Trial reportJMIR mHealth and uHealth2024
Evaluating the Effects of a Self-Help Mobile Phone App on Worry and Rumination Experienced by Young Adults: Randomized Controlled Trial.
Trial report in JMIR mHealth and uHealth, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT04950257 (Evaluating the Effects of a Self-help Mobile Phone Application on Worry and Rumination Experienced by Young Adults), which is not on this map. Cited by 3 papers, 1 of them a synthesis 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.
Evaluating the Effects of a Self-help Mobile Phone Application on Worry and Rumination Experienced by Young Adults: a Preventative Intervention for Depression and Anxiety
Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Telehealth Treatments of Common Psychological Disorders: An Overview and Meta-analysis.Journal of occupational rehabilitation · 2026Pooled it
- Who engages? Machine learning insights into digital mindfulness-based intervention for generalized anxiety disorder.Journal of affective disorders · 2026Trial
- Repetitive Negative Thinking is Associated With Depression and Feeding Status at 3 and 6 Months Postpartum: Retrospective Study.Alpha psychiatry · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundDelivery of preventative interventions via mobile phone apps offers an effective and accessible way to address the global priority of improving the mental health of adolescents and young adults. A proven risk factor for anxiety and depression is elevated worry and rumination, also known as repetitive negative thinking (RNT).
objectiveThis was a prevention mechanism trial that aimed to investigate whether an RNT-targeting self-help mobile phone app (MyMoodCoach) reduces worry and rumination in young adults residing in the United Kingdom. A secondary objective was to test whether the app reduces symptoms of anxiety and depression and improves well-being.
methodsA web-based, single-blind, 2-arm parallel-group randomized controlled trial was conducted with 236 people aged between 16 and 24 years, who self-reported high levels of worry or rumination. Eligible participants were randomized to an active intervention group (usual practice, plus up to 6 weeks of using the RNT-targeting mobile app, n=119) or a waitlist control group (usual practice with no access to the app until after 6 weeks, n=117). The primary outcome was changes in worry and rumination 6 weeks after randomization. Secondary outcomes included changes in well-being and symptoms of anxiety and depression after 6 weeks and changes in all measures after 12 weeks.
resultsParticipants randomly allocated to use the RNT-targeting self-help app showed significantly lower levels of rumination (mean difference -2.92, 95% CI -5.57 to -0.28; P=.03; η
conclusionsThe MyMoodCoach app had a significant positive effect on worry and rumination, well-being, anxiety, and depression in young adults, relative to waitlist controls, providing proof-of-principle that an unguided self-help app can effectively reduce RNT. This app, therefore, has potential for the prevention of anxiety and depression although longer-term effects on incidence need to be directly evaluated.
trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT04950257; https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04950257. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): RR2-10.1186/s12888-021-03536-0.
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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.