Free mobile apps on depression for Indian users: A brief overview and critique
Abstract
The present study aimed at identifying the nature of mobile apps available to Indian android phone users who might search for free apps to help them deal with depression. The specific objectives were to examine the available interactive self-care apps in terms of guidance provided to users to make decisions regarding use of app, inclusion of elements that encourage professional help-seeking, guidance regarding managing psychological crisis and the range of therapeutic strategies incorporated. Using the search term 'depression', 278 apps were identified in the first step and these spanned a wide range of categories. Information on coping with depression and stand alone screening tools formed the two largest types of free apps. Features of interactive self-care apps (N = 33) were reviewed further and this exercise showed that less than 10% of the apps incorporated explicit delineation of their scope or initial screening for suitability. Guidance regarding managing suicidal crisis were incorporated in only about 12% of the interactive apps. Slightly more than one third of these apps included content aimed at encouraging professional help seeking when needed or an explicit mention of their theoretical or empirical basis. Monitoring moods, thoughts and behaviors were the commonest therapeutic strategies incorporated in these apps, in addition, to a wide range of other strategies such as behavioral activation, identifying and correcting cognitive errors, mindfulness exercises, cultivation of gratitude, and medication management. The challenges for a potential user of these apps are discussed and ways to address the same are highlighted.
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Self-monitoring of emotions and thoughts can foster adaptive self-attention and self-awareness, augment self-efficacy, subsequently contributing to the amelioration of depression.
“Previous studies have shown that self-monitoring of emotions and thoughts can foster adaptive self-attention and self-awareness, augment self-efficacy, subsequently contributing to the amelioration of depression (59).”
From A virtual reality-based self-guided training on identification of negative automatic thoughts in healthy adults: a mixed-methods feasibility study (2024) · cites this paper as [59]
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- Authors
- Kumar, S., & Mehrotra, S.
- Affiliations
- National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (IN)
- Corresponding author
- Mehrotra, Seema
- Venue
- Asian Journal of Psychiatry
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2017-08
- Volume
- 28
- Pages
- 124-130
- ISSN
- 1876-2018 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2604450359
- Cited by
- 25
- References
- 35
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 1 · 2021: 4 · 2020: 3 · 2019: 3 · 2018: 4 · 2017: 3
- FWCI
- 0.41
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Asian Journal of Psychiatry (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- ICMR
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Applied Psychology › Digital Mental Health Interventions
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Mobile Health and mHealth Applications
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Mental Health Treatment and Access
- Keywords
- depression, mobile health apps, free apps, Indian users, help-seeking, mood tracking, behavioral activation, cognitive restructuring, mindfulness, gratitude, medication management, treatment options
- MeSH terms
- Suicide Prevention, Depression, Depressive Disorder, Humans, India, Medical Informatics Applications, Self Care, Mobile Applications
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