The Promise and Peril of Mental Health Apps

Mental health apps have the potential to serve as a tool in a comprehensive approach to tackling the declining mental health around the globe. Efficacy trials show that mobile mental health apps can improve symptoms of some disorders, such as depression and anxiety, when compared to no treatment. Little is known, however, about the efficacy of mental health apps compared to standard-of-care treatments. These apps should not, therefore, be used as a replacement for established therapies. Furthermore, efficacy has only been shown in middle-aged adults, but not in youth or seniors, while men and racial monitories are underrepresented in the literature. This makes it difficult to draw conclusions about the efficacy of apps in the very same populations that are underserved by existing mental health services. While efficacious for some, apps have rarely been shown to be effective in the real world beyond the context of carefully controlled studies. Yet, our analyses show that even without any peer-reviewed evidence, hundreds of ‘mental health’ apps are available to consumers and a large number of apps claim to be evidence-based without any peer-reviewed evidence for their efficacy or effectiveness. To protect consumers, regulatory agencies and private companies need to take steps to inform consumers of the effectiveness, or lack thereof, of each app.