Are Mental Health Apps Adequately Equipped to Handle Users in Crisis?

Parrish, Emma M.; Filip, Tess F.; Torous, John; Nebeker, Camille; Moore, Raeanne C.; Depp, Colin A.

doi:10.1027/0227-5910/a000785

Cited by 12 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 14 publications

(17 reference statements)

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“…While limited assessment of adverse events is an issue in the broader psychotherapy literature [58], it may be particularly problematic to ignore within the context of mobile phone-based interventions which often include less support than traditional treatments. Unfortunately, to date is appears content for managing safety-related crises (e.g., suicidality) is not included in the majority of mental health apps [59].…”

Section: Plos Digital Healthmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mobile phone-based interventions for mental health: A systematic meta-review of 14 meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials

et al. 2022

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Mobile phone-based interventions have been proposed as a means for reducing the burden of disease associated with mental illness. While numerous randomized controlled trials and meta-analyses have investigated this possibility, evidence remains unclear. We conducted a systematic meta-review of meta-analyses examining mobile phone-based interventions tested in randomized controlled trials. We synthesized results from 14 meta-analyses representing 145 randomized controlled trials and 47,940 participants. We identified 34 effect sizes representing unique pairings of participants, intervention, comparisons, and outcome (PICO) and graded the strength of the evidence as using umbrella review methodology. We failed to find convincing evidence of efficacy (i.e., n > 1000, p < 10−6, I2 < 50%, absence of publication bias); publication bias was rarely assessed for the representative effect sizes. Eight effect sizes provided highly suggestive evidence (i.e., n > 1000, p < 10−6), including smartphone interventions outperforming inactive controls on measures of psychological symptoms and quality of life (ds = 0.32 to 0.47) and text message-based interventions outperforming non-specific controls and active controls for smoking cessation (ds = 0.31 and 0.19, respectively). The magnitude of effects and strength of evidence tended to diminish as comparison conditions became more rigorous (i.e., inactive to active, non-specific to specific). Four effect sizes provided suggestive evidence, 14 effect sizes provided weak evidence, and eight effect sizes were non-significant. Despite substantial heterogeneity, no moderators were identified. Adverse effects were not reported. Taken together, results support the potential of mobile phone-based interventions and highlight key directions to guide providers, policy makers, clinical trialists, and meta-analysts working in this area.

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Section: Plos Digital Healthmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mobile phone-based interventions for mental health: A systematic meta-review of 14 meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials

et al. 2022

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“…The strength of our work was to provide a wide overview of the apps that specifically aim to manage and monitor suicide crisis and prevent suicide in clinical and non-clinical samples. In fact, we analyzed published original studies on the feasibility, acceptability and efficacy of mobile apps, while some reviews have only assessed the main features of apps available in Android and iOS stores to test their usability and engagement [ 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 66 , 67 , 68 ]. Our target was exclusively suicide risk, while other papers [ 14 , 69 , 70 ] included mental health in general.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Effectiveness of Mobile Apps for Monitoring and Management of Suicide Crisis: A Systematic Review of the Literature

Sarubbi

Rogante

Erbuto

et al. 2022

JCM

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Suicide risk is a multifaceted phenomenon, and many risk factors are involved in its complexity. In the last few decades, mental health apps have spread, providing economic and affordable strategies to prevent suicide. Therefore, the aim of this review is to identify original studies on mobile apps that target suicidal crises. The review follows PRISMA guidelines, searching through four major electronic databases (PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, PsycInfo and Web of Science) for relevant titles/abstracts published from January 2010 to May 2022. It includes original studies that explicitly analyze mobile apps for suicide prevention. A total of 32 studies met the inclusion criteria. Sixteen studies assessed the feasibility and acceptability of mobile apps, ten studies assessed the efficacy of mobile apps in preventing suicide, and six studies described randomized control trial protocols not yet implemented. Generally, the apps were judged by participants to be acceptable and helpful, and several improvements to enhance the functionality of apps were suggested. The efficacy of mobile apps, although limited and assessed with very heterogenous methods, was confirmed by most of the studies. Mobile apps could represent a helpful supplement to traditional prevention tactics, providing real-time monitoring of at-risk persons, personalized tools to cope with suicidal crises, and immediate access to specific support.

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“…Additionally, there is a risk of over-reliance on healthcare apps, which might be racially biased due to the choice of distinct population groups used to train the relevant algorithms (99), or they may be unable to properly address crises like suicidal ideation due to inconsistencies in language across different apps (100). Also, there is the problem of the digital divide due to issues regarding access to the internet or technologies for some individuals.…”

Section: Limitations and Current Challengesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Digital technology and mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic: a narrative review with a focus on depression, anxiety, stress, and trauma

Guest,

Vasilevska,

Al-Hamadi

et al. 2023

Front. Psychiatry

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The sudden appearance and devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in the need for multiple adaptive changes in societies, business operations and healthcare systems across the world. This review describes the development and increased use of digital technologies such as chat bots, electronic diaries, online questionnaires and even video gameplay to maintain effective treatment standards for individuals with mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress syndrome. We describe how these approaches have been applied to help meet the challenges of the pandemic in delivering mental healthcare solutions. The main focus of this narrative review is on describing how these digital platforms have been used in diagnostics, patient monitoring and as a treatment option for the general public, as well as for frontline medical staff suffering with mental health issues.

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Are Mental Health Apps Adequately Equipped to Handle Users in Crisis?

Cited by 12 publications

References 14 publications

Mobile phone-based interventions for mental health: A systematic meta-review of 14 meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials

Mobile phone-based interventions for mental health: A systematic meta-review of 14 meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials

The Effectiveness of Mobile Apps for Monitoring and Management of Suicide Crisis: A Systematic Review of the Literature

Digital technology and mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic: a narrative review with a focus on depression, anxiety, stress, and trauma

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