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The smartphone app marketplace is flooded with thousands of mental health apps that claim to help with anxiety, depression, sleep, mindfulness, and more. How can you determine which apps are reliable and potentially useful?
Apps are useful tools for personal growth and wellness, but a recent study found that only a limited number of apps have real-world research to support their claims. We found that only 2% of health and stress apps had research studies to back up their claims. Another study in 2022 found that only 3.4% of anxiety and depression apps were backed by clinical trials or real-world evidence.New 2022 Reviews of Mental Health Apps Published in JAMA network open A study of 578 mental health smartphone apps found thatThe majority (91%) were created by commercial companies, 4% were created by governments, and 4% were created by non-profit organizations.
According to researchers, the top five features of mental health smartphone apps are: Psychoeducation, goal setting/habits, mindfulness, journaling, mood tracking. The three most common problems targeted by the app were smoking, stress and anxiety, and substance use, including mood disorders. It’s been less common for apps to use sensor data or biofeedback, but this feature allows apps to be more innovative and provide real-time feedback.
Source: Camacho et al., 2022
Given that there are thousands of mental health apps and few make research-backed claims, it’s important to use unbiased third-party resources to scrutinize mental health smartphone apps.
Here are two resources for exploring wellness and mental health apps:
One Mind Psyber Guide is a free, independent online review non-profit website that helps shine a light on the authenticity, transparency and user experience of mental health apps. Some apps are Expert.written about the guide Clinician-investigated research found comprehensive and user Found to be friendly. .
mind app A searchable database developed by a team at Harvard Medical School to help users make informed decisions about your app. Features such as cost, privacy, clinical evidence, involvement, and clinical status are discussed.
Here are seven questions to consider before using a mental health app, along with the two resources above.
1. Will the app keep my information private and secure?
- What elements of my profile are made public?
- Will the company share or sell my data or use it for research?
- Are your security measures sufficient? Have there been any previous data breaches for this app?
- How would you feel if there was a data breach of the information your app collected?
The unfortunate reality of today is that it’s nearly impossible to ensure data security, and it’s almost impossible to know exactly what happened to your data and where it ended up. Nearly half of the apps shared personal health information with third parties. A recent study by the Mozilla Foundation evaluated the privacy and security of 32 popular mental health and prayer apps and found that 87.5% had serious privacy issues. About 77% of the apps surveyed had a privacy policy. But having a privacy policy doesn’t make it clear how companies can share or use your data.Consumer Reports surveyed seven popular mental health apps. We have conducted and found that some apps do not follow our privacy policy.
2. Is the app backed by scientific research or clinical evidence?
Both review websites indicate whether there is clinical evidence or at least scientific evidence to back up the app’s claims. One Mind PsyberGuide gives apps credibility scores based on research evidence, research principles, app development, and ongoing maintenance of the app itself.
3. Can the app email or export data?
A useful feature is that the data can be shared with yourself or your doctor, or easily exported for your own records. Researchers found that about a third (30%) of apps allow users to email or export data. Data export is a useful feature for saving data, especially if the app is retired.
4. If I stop using the app, can the app easily delete my data?
Another consideration is whether the app allows you to delete your data if you decide that you no longer want to continue using the app.
5. Can I opt out of data collection in the app?
Apps must be clear and up front about asking for consent to collect data. Many apps collect user data for academic research and other purposes by default without asking for the user’s explicit consent or an opt-out feature. In a Consumer Reports survey, one app company referred to sharing data with multiple academic research institutions as “data processing.”
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6. Which features require in-app purchases or subscriptions?
About 88% of the apps were free to download, but only 39% were completely free. 44% had in-app purchases and 34% required a subscription to unlock all features.
7. Can I access the app for my needs?
About 65% of the apps were able to function offline without an internet connection. About 54% had at least one accessibility feature, such as adjustable text size, text-to-speech, or text-to-speech capabilities.
It’s important to research mental health apps ahead of time, as they are likely to hold particularly sensitive personal data in your account. It helps you decide if the app is right for you.
Copyright © 2022 Marlynn Wei, MD, PLLC.
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