Systematic assessment of the quality and integrity of popular mental health smartphone apps using the American Psychiatric Association's app evaluation model.

ABSTRACT: Mobile phones are playing an increasingly important role in supporting mental health, by providing confidential, accessible and scalable support for individuals who may not seek or have means of accessing professional help. There are concerns, however, that many apps claiming to support mental health do not meet professional, ethical or evidence-based standards. App store search algorithms favour popularity (reviews and downloads) and commercial factors (in-app purchases), with what appears to be low prioritisation of safety or effectiveness features. In this paper, the most visible 100 apps for "depression", "anxiety" and/or "mood" on the Google Play and Apple App stores were selected for assessment using the American Psychiatric Association App Evaluation model. This model systematically

SUBMITTER: Rickard NS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9561256 | biostudies-literature | 2022

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature