Monash Institute of Cognitive and Clinical Neurosciences and School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Australia.
Monash Institute of Cognitive and Clinical Neurosciences and School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Australia; Centre for Positive Psychology, University of Melbourne, Australia.
J Affect Disord. 2018 Feb;227:432-442. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2017.11.016. Epub 2017 Nov 9.
Mobile apps are being used increasingly for mental health purposes, but evidence of their efficacy remains limited. The mechanisms underlying any effects of such apps are also unclear. This study examined the effectiveness of a self-monitoring mobile phone app by investigating the relationships between app engagement and mental health outcomes.
Participants downloaded the MoodPrism app from the iOS and Android app stores, completing in-app assessments at start of use and again 30days later. The app prompted participants daily to complete a short mood questionnaire and formulated their responses into a mood diary. Data from 234 assessment completers (73% female; M age = 34.8 years) were analysed via hierarchical and mediation regressions.
In this community sample, app engagement ratings predicted decreases in depression and anxiety, and increases in mental well-being. These effects were mediated by increases in emotional self-awareness, but only for participants who were clinically depressed or anxious at the time of the baseline assessment. Mental health literacy and coping self-efficacy did not play mediating roles.
Findings suggest that other influential mediators may have not been measured, and future studies could verify the findings by using alternative methodologies, such as comparison with a control group.
Engaging with an emotional wellbeing self-monitoring app may reduce depressive and anxious symptoms, and increase mental well-being. Increases in emotional self-awareness may mediate these changes in clinical populations, and further research is needed to reveal other mechanisms that mental health apps can utilize.
移动应用程序越来越多地被用于心理健康目的，但它们的疗效证据仍然有限。这些应用程序产生任何效果的机制也不清楚。本研究通过调查应用程序参与度与心理健康结果之间的关系，检验了自我监测手机应用程序的有效性。
参与者从 iOS 和 Android 应用商店下载 MoodPrism 应用程序，在开始使用时和 30 天后再次完成应用内评估。该应用程序每天提示参与者完成一个简短的情绪问卷，并将他们的回答制成情绪日记。通过分层和中介回归分析了来自 234 名评估完成者（73%为女性；M 年龄=34.8 岁）的数据。
在这个社区样本中，应用程序参与度评分预测抑郁和焦虑的减少，以及心理健康的增加。这些影响是通过情绪自我意识的增加来介导的，但仅适用于在基线评估时患有临床抑郁或焦虑的参与者。心理健康素养和应对自我效能感没有起到中介作用。
研究结果表明，可能没有测量到其他有影响力的中介因素，未来的研究可以通过使用替代方法，如与对照组进行比较，来验证这些发现。
参与情感健康自我监测应用程序可能会减少抑郁和焦虑症状，增加心理健康。在临床人群中，情绪自我意识的增加可能介导这些变化，需要进一步研究揭示心理健康应用程序可以利用的其他机制。
