A scoping review of mental health mobile apps for use by the military community

Tam‐Seto, Linna; Wood, Valerie M.; Linden, Brooke; Stuart, Heather

doi:10.21037/mhealth.2018.12.01

Cited by 14 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 39 publications

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As with the civilian population, the use of health apps is becoming more widespread within military populations [ 3 , 23 ]. A 2018 scoping review of mental health mobile apps for use by military members reviewed the current literature aimed at determining whether or not mobile apps are perceived as an acceptable form of mental health support [ 23 ]. Studies included in the review addressed app utilization through an assessment of users’ general attitudes of the app, perceived ease of use, and whether they would recommend the app to others [ 23 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Quality of Psychoeducational Apps for Military Members With Mild Traumatic Brain Injury: An Evaluation Utilizing the Mobile Application Rating Scale

Jones¹,

O'Toole²,

Jones³

et al. 2020

JMIR Mhealth Uhealth

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Background Military personnel have an elevated risk of sustaining mild traumatic brain injuries (mTBI) and postconcussion symptoms (PCS). Smartphone apps that provide psychoeducation may assist those with mTBI or PCS to overcome unique barriers that military personnel experience with stigma and access to health care resources. Objective This study aims to (1) use the Mobile Application Rating Scale (MARS) to evaluate smartphone apps purporting to provide psychoeducation for those who have sustained an mTBI or a PCS; (2) explore the relevance, utility, and effectiveness of these apps in facilitating symptom management and overall recovery from mTBI and PCS among military personnel; and (3) discuss considerations pertinent to health care professionals and patients with mTBI when considering the use of mobile health (mHealth), including apps for mTBI psychoeducation. Methods A five-step systematic search for smartphone apps for military members with mTBI or PCS was conducted on January 31, 2020. Cost-free apps meeting the inclusion criteria were evaluated using the MARS and compared with evidence-based best practice management protocols for mTBI and PCS. Results The search yielded a total of 347 smartphone apps. After applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 13 apps were subjected to evaluation. Two apps were endorsed by the US Department of Veterans Affairs and the US Department of Defense; all the others (n=11) were developed for civilians. When compared with evidence-based best practice resources, the apps provided various levels of psychoeducational content. There are multiple considerations that health care professionals and those who sustain an mTBI or a PCS have to consider when choosing to use mHealth and selecting a specific app for mTBI psychoeducation. These may include factors such as the app platform, developer, internet requirement, cost, frequency of updates, language, additional features, acknowledgment of mental health, accessibility, military specificity, and privacy and security of data. Conclusions Psychoeducational interventions have a good evidence base as a treatment for mTBI and PCS. The use of apps for this purpose may be clinically effective, cost-effective, confidential, user friendly, and accessible. However, more research is needed to explore the effectiveness, usability, safety, security, and accessibility of apps designed for mTBI management.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Quality of Psychoeducational Apps for Military Members With Mild Traumatic Brain Injury: An Evaluation Utilizing the Mobile Application Rating Scale

Jones¹,

O'Toole²,

Jones³

et al. 2020

JMIR Mhealth Uhealth

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…A primary appeal of MHAs is their highly accessible nature (Tam‐Seto, Wood, Linden, & Stuart, 2018). Mobile phone users can access MHAs discreetly irrespective of location or time, making them ideal for individuals who face barriers to accessing traditional face‐to‐face modes of treatment (Jones et al, 2014).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Overall, participants indicated a preference for technologically delivered interventions, reporting that the informal and anonymous nature of such interventions allows for greater power, confidence, and comfort (Boydell et al, 2014). Considering that MHAs have the potential to provide non‐interpersonal support, overcome stigmatisation, and are highly accessible, it is believed MHAs may provide a route to engage this particularly vulnerable population of young adults with the support they need (Tam‐Seto et al, 2018).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…MHAs have the potential to provide non-interpersonal support, overcome stigmatisation, and are highly accessible, it is believed MHAs may provide a route to engage this particularly vulnerable population of young adults with the support they need (Tam-Seto et al, 2018). The current study aims to explore how young adults that are at risk of a mental illness use MHAs.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Mental health mobile application usage in young adults with a family history of mental illness

Schlage

Perich

2020

Australian Psychologist

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Objective: Young adults with a family history of mental illness are at increased risk of developing mental disorders. The current study aimed to assess how young at-risk individuals use mental health applications (MHAs) in comparison with those not at-risk, and whether these groups differed in the types of MHAs used, how helpful they found MHAs, and their reasons for and against using MHAs. Method: An online survey was conducted where young adults aged 18-30 years (N = 525; 389 female) were asked about their immediate family history of any diagnosis of any mental illness and their use of MHAs. The responses were analysed using chi-square tests of independence. Results: Young adults with a family history of mental illness (N = 271) were more likely to report using MHAs and more likely to use MHAs for mental wellbeing than those who did not have a family history of mental illness. They were also more likely not to use MHAs if they were not useful or did not want to use them. Individuals who identified as "other" genders were also more likely to use MHAs while males were less likely to use MHAs. Conclusions: MHAs may be a viable avenue to engage at-risk individuals in targeted treatment and suggests the need to develop apps tailored to this population. It is recommended that future research explores the efficacy of MHAs in reducing psychiatric symptomatology in the at-risk population, and how apps may be used by clinicians most effectively as part of treatment. K E Y W O R D S at-risk, family history, mental health, mobile app, mobile technology 1 | INTRODUCTION Young adults with a family history of mental illness may be particularly vulnerable to mental illness, being more likely to develop a mental health condition due to increased genetic vulnerability and environmental factors, and being less likely to receive treatment or support (Bandelow et al.

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Self‐care for coronavirus disease through electronic health technologies: A scoping review

Asadi

Rahimi

Ghaderkhany

et al. 2023

Health Science Reports

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Background and Aims Considering the rapid spread and transmission of COVID‐19 and its high mortality rate, self‐care practices are of special importance during this pandemic to prevent and control the spread of the virus. In this regard, electronic health systems can play a major role in improving self‐care practices related to coronavirus disease. This study aimed to review the electronic health technologies used in each of the constituent elements of the self‐care (self‐care maintenance, self‐care monitoring, and self‐care management) during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Methods This scoping review was conducted based on Arksey and O'Malley's framework. In this study, the specific keywords related to “electronic health,” “self‐care,” and “COVID‐19” were searched on PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Google. Results Of the 47 articles reviewed, most articles (27 articles) were about self‐care monitoring and aimed to monitor the vital signs of patients. The results showed that the use of electronic health tools mainly focuses on training in the control and prevention of coronavirus disease during this pandemic, in the field of self‐care maintenance, and medication management, communication, and consultation with healthcare providers, in the field of self‐care management. Moreover, the most commonly used electronic health technologies were mobile web applications, smart vital signs monitoring devices, and social networks, respectively. Conclusion The study findings suggested that the use of electronic health technologies, such as mobile web applications and social networks, can effectively improve self‐care practices for coronavirus disease. In addition, such technologies can be applied by health policymakers and disease control and prevention centers to better manage the COVID‐19 pandemic.

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A scoping review of mental health mobile apps for use by the military community

Cited by 14 publications

References 39 publications

Quality of Psychoeducational Apps for Military Members With Mild Traumatic Brain Injury: An Evaluation Utilizing the Mobile Application Rating Scale

Quality of Psychoeducational Apps for Military Members With Mild Traumatic Brain Injury: An Evaluation Utilizing the Mobile Application Rating Scale

Mental health mobile application usage in young adults with a family history of mental illness

Self‐care for coronavirus disease through electronic health technologies: A scoping review

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