Mobile-based interventions for common mental disorders in youth: a systematic evaluation of pediatric health apps.
Matthias DomhardtEva-Maria MessnerAnna-Sophia EderSophie EnglerLasse B SanderHarald BaumeisterYannik TerhorstPublished in: Child and adolescent psychiatry and mental health (2021)
Our results point to a rather poor overall app quality, and indicate an absence of scientific-driven development and lack of methodologically sound evaluation of apps. Thus, future high-quality research is required, both in terms of theoretically informed intervention development and assessment of mental health apps in RCTs. Furthermore, institutionalized best-practices that provide central information on different aspects of apps (e.g., effectiveness, safety, and data security) for patients, caregivers, stakeholders and mental health professionals are urgently needed.