Apps may help treat depression

NEW RESEARCH from Australia has found that smartphone apps could be an effective tool for managing symptoms of depression.

Researchers from Australia’s National Institute of Complementary Medicine (NICM), along with Harvard Medical School, The University of Manchester, and the Black Dog Institute in Australia, looked at how effective smartphone-based treatments could be in reducing a range of mental health symptoms and conditions.

Eighteen randomised controlled trials were reviewed as part of the study, which examined 22 different smartphonedelivered mental health interventions, and included more than 3,400 male and female participants aged 18 to 59 years.

The team found that using a smartphone app significantly reduced people’s depressive symptoms, appearing to be most effective for those with mild to moderate depression.

The results also showed that although there was no difference in the effectiveness of apps which used mindfulness techniques, compared to those that used cognitive behavioural therapy or mood monitoring programmes, apps which provided ‘in-app feedback’, such as summary statistics and progress scores, had a greater effect than those that did not have in-app feedback.

Although there is currently no evidence to suggest that using apps alone is more effective than standard psychological therapies, or that they reduce the need for antidepressant medications, the early results are promising.

Lead author of the paper Joseph Firth also commented that an app could not only be an effective method of managing the condition but also an accessible and affordable option for many patients, including those who may not have access to treatment. – AFP-Relaxnews