Abstract
One of the biggest growth areas in e-mental health resources has been the development and use of mobile mental health apps for smartphones and tablet devices. Such apps are being downloaded at increasing rates, but there have been questions about their efficacy and the research methodologies used to examine this. A review of the major app marketplaces, the Apple App Store and Google Play store, was conducted to locate apps claiming to offer a therapeutic treatment for depression and/or anxiety, and have research evidence for their effectiveness, according to their app store descriptions. App store descriptions were also analyzed to determine whether the app had been developed with mental health expert input; whether they had been developed in association with a government body, academic institution, or medical facility; and, whether or not they were free to download. Overall, 3.41% of apps had research to justify their claims of effectiveness, with the majority of that research undertaken by those involved in the development of the app. Other results indicated that 30.38% of shortlisted apps claimed to have expert development input; 20.48% had an affiliation with a government body, academic institution, or medical facility; and, 74.06% were free to download. Future research must consider other methodologies that may facilitate more research being completed on a greater number of apps, and future development needs to incorporate greater levels of input by mental health experts. Ways in which app stores could play a key role in encouraging more scientific research into the effectiveness of the mental health apps they sell are discussed.
Highlights
Smartphones and AppsSmartphones are mobile/cellular phones capable of connecting to the Internet and performing similar functions to computers
People living with a mental illness can have distinctly negative attitudes towards an app’s ability to manage sensitive information associated with mental health [12]. These findings indicate that consumers’ attitudes and responses to mental health apps are diverse
The app marketplace search resulted in 293 apps shortlisted for closer inspection based on their app store description of offering a therapeutic treatment for reducing depression and/or anxiety symptoms
Summary
Smartphones are mobile/cellular phones capable of connecting to the Internet and performing similar functions to computers. Smartphone applications (apps) are software programs designed to perform specific tasks on smartphones. Through the use of apps, smartphones can perform many functions, including monitoring, assessing, and treating physical and mental health conditions. There are over 5.2 billion people who own a smartphone [1]. The proliferation of smartphone apps has led to digital solutions for a myriad of situations. The largest app marketplaces are the Apple App store and Google Play store.
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