Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40308112›Full record

Trial reportThe American journal of psychiatry2025

Randomized Controlled Trial of "Bounce Back Now," a Mobile App to Reduce Post-Disaster Symptoms of Posttraumatic Stress, Depressed Mood, and Sleep Disturbance.

Kenneth J Ruggiero, Arthur Andrews, Tatiana M Davidson, Yulia Gavrilova, Brian E Bunnell, Jennifer Dahne, Matthew Price, Zoe M F Brier, Gregory Cohen, Dean Kilpatrick and 2 more

Abstract readComparative StudyRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in The American journal of psychiatry, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing 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

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
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

12 authors.

Kenneth J RuggieroTechnology Applications Center for Healthful Lifestyles, Departments of Nursing and Psychiatry, College of Nursing (Ruggiero, Davidson), Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (Gavrilova, Dahne, Brier, Kilpatrick), and Hollings Cancer Center (Dahne), Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston; Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska, Lincoln (Andrews); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, University of South Florida, Tampa (Bunnell); Department of Psychological Science, University of Vermont, Burlington (Price); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Palo Alto (Brier); School of Public Health, Boston University, Boston (Cohen); University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (Acierno); School of Public Health, Washington University (Galea).
Arthur AndrewsTechnology Applications Center for Healthful Lifestyles, Departments of Nursing and Psychiatry, College of Nursing (Ruggiero, Davidson), Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (Gavrilova, Dahne, Brier, Kilpatrick), and Hollings Cancer Center (Dahne), Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston; Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska, Lincoln (Andrews); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, University of South Florida, Tampa (Bunnell); Department of Psychological Science, University of Vermont, Burlington (Price); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Palo Alto (Brier); School of Public Health, Boston University, Boston (Cohen); University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (Acierno); School of Public Health, Washington University (Galea).
Tatiana M DavidsonTechnology Applications Center for Healthful Lifestyles, Departments of Nursing and Psychiatry, College of Nursing (Ruggiero, Davidson), Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (Gavrilova, Dahne, Brier, Kilpatrick), and Hollings Cancer Center (Dahne), Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston; Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska, Lincoln (Andrews); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, University of South Florida, Tampa (Bunnell); Department of Psychological Science, University of Vermont, Burlington (Price); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Palo Alto (Brier); School of Public Health, Boston University, Boston (Cohen); University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (Acierno); School of Public Health, Washington University (Galea).
Yulia GavrilovaTechnology Applications Center for Healthful Lifestyles, Departments of Nursing and Psychiatry, College of Nursing (Ruggiero, Davidson), Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (Gavrilova, Dahne, Brier, Kilpatrick), and Hollings Cancer Center (Dahne), Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston; Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska, Lincoln (Andrews); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, University of South Florida, Tampa (Bunnell); Department of Psychological Science, University of Vermont, Burlington (Price); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Palo Alto (Brier); School of Public Health, Boston University, Boston (Cohen); University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (Acierno); School of Public Health, Washington University (Galea).
Brian E BunnellTechnology Applications Center for Healthful Lifestyles, Departments of Nursing and Psychiatry, College of Nursing (Ruggiero, Davidson), Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (Gavrilova, Dahne, Brier, Kilpatrick), and Hollings Cancer Center (Dahne), Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston; Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska, Lincoln (Andrews); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, University of South Florida, Tampa (Bunnell); Department of Psychological Science, University of Vermont, Burlington (Price); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Palo Alto (Brier); School of Public Health, Boston University, Boston (Cohen); University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (Acierno); School of Public Health, Washington University (Galea).
Jennifer DahneTechnology Applications Center for Healthful Lifestyles, Departments of Nursing and Psychiatry, College of Nursing (Ruggiero, Davidson), Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (Gavrilova, Dahne, Brier, Kilpatrick), and Hollings Cancer Center (Dahne), Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston; Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska, Lincoln (Andrews); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, University of South Florida, Tampa (Bunnell); Department of Psychological Science, University of Vermont, Burlington (Price); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Palo Alto (Brier); School of Public Health, Boston University, Boston (Cohen); University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (Acierno); School of Public Health, Washington University (Galea).
Matthew PriceTechnology Applications Center for Healthful Lifestyles, Departments of Nursing and Psychiatry, College of Nursing (Ruggiero, Davidson), Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (Gavrilova, Dahne, Brier, Kilpatrick), and Hollings Cancer Center (Dahne), Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston; Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska, Lincoln (Andrews); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, University of South Florida, Tampa (Bunnell); Department of Psychological Science, University of Vermont, Burlington (Price); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Palo Alto (Brier); School of Public Health, Boston University, Boston (Cohen); University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (Acierno); School of Public Health, Washington University (Galea).
Zoe M F BrierTechnology Applications Center for Healthful Lifestyles, Departments of Nursing and Psychiatry, College of Nursing (Ruggiero, Davidson), Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (Gavrilova, Dahne, Brier, Kilpatrick), and Hollings Cancer Center (Dahne), Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston; Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska, Lincoln (Andrews); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, University of South Florida, Tampa (Bunnell); Department of Psychological Science, University of Vermont, Burlington (Price); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Palo Alto (Brier); School of Public Health, Boston University, Boston (Cohen); University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (Acierno); School of Public Health, Washington University (Galea).
Gregory CohenTechnology Applications Center for Healthful Lifestyles, Departments of Nursing and Psychiatry, College of Nursing (Ruggiero, Davidson), Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (Gavrilova, Dahne, Brier, Kilpatrick), and Hollings Cancer Center (Dahne), Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston; Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska, Lincoln (Andrews); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, University of South Florida, Tampa (Bunnell); Department of Psychological Science, University of Vermont, Burlington (Price); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Palo Alto (Brier); School of Public Health, Boston University, Boston (Cohen); University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (Acierno); School of Public Health, Washington University (Galea).
Dean KilpatrickTechnology Applications Center for Healthful Lifestyles, Departments of Nursing and Psychiatry, College of Nursing (Ruggiero, Davidson), Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (Gavrilova, Dahne, Brier, Kilpatrick), and Hollings Cancer Center (Dahne), Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston; Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska, Lincoln (Andrews); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, University of South Florida, Tampa (Bunnell); Department of Psychological Science, University of Vermont, Burlington (Price); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Palo Alto (Brier); School of Public Health, Boston University, Boston (Cohen); University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (Acierno); School of Public Health, Washington University (Galea).
Ron AciernoTechnology Applications Center for Healthful Lifestyles, Departments of Nursing and Psychiatry, College of Nursing (Ruggiero, Davidson), Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (Gavrilova, Dahne, Brier, Kilpatrick), and Hollings Cancer Center (Dahne), Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston; Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska, Lincoln (Andrews); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, University of South Florida, Tampa (Bunnell); Department of Psychological Science, University of Vermont, Burlington (Price); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Palo Alto (Brier); School of Public Health, Boston University, Boston (Cohen); University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (Acierno); School of Public Health, Washington University (Galea).
Sandro GaleaTechnology Applications Center for Healthful Lifestyles, Departments of Nursing and Psychiatry, College of Nursing (Ruggiero, Davidson), Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (Gavrilova, Dahne, Brier, Kilpatrick), and Hollings Cancer Center (Dahne), Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston; Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska, Lincoln (Andrews); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, University of South Florida, Tampa (Bunnell); Department of Psychological Science, University of Vermont, Burlington (Price); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Palo Alto (Brier); School of Public Health, Boston University, Boston (Cohen); University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (Acierno); School of Public Health, Washington University (Galea).

Funding

Bounce Back Now: A Low-Cost Intervention to Facilitate Post-Disaster RecoveryR01MH107641 · NIMH · MEDICAL UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA · PI GALEA, SANDRO, RUGGIERO, KENNETH J · 2015 to 2018
$3.1M
Optimizing Efforts to Restore Psychiatric and Social Function After a Major HurricaneR01MH119193 · NIMH · BOSTON UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CAMPUS · PI GRADUS, JAIMIE L., RUGGIERO, KENNETH J · 2020 to 2023
$2.5M
Development and Testing of a Depression-Specific Behavioral Activation Mobile App Paired with Nicotine Replacement Therapy Sampling for Smoking Cessation Treatment Via Primary CareK23DA045766 · NIDA · MEDICAL UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA · PI DAHNE, JENNIFER RENEE · 2018 to 2022
$1.0M
PRACTICE: A Mobile Health Solution to Improve Between-Session Skills Practice in Youth Mental Health TreatmentK23MH118482 · NIMH · UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA · PI BUNNELL, BRIAN E. · 2018 to 2021
$621k
NIDA NIH HHS K23 DA045766NIMH NIH HHS K23 MH118482NIMH NIH HHS R01 MH107641NIMH NIH HHS R01 MH119193
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveThere is tremendous public health interest in cost-efficient, scalable interventions to improve post-disaster mental health. The authors examined the efficacy of Bounce Back Now (BBN), a mobile application, versus an enhanced usual care app (EUC).

methodsA population-based trial was conducted with a diverse sample of 1,357 adults affected by Hurricane Harvey, Irma, Maria, Florence, or Michael in 2017 and 2018. Participants were eligible if they were ≥18 years of age, had access to an Internet-accessible device, were English speaking, and lived in a hurricane-affected area. BBN is designed to address symptoms of posttraumatic stress, depression, and sleep disturbance using evidence-based techniques grounded in behavioral and cognitive principles. Depressive, posttraumatic stress, and sleep symptoms were measured.

resultsParticipants' accessing of the BBN and EUC apps was similar. Active engagement was significantly greater among BBN users than EUC users (d=0.31), but BBN users engaged more actively in coping skills activities than in more time-intensive elements designed to promote behavior change. Moderate symptom reduction was observed in both conditions; Cohen's d values for the 3-month postbaseline assessment ranged from 0.49 to 0.60 in the BBN condition and from 0.36 to 0.41 in the EUC condition. Latent change models revealed that BBN users had significantly greater reductions in depression, sleep difficulty, and PTSD symptoms than EUC users, and these differences were maintained at the 6-month and 12-month postbaseline assessments.

conclusionsPopulation impact is driven by reach and effectiveness. The potential reach of BBN is high, which heightens opportunity for population-level impact, but per-user symptom reduction was modest. Per-user impact may be improved by embedding digital health resources in the context of a broader health care strategy.

Indexed as

DepressionMobile ApplicationsSleep Wake DisordersStress Disorders, Post-TraumaticAdultAgedCyclonic StormsDisastersFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedDepressive DisordersDisastersMental Health Care/Service Delivery SystemsMobile ApplicationsPosttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)Sleep Disorders

Identifiers

PMID40308112
PMCPMC12047739

What OpenQuestion holds

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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.