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Cited by 176Digital Mental Health InterventionsMobile Health and mHealth ApplicationsMindfulness and Compassion Interventions

A randomized controlled trial of three smartphone apps for enhancing public mental health

Bakker, David, Kazantzis, Nikolaos, Rickwood, Debra, Rickard, Nikki·2018·Behaviour Research and Therapy
DOI 10.1016/j.brat.2018.08.003
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Abstract

Many smartphone applications (apps) for mental health (MHapps) are available to the public. However, few have been the subject of a randomized controlled trial (RCT), and the change processes that are hypothesized to mediate claimed effects have not been previously studied. This RCT compared the efficacy of three publicly available MHapps to a waitlist control condition in a community sample, in which no MHapp was provided. The three MHapps included cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) toolkit app MoodKit, mood tracking app MoodPrism, and CBT strategy app MoodMission. Participants were randomly allocated to each condition, completed a baseline assessment, downloaded their allocated MHapp, and completed a second assessment 30 days later, with n = 226 included in final analyses (81% female; M age = 34 years). Compared to the control condition, all MHapp groups experienced increases in mental wellbeing, MoodKit and MoodMission groups experienced decreases in depression, and no groups experienced effects on anxiety. Mediated regressions revealed that increasing coping self-efficacy, rather than emotional self-awareness or mental health literacy, was the underlying process contributing to effects on mental health for all three MHapps. MHapps appear to be an effective solution for improving public mental health, notably by improving users' confidence in their ability to cope.

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  • The nine research articles that examined the 10 apps were made up of seven randomized controlled trials and two feasibility or pilot studies.

    “The nine research articles [47-55] that examined the 10 apps were made up of seven randomized controlled trials (RCTs)—the Flett et al article contained one RCT with 2 of the listed apps: Headspace and Smiling Mind [52]—and two feasibility or pilot studies: Kinderman et al [48] and Carey et al [55].”

    From Apps with maps-anxiety and depression mobile apps with evidence-based frameworks: Systematic search of major app stores (2020) · cites this paper as [50]

  • Woebot proved to relieve feelings of anxiety and depression, and Moodkit recommends chatting and journaling activities through text and voice notes.

    “medical chatbots include Woebot, which proved to relieve feelings of anxiety and depression91, and Moodkit, which recommends chatting and journaling activities through text and voice notes92.”

    From Sex and gender differences and biases in artificial intelligence for biomedicine and healthcare (2020) · cites this paper as [92]

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Authors
Bakker, D., Kazantzis, N., Rickwood, D., & Rickard, N.
Affiliations
  • Monash University (AU)
  • University of Canberra (AU)
  • The University of Melbourne (AU)
Corresponding author
Bakker, David
ORCID
Venue
Behaviour Research and Therapy
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2018-10
Volume
109
Pages
75-83
ISSN
0005-7967 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1016/j.brat.2018.08.003
OpenAlex
W2886788613
Semantic Scholar
89a8706c21548b935dcff42ae032b89e2e7064ab
Cited by
176
References
62
Citations by year
2026: 14 · 2025: 21 · 2024: 24 · 2023: 21 · 2022: 28 · 2021: 30 · 2020: 23 · 2019: 12 · 2018: 3
FWCI
21.47
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Licence
www.elsevier.com/tdm/userlicense/1.0/ (tdm)
Locations
  • Behaviour Research and Therapy (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
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 › Clinical Psychology › Mindfulness and Compassion Interventions
Keywords
mental health apps, mobile application, public mental health, cognitive behavioral therapy, depression, anxiety, psychological well-being, coping self-efficacy, emotional self-awareness, mental health literacy, mediation analysis, digital mental health interventions
MeSH terms
Adaptation, Psychological, Adult, Anxiety, Depression, Emotions, Female, Humans, Male, Self-Assessment, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Telemedicine, Self Efficacy, Young Adult, Health Literacy, Mobile Applications

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