Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40843487›Full record

SynthesisJMIR mental health2025

The Cost-Effectiveness of Digitally Supported Mental Well-Being Prevention and Promotion Targeting Nonclinical Adult Populations: Systematic Review.

Sara Claes, Fleur Van De Wielle, Els Clays, Lieven Annemans

Abstract readSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in JMIR mental health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing 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

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. 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

4 authors.

Sara ClaesDepartment of Public Health and Primary Care, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, C Heymanslaan 10, Ghent, 9000, Belgium, +32 09 332 36 28.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3709-8211
Fleur Van De WielleDepartment of Public Health and Primary Care, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, C Heymanslaan 10, Ghent, 9000, Belgium, +32 09 332 36 28.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0007-5590-3273
Els ClaysDepartment of Public Health and Primary Care, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, C Heymanslaan 10, Ghent, 9000, Belgium, +32 09 332 36 28.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1092-945X
Lieven AnnemansDepartment of Public Health and Primary Care, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, C Heymanslaan 10, Ghent, 9000, Belgium, +32 09 332 36 28.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8305-7210

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: In recent years, policymakers worldwide have been increasingly concerned with promoting public mental well-being. While digitally supported well-being interventions seem effective in general nonclinical populations, their cost-effectiveness remains unclear. Objective: This study aims to systematically synthesize evidence on the cost-effectiveness of digitally supported mental well-being interventions targeting the general population or adults with subclinical mental health symptoms. Methods: PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science were systematically searched for health economic or cost-minimization studies. Eligibility criteria included interventions in the general population or adults showing risk factors or subclinical mental health symptoms, with at least 1 digital component. Study quality was comprehensively assessed using the Consensus Health Economic Criteria list. Results: Of 3455 records identified after duplicate removal, 12 studies were included: 3 studies evaluated universal prevention, 3 investigated selective prevention, and 6 covered indicated prevention. Six studies applied a societal perspective. Incremental cost-utility ratios were reported in 6 of the included studies and varied from dominant to €18,710 (US $ 23,185) per quality-adjusted life year. In general, digitally supported well-being interventions in nonclinical adults, and particularly indicated prevention strategies, seemed to generate improved health outcomes at lower costs from a societal perspective. The quality appraisal highlighted several shortcomings of the available literature. Conclusions: Overall, the use of digital tools for mental well-being prevention and promotion in nonclinical adult populations has the potential to be cost-effective. Nevertheless, to adequately guide policymaking, more evidence is still needed. Future studies should ensure valid argumentation for the applied time horizon and perspective, alongside rigorous sensitivity analyses in accordance with best practices to improve cost-effectiveness evidence. Furthermore, assessment methods more sensitive to changes in well-being such as the EQ Health and Well-being instrument could be considered.

Indexed as

Cost-Benefit AnalysisHealth PromotionMental DisordersMental HealthAdultHumanscost-effectivenessdigital healthhealth promotionmental healthmobile phonepublic health

Identifiers

PMID40843487
PMCPMC12369993

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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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.