Mobile Apps for Mental Health Issues: Meta-Review of Meta-Analyses

Abstract

Journal of Medical Internet Research - International Scientific Journal for Medical Research, Information and Communication on the Internet #Preprint #PeerReviewMe: Warning: This is a unreviewed preprint. Readers are warned that the document has not been peer-reviewed by expert/patient reviewers or an academic editor, may contain misleading claims, and is likely to undergo changes before final publication, if accepted, or may have been rejected/withdrawn. Readers with interest and expertise are encouraged to sign up as peer-reviewer, if the paper is within an open peer-review period. Please cite this preprint only for review purposes or for grant applications and CVs (if you are the author). Mental health apps have great potential to help people needing support to cope with distress or specific symptoms. There is in fact an exponential increase of mental health Apps available online, with less than 5% actually being studied. Nonetheless, there is a need to assess the quality of the evidence available and to summarize the results obtained so far. Methods: Systematic reviews and meta-analyses were searched, specifically for mobile apps in link with mental health issues or symptoms and rated using the GRADE system. Results: The final seven meta-analyses were carefully reviewed and rated. Although some meta-analyses looked at any mental health issue and analyzed the data together, these studies were of poorer quality and did not offer strong empirical support for the apps. Those focusing specifically on anxiety symptoms, or on depressive symptoms, were of moderate to high quality and generally had small to medium effect sizes. Similarly, the effects of apps on stress and quality of life tended to offer small-medium effects and were of moderate to high quality. Studies looking at stand-alone apps had smaller effect sizes but better empirical quality than studies looking at apps with guidance. The studies who included follow-ups mostly found sustained impact of the app at 11 weeks follow-up. Conclusion: This meta-review revealed that apps for anxiety and depression hold great promise with clear clinical advantages, either as stand-alone self-management or as adjunctive treatments. More meta-analyses, as well as more quality studies, are needed in order to recommend apps for other mental health issues or for specific populations.