ReviewEuropean journal of investigation in health, psychology and education2026
Supporting Mental Health with Apps: A Systematic Review of Potential and Quality of Implemented Behavior Change Techniques in Mobile Health Applications.
Review in European journal of investigation in health, psychology and education, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
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.
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
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- Arabic Wellness Apps in the MENA Region and Saudi Arabia: Current Evidence and Systematic Evaluation.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Design Consistency and Aesthetic Experience in Digital Health Communication: A Mixed-Method Study of Lifestyle Medicine Product Ecosystems.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
2 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
The rapid digitalization of healthcare has led to the widespread availability of mobile health (mHealth) applications, including those aimed at mental health and well-being. The present study followed the PRISMA guidelines and systematically reviewed English and/or German mental health apps available in the Google Play Store to evaluate their functional quality and behavior-change potential. It utilized the Mobile App Rating Scale (MARS) to assess app quality, including engagement, functionality, esthetics, and information quality, and the App Behavior Change Scale (ABACUS) to evaluate the potential for behavior change by inclusion of behavior change techniques (BCTs). A total of 77 apps were reviewed, with findings indicating an average functional quality and moderate behavior-change potential, as the reviewed apps only utilized a limited amount of BCTs. Notably, only a small fraction of apps had been evaluated in randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Further analysis showed that MARS and ABACUS scores had limited predictive power regarding app popularity as measured by stars awarded by users and number of user ratings in the Google Play Store. The study highlights the need for more rigorous testing of mHealth apps and suggests that factors beyond those measured by MARS and ABACUS may influence app popularity. In addition to the scientific value, this review provides insights for both users interested in mental health support via apps and developers aiming to enhance the quality and impact of mental health applications.
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Registered trials
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