Depression app is the right call

DEPRESSED? There are smartphone apps for that — and they can actually help you cope with mild to moderate forms of the condition, according to a study.

Overall, the smartphone apps examined in the Australian-led research “significantly” reduced people’s depressive symptoms, according to the findings published in journal World Psychiatry. Apps designed to treat mild to moderate depression showed the most promise.

“The data shows us that smartphones can help people monitor, understand and manage their own mental health,” said co-author Jerome Sarris, of Australia’s National Institute of Complementary Medicine.

Authors of the new study caution that there is currently no evidence to suggest that using apps alone can outperform standard psychological therapies, or reduce the need for antidepressant medications.