Effects of mhealth applications on military personnel's physical and mental health: A systematic review.
Mehrdad FarzandipourReihane SharifShima AnvariPublished in: Military psychology : the official journal of the Division of Military Psychology, American Psychological Association (2024)
This systematic review examined the effects of mobile health (mHealth) apps on the physical and mental health outcomes of military personnel. Fourteen studies (10 RCTs, 4 non-RCTs) published between 2000 and 2022 were included. While app-based interventions did not significantly improve clinical outcomes like HbA1c and blood pressure, they showed a statistically significant reduction in symptom severity of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder symptoms (PTSD), depression, and insomnia. Patients expressed satisfaction with the apps, though statistical significance was not reported. In addition to alleviating mental health symptoms, mHealth apps appear widely accepted by military personnel. Development and implementation of evidence-based mental health apps by healthcare professionals are recommended.
Keyphrases
- mental health
- posttraumatic stress disorder
- systematic review
- blood pressure
- sleep quality
- mental illness
- meta analyses
- physical activity
- ejection fraction
- newly diagnosed
- healthcare
- primary care
- depressive symptoms
- prognostic factors
- randomized controlled trial
- hypertensive patients
- patient reported
- quality improvement
- heart rate
- metabolic syndrome
- social support