Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40168068›Full record

ReviewJMIR mHealth and uHealth2025

Digital Health Resilience and Well-Being Interventions for Military Members, Veterans, and Public Safety Personnel: Environmental Scan and Quality Review.

Rashell R Allen, Myrah A Malik, Carley Aquin, Lucijana Herceg, Suzette Brémault-Phillips, Phillip R Sevigny

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in JMIR mHealth and uHealth, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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.

Rashell R AllenSchool and Clinical Child Psychology, Faculty of Education, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.ORCID 0000-0001-8063-2523
Myrah A MalikHeroes in Mind, Advocacy and Research Consortium, Edmonton, AB, Canada.ORCID 0009-0003-7159-6884
Carley AquinHeroes in Mind, Advocacy and Research Consortium, Edmonton, AB, Canada.ORCID 0000-0003-2672-2282
Lucijana HercegHeroes in Mind, Advocacy and Research Consortium, Edmonton, AB, Canada.ORCID 0009-0002-6194-5676
Suzette Brémault-PhillipsHeroes in Mind, Advocacy and Research Consortium, Edmonton, AB, Canada.ORCID 0000-0003-4167-1815
Phillip R SevignySchool and Clinical Child Psychology, Faculty of Education, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.ORCID 0000-0002-8479-6039

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAccessible mental health care, delivered via mobile apps or web-based services, may be essential for military members, public safety personnel (PSP), and veterans, as they report numerous barriers to seeking in-person care and are at an increased risk for a number of psychological disorders.

objectiveWe aimed to identify, describe, and evaluate apps, resource banks (RBs), and web-based programs (WBPs), referred to as digital mental health interventions (DMHIs), recommended for military members, PSP, and veterans. A multidimensional and multisystemic view of resilience and well-being were maintained throughout this environmental scan.

methodsInformation was gathered from a comprehensive review of peer-reviewed literature, a Google search, and a targeted search of websites relevant to the study populations. DMHIs aimed at supporting resilience or well-being were included in the review, including those published in peer-reviewed articles, and those offered to these populations without research or literature backing their use.

resultsIn total, 69 DMHIs were identified in this study, including 42 apps, 19 RBs, and 8 WBPs, and were described based on 3 questions related to purpose, strategies, and evidence from the adapted Mobile App Rating Scale and the Mobile App Rating Scale. Each WBP and RB was then reviewed via the adapted Mobile App Rating Scale and each app via the Alberta Rating Index for Apps (ARIA). Overall, 24 (35%) of the DMHIs were recommended for military members, 20 (29%) for PSP, and 41 (59%) for veterans. The most common aim across apps, RBs, and WBPs was to increase happiness and well-being, and the most common strategies were advice, tips, and skills training. In total, 2 apps recommended for military members-PTSD Coach and Virtual Hope Box-received a high rating on the ARIA subscales and have also been trialed in pilot randomized control trial (RCT) and RCT evaluations, respectively, with positive initial results. Similarly, 2 apps recommended for PSP-PeerConnect and R2MR-have been trialed in non-RCT studies, with partially positive outcomes or little to no contradictory evidence and received a high rating on the ARIA. Finally, 2 apps recommended for veteran populations-PTSD Coach and VetChange-received high ratings on the ARIA and have been trialed via pilot-RCT and RCT studies, respectively, with positive outcomes.

conclusionsIn conclusion, there is a need for efficacy and effectiveness trials for DMHIs for military members, PSP, and veterans to ensure that they are effectively meeting the population's needs. While there appears to be many promising DMHIs, further research is needed before these interventions continue to be promoted as effective and widely distributed.

Indexed as

Military PersonnelResilience, PsychologicalVeteransDigital HealthHumansMobile Applicationsenvironmentalmilitarymilitary membermobile apppublic safety personnelquality reviewresilienceresourcesreviewveteranweb-based programwell-being

Identifiers

PMID40168068
PMCPMC12000787

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.