Study Shows Smartphone Apps Improve Mental Health for Patients Awaiting Care

A new study has recently revealed that patients who are waiting for mental health care can still receive relief by using evidence-based smartphone apps and wearable devices. These devices track their sleep and activity. Researchers have found that depression, anxiety symptoms, and suicidality decreased significantly when patients were assigned to mobile applications that incorporated mindfulness practices, cognitive-behavioral therapy skills, or prompts encouraging mood-enhancing activities.  

This study was recently published in JAMA Network Open. In this study, researchers involved 2000 patients. They were scheduled to get care in the coming weeks from outpatient U-M Health or U-M student clinics.

Most of the participants completed standardized assessments at the start and after six weeks. These participants were asked to use smartphone apps to track their mental health. They also wore Fitbit or smartwatch to track sleep and physical activity. Most participants were assigned to use one of two commercial apps such as Silvercloud and Headspace. Silvercloud app is based on cognitive behavioral therapy principles.

On the other hand, the Headspace app coaches mindfulness techniques. These apps have been shown to help alleviate mental health symptoms. But they have never been tested against each other. Some participants were also assigned the MyDataHelps app. It is a customized version that received positive prompts twice daily based on participants’ activity tracker data. 

When researchers observed the results, they found that participants’ scores on standard mental health scales improved by the end of the study period. They found that depression scores were reduced by two to three points by six weeks. On the other hand, anxiety scores were reduced by 1.5 to 2 points. But scores on measures of protection against suicide risk increased slightly, with the most improvement among participants using Headspace.

The suicide risk measurement dropped slightly across the board. It indicates a lower risk for suicidal behavior. Most participants had their initial appointment with a U-M mental health provider before the six-week period. But this drop in mental health scores was similar for those who had not started professional treatment. 

This study has found that mobile-based mental health support apps have shown improvement in helping patients manage their symptoms. The app can help patients endure the waiting time until their first appointment. Clinical providers did not have access to the app data. But it can be a potential option for clinics. The data can also help providers understand which patients need more intensive psychiatric care and which can benefit from less intensive care. The app can help patients manage their symptoms before they visit a clinic.