Table 1 Characteristics of included studies.
From: Standalone smartphone apps for mental health—a systematic review and meta-analysis
Author year | Sample size included in review | Target outcome | Study inclusion | Participants Female: % (N)Age: M (SD) | Control group (active/inactive) Short description | Post-assessment period | Follow-up | Framework | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Arean 201653 | Total: 626 IG 1: 209 IG 2: 211 CG: 206 | Depression | PHQ > 9, PHQ item 10 > 2 | 79% (494) 33.95 (11.84) | Inactive: Control app health tips | 4-week | 8-week, 12-week | IG 1: cognitive control IG 2: problem-solving therapy | Depression: PHQ-9 |
BinDhim 201854 | Total: 648 IG: 342 CG: 342 | Smoking | Daily cigarette smokers | 55% (340) 28.3 (10) | Inactive: Control app information | 4-week | 3-month, 6-month | Decision aid (psychoeducation, quit date) | Smoking: 30 day smoking abstinence |
Birney 201655 | Total: 199 IG: 99 CG: 100 | Depression | 10 ≤ PHQ ≥ 19 | 76% (231)a 40.65 (11.35)a | Inactive: Alternative care + WLC | 6-week | 10 weeks | CBT Mindfulness Positive psychology | Depression: PHQ-9 |
Clarke 201625 | Total: 36 IG: 18 CG: 18 | Insomnia | PSQI ≥ 4 | 75% (18) 19.11 (2.51) | Inactive: Control app sham | 8 days | No | Attention bias modification | Sleeping problems: PSQI & APSQ |
Dar 201756 | Total: 40 IG: 20 CG: 20 | Smoking | At least 5 cigarettes a day | 22.5% (9) np | Inactive: WLC | 4-week | No | Behavioral modification: monitoring & feedback | Smoking: Cigarettes per day |
Enock 201457 | Total: 326 IG 1: 158 CG 1: 27 CG 2: 141 | Social anxiety | SIAS ≥ 35b | 47.8% (205) 34.8 (11.4) | Inactive: CG1 WLC CG2 sham | Mean of first 5 assessments | 1-month & 2-month FU in IGs | Attention bias modification | Social anxiety: SIAS & LSAS Depression: DASS & PSWQ |
Franklin 2016 Study 122 | Total: 114 IG: 59 CG: 55 | Self-injury & suicidal ideation | Two or more episodes of self-cutting in past month | 80.7% (92) 23.02 (5.47) | Inactive: Control app | 4-week | No | Therapeutic evaluative conditioning | Self-Injurious Thoughts and Behaviors: Non-suicidal self-injury episodes & self-cutting episodes Suicidal ideation |
Franklin 2016 Study 222 | Total: 131 IG: 62 CG: 69 | Self-injury & suicidal ideation | Two or more episodes of self-cutting in past month | 84.05% (110) 22.91 (4.99) | Inactive: Control app | 4-week | No | Therapeutic evaluative conditioning | Self-Injurious Thoughts and Behaviors: Non-suicidal self-injury episodes & self-cutting episodes Suicidal ideation |
Franklin 2016 Study 322 | Total: 163 IG: 78 CG: 85 | Self-injury & suicidal ideation | At least one suicidal behavior within the past year | 58.89% (96) 24.5 (6.61) | Inactive: Control app | 4-week | No | Therapeutic evaluative conditioning | Self-Injurious Thoughts and Behaviors: Non-suicidal self-injury episodes & self-cutting episodes Suicidal ideation |
Gajecki 201458 | Total: 983 IG 1: 341 IG 2: 153 CG: 489 | Drinking | AUDIT ≥ 6 for women and ≥8 for men | 51.7% (1001)c 24.72 (4.81)c | Inactive: No-treatment control | 7-week | No | IG 1: theory of planned behavior monitoring & feedback, IG 2: monitoring & feedback, simulation of drinking events | Substance use: alcohol binge occasions, frequency, quantity |
Horsch 201726 | Total: 151 IG: 74 CG: 77 | Insomnia | Diagnosis of insomnia & ISI ≥ 7 | 62.3% (94) 39.66 (13.44) | Inactive: WLC | 7-week | 3 months in IG | CBT | Sleeping problems: ISI & PSQI Depression: CES-D Anxiety: HADS |
Hur 201859 | Total: 34 IG: 17 CG: 17 | Depression | DSM-5 diagnosis for Other Specified Depressive Disorder | 88.24% (30) 23.71 (3.26) | Inactive: Mood chart control group | 3-week | No | CBT | Depression: BDI-II Anxiety: STAI-X2 |
Kuhn 201760 | Total: 120 IG: 62 CG: 58 | Posttraumatic stress | PCL ≥ 35 | 69.17% (83) 39.28 (np) | Inactive: WLC | 12-week | 6 months in IG | CBT Symptom monitoring | PTSD: PCL-C Depression: PHQ-8 |
Miner 201624 | Total: 49 IG: 25 CG: 24 | Posttraumatic stress | PCL ≥ 25 | 72% (40) 45.7 (13.9) | Inactive: WLC | 4-week | 2 months in IG | CBT Symptom monitoring | PTSD: PCL-C |
Pham 201661 | Total: 63 IG: 31 CG: 32 | Anxiety | ASI-3 > 15 & OASIS > 7 & GAD-7 > 5 | 50.8% (32) np | Inactive: WLC + information | 4-week | No | Breathing retraining | Anxiety: GAD-7 & PDSS-SR |
Roepke 201562 | Total: 283 IG 1: 93 IG 2: 97 CG: 93 | Depression | CES-D > 15 | 69.9% (197) 40.15 (12.4) | Inactive: WLC | 4-week | 6-week | IG 1: CBT & Positive psychotherapy IG 2: CBT & acceptance-based therapy | Depression: CES-D Anxiety: GAD-7 |
Stolz 201863 | Total: 90 IG: 60 CG: 30 | Social anxiety | SPS > 22 or SIAS > 33 and SKID diagnosis social anxiety | 65.56% (59) 34.87 (np) | Inactive: WLC | 12-week | 6-month | CBT | Social anxiety: SPS & SIAS & LSAS Depression: BDI-II |
Tighe 201764 | Total: 61 IG: 30 CG: 31 | Suicidal ideation | PHQ-9 > 10, K10 > 24 & had suicidal thoughts in the previous 2 weeks | 63.93% (39) 26.25 (8,13) | Inactive: WLC | 6-week | 12-week | Acceptance-based therapy | Suicidal ideation: DSI-SS Depression: PHQ-9 |
Witkiewitz 201465 | Total: 94 IG 1: 32 (IG 2: 33)d CG: 29 | Drinking & smoking | At least one episode of heavy drinking (5/4 drinks per occasion for men/women) in the past 2 weeks and reported concurrent smoking and drinking at least once a week | 27.7% (26) 20.5 (1.7) | Inactive: No-treatment control | 1-month | no | Mindfulness | Substance use: daily drinking & daily smoking |
