Mental Health in a Digital World - Chapter 18: Apps for mental health

The global population is becoming increasingly reliant on mobile technology, with 3.5 billion smartphone users globally in 2020 with the widespread adoption of smartphones and tablets in combination with increased internet access present unique opportunities for mobile health (mHealth) applications (apps) to be utilized as novel interventions for medical conditions. Mobile apps refer to programs designed for smartphone, tablet, and other digital platforms, enabling such technologies to support medicine and public health practices (Van Ameringen, Turna, Khalesi, Pullia, & Patterson, 2017). Interest in mHealth apps has grown particularly for mental health (MH) conditions, which are becoming increasingly prevalent worldwide. The prevalence of mental illness is high in children and adolescents, ranging from 10% to 20% worldwide (World Health Organization, 2020). Unfortunately, treatment mental continuously suffers various degrees of distress and experience a lower quality of life. It is critical to overcome treatment barriers for the well-being of the global population. Improved access to MH care and alternative interventions are necessary from a public health standpoint, and mobile apps offer a promising solution. We identified six existing app evaluation models, frameworks and review sites. Results indicate there is some evidence for the efficacy of mobile MH apps, and there is evidence that these app interventions may be feasible and acceptable—however, the paucity of completed clinical trials focusing on outcomes, especially for young people, limits what we can determine about the effectiveness. Now it is repeatedly documented that these smartphone application interventions are feasible, the focus will shift to effectiveness.