Journal article
The efficacy of smartphone-based mental health interventions for depressive symptoms: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
J Firth, J Torous, J Nicholas, R Carney, A Pratap, S Rosenbaum, J Sarris
World Psychiatry | WILEY | Published : 2017
DOI: 10.1002/wps.20472
Abstract
The rapid advances and adoption of smartphone technology presents a novel opportunity for delivering mental health interventions on a population scale. Despite multi-sector investment along with wide-scale advertising and availability to the general population, the evidence supporting the use of smartphone apps in the treatment of depression has not been empirically evaluated. Thus, we conducted the first meta-analysis of smartphone apps for depressive symptoms. An electronic database search in May 2017 identified 18 eligible randomized controlled trials of 22 smartphone apps, with outcome data from 3,414 participants. Depressive symptoms were reduced significantly more from smartphone apps ..
View full abstractGrants
Awarded by Ontario Mental Health Foundation
Funding Acknowledgements
The authors would like to acknowledge the kind assistance of J. Anguera (Neuroscape, University of California San Francisco), K. Hallgren (Behavioral Research in Technology & Engineering Center, University of Washington) and M. Faurholt-Jepsen (Psychiatric Center Copenhagen, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen) who agreed to share study data necessary for the meta-analysis. J. Firth is funded by a Blackmores Institute Fellowship and a Medical Research Council doctoral training grant; J. Torous by a National Library of Medicine T15 training grant (4T15LM007092-25) and the Natalia Mental Health Foundation; S. Rosenbaum by a University of New South Wales Scientia & National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Early Career Fellowship (APP1123336); J. Nicholas by an Australian Postgraduate Award, and the NHMRC Centre for Research Excellence in Suicide Prevention (APP1042580); R. Carney by an Economic and Social Research Council grant (E SJ5000991); J. Sarris by an NHMRC Research Fellowship (APP1125000). The first two authors contributed equally to this work.