Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
Department of Psychology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.
Int J Eat Disord. 2021 May;54(5):690-700. doi: 10.1002/eat.23478. Epub 2021 Feb 3.
To examine the frequency of evidence-based treatment elements in popular smartphone apps for eating disorders (EDs), and to characterize the extent to which real-world users encounter different elements.
We searched the Apple App Store and Google Play Store for apps offering treatment or support to individuals with EDs. Then, we created a codebook of 47 elements found in evidence-based treatments for EDs. We examined the presence or absence of each element within each ED app. We also acquired estimates of the monthly active users (MAU) of each app.
The ED apps (n = 28) included a median of nine elements of empirically supported treatments (mean = 9.46, SD = 6.28). Four apps accounted for 96% of all MAU. MAU-adjusted analyses revealed that several elements are reaching more users than raw frequency tallies would suggest. For example, assessments were included in 32% of apps, but 84% of users used an app with assessments. Similar trends were found for cognitive restructuring (21% of apps, 56% of MAU), activity scheduling (39%, 57%), and self-monitoring (14%, 46%). Problem solving, exposure, and relapse prevention strategies, elements that are prominent in face-to-face empirically supported treatments, were rarely included in the apps.
Evidence-based content is commonly included in ED apps, with certain elements reaching more users than others. Additionally, the top four apps are responsible for nearly all active users. We recommend that ED clinicians and researchers familiarize themselves with these apps-those that patients are most likely to encounter.
研究流行智能手机应用程序（APP）中治疗进食障碍（ED）的循证治疗元素的出现频率，并描述真实用户接触不同元素的程度。
我们在苹果应用商店（Apple App Store）和谷歌应用商店（Google Play Store）中搜索为 ED 患者提供治疗或支持的 APP。然后，我们创建了一个包含 47 种循证治疗 ED 方法的元素的代码本。我们检查了每个 ED APP 中是否存在每个元素。我们还获取了每个 APP 的月活跃用户（MAU）的估计值。
ED 应用程序（n = 28）中包含中位数为 9 个经实证支持的治疗元素（平均值 = 9.46，标准差 = 6.28）。四个 APP 占据了所有 MAU 的 96%。经 MAU 调整后的分析表明，某些元素的触及用户数量超过了原始频率统计所表明的数量。例如，评估被纳入 32%的 APP，但 84%的用户使用了有评估的 APP。认知重构（APP 中的 21%，MAU 的 56%）、活动安排（APP 中的 39%，MAU 的 57%）和自我监测（APP 中的 14%，MAU 的 46%）也存在类似的趋势。在面对面的循证治疗中突出的问题解决、暴露和复发预防策略，很少被纳入 APP。
循证内容通常包含在 ED APP 中，某些元素的触及用户比其他元素多。此外，排名前四的 APP 占据了几乎所有的活跃用户。我们建议 ED 临床医生和研究人员熟悉这些 APP，因为这些 APP 是患者最有可能接触到的。
