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A review of popular smartphone apps for depression and anxiety: Assessing the inclusion of evidence-based content
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Abstract
Smartphone applications for the treatment of depression and anxiety have acquired millions of users, yet little is known about whether they include evidence-based therapeutic content. We examined the extent to which popular mental health applications (MH apps) for depression and anxiety contain treatment elements found in empirically supported psychotherapy protocols (i.e., "common elements"). Of the 27 MH apps reviewed, 23 included at least one common element, with a median of three elements. Psychoeducation (in 52% of apps), relaxation (44%), meditation (41%), mindfulness (37%), and assessment (37%) were the most frequent elements, whereas several elements (e.g., problem solving) were not found in any apps. We also identified gaps between app content and empirically supported treatments. Cognitive restructuring was more common in depression protocols than in depression apps (75% of protocols vs. 31% of apps), as was problem solving (34% vs. 0%). For anxiety, exposure (85%, 12%), cognitive restructuring (60%, 12%), and problem solving (25%, 0%) were more common in protocols than apps. Overall, our findings highlight empirically supported treatment elements that are poorly represented in current MH apps. The absence of several core treatment elements underscores the need for future research, including randomized trials testing the effectiveness of popular MH apps.
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“when the appraisal was weighted by the number of active users, the reach of specific treatment elements changed.”
From Evaluating the quality, safety, and functionality of commonly used smartphone apps for bipolar disorder mood and sleep self-management (2022) · cites this paper as Wasil et al. 2019
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“this technique was encountered by the largest proportion (96%) of monthly active users.”
From Evaluating the quality, safety, and functionality of commonly used smartphone apps for bipolar disorder mood and sleep self-management (2022) · cites this paper as Wasil et al. 2019
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“a recent review of apps for depression or anxiety reported that evidence-supported treatment components for these conditions were poorly represented (Wasil et al. 2019)”
From Evaluating the quality, safety, and functionality of commonly used smartphone apps for bipolar disorder mood and sleep self-management (2022) · cites this paper as Wasil et al. 2019
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“Although mindfulness exercises were present in only 37% of reviewed apps”
From Evaluating the quality, safety, and functionality of commonly used smartphone apps for bipolar disorder mood and sleep self-management (2022) · cites this paper as Wasil et al. 2019
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Metadata
- Authors
- Wasil, A. R., Venturo-Conerly, K. E., Shingleton, R. M., & Weisz, J. R.
- Affiliations
- Harvard University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Wasil, Akash R.
- Venue
- Behaviour Research and Therapy
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2019-12
- Volume
- 123
- Pages
- 103498
- ISSN
- 0005-7967 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2981909951
- Cited by
- 160
- References
- 55
- Citations by year
- 2026: 11 · 2025: 23 · 2024: 19 · 2023: 19 · 2022: 35 · 2021: 33 · 2020: 19
- FWCI
- 24.57
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Behaviour Research and Therapy (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- PsyArXiv (OSF Preprints) (submittedVersion)
- PsyArXiv (OSF Preprints) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- Funders
- Harvard University
- 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 › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
- Keywords
- mental health apps, mobile application, depression, anxiety, evidence-based treatment, common elements, psychoeducation, relaxation, meditation, mindfulness, cognitive restructuring, exposure therapy, problem solving, digital mental health
- MeSH terms
- Smartphone, Anxiety, Depression, Humans, Evidence-Based Practice, Mobile Applications
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