The feasibility and effectiveness of Catch It, an innovative CBT smartphone app
Open accessAbstract
Background: The widespread use of smartphones makes effective therapies such as cognitive–behavioural therapy (CBT) potentially accessible to large numbers of people. Aims: This paper reports the usage data of the first trial of Catch It, a new CBT smartphone app. Method: Uptake and usage rates, fidelity of user responses to CBT principles, and impact on reported negative and positive moods were assessed. Results: A relatively modest proportion of people chose to download the app. Once used, the app tended to be used more than once, and 84% of the user-generated content was consistent with the basic concepts of CBT. There were statistically significant reductions in negative mood intensity and increases in positive mood intensity. Conclusions: Smartphone apps have potential beneficial effects in mental health through the application of basic CBT principles. More research with randomised controlled trial designs should be conducted.
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High user engagement and sufficient long-term outcomes seem to be the top barriers for effective CBT app outcomes.
“high user engagement and sufficient long-term outcomes seem to be the top barriers for effective CBT app outcomes [32]”
From Technology enabled clinical care (TECC): Protocol for a prospective longitudinal cohort study of smartphone-augmented mental health treatment (2021) · cites this paper as [32]
The Discussion reports low uptake and says most users made few entries, supporting engagement as a challenge for Catch It. The paper assesses mood changes during app use, not long-term outcomes, and does not identify engagement and long-term outcomes as the top barriers to effective CBT apps. (LLM, conf=0.84)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredThe 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 [48]
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- Authors
- Kinderman, P., Hagan, P., King, S., Bowman, J., Chahal, J., Gan, L., McKnight, R., Waldon, C., Smith, M., Gilbertson, J., & Tai, S.
- Affiliations
- University of Liverpool (GB)
- University of Manchester (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Kinderman, Peter
- Venue
- BJPsych Open
- Publisher
- Royal College of Psychiatrists
- Published
- 2016-05
- Volume
- 2
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 204-209
- ISSN
- 2056-4724 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC4995173
- OpenAlex
- W2353011502
- Cited by
- 33
- References
- 18
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 1 · 2021: 5 · 2020: 7 · 2019: 3 · 2018: 5 · 2017: 4
- FWCI
- 6.16
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- BJPsych Open (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Research Explorer (The University of Manchester) (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- McKnight Foundation
- 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
- cognitive behavioral therapy, mobile application, digital mental health interventions, mood, negative mood, positive mood, user-generated content
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