecified (18%). Race or ethnicity was reported in 48% of studies: race only (14%), ethnicity only (14%), both (10%) and race/ethnicity reported but unspecified (10%).
conclusionsThis review describes the widespread underreporting of sociodemographic information in RCTs of app-based DMHIs published from 2007 to 2022. Reporting was often incomplete (eg, % female only), unclear (eg, the conflation of gender/sex) and limited (eg, only options representing majority groups were reported). Trends suggest reporting has somewhat improved in recent years. Diverse participant populations must be welcomed and described in DMHI research to broaden learning and the generalisability of results, a prerequisite of DMHI's potential to reduce disparities in mental healthcare.
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