Apps and Digital Resources for Child Neurodevelopment, Mental Health, and Well-Being: Review, Evaluation, and Reflection on Current Resources.

BACKGROUND

An increase in the prevalence of neurodevelopmental conditions worldwide, alongside resource constraints within clinical services, has led to increased interest in health information technologies, such as apps and digital resources. Digital tools are often viewed as a solution to bridge this divide and to increase supports for families. There is, however, a paucity of research that has evaluated digital health tools, their potential benefits for child neurodevelopment and associated concerns (eg, mental health, well-being), and their benefit for families.

OBJECTIVE

This study conducted the first review of existing mobile apps and digital resources targeted at supporting the needs of children with developmental concerns or neurodevelopmental conditions.

METHODS

We identified 3435 separate resources, of which 112 (43 apps and 69 digital resources) met the criteria. These resources were categorized according to their purpose or target and were then reviewed based on their engagement, information quality, and evidence base using the Adapted Mobile App Rating Scale.

RESULTS

The most common condition of concern targeted by apps and digital resources was autism (19/112, 17% resources), with retrieved resources focusing on supporting challenging behaviors, promoting speech, language, and social development, and providing options for alternative and assistive communication. Other common areas of concern targeted by apps and digital resources included language and communication (16/112, 14.3%) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (11/112, 9.8%). Results showed that reviewed resources were engaging, with high levels of accessibility and functionality. Resources had various functions, including developmental or behavioral tasks targeted at children, assistive communication support, scheduling support, journaling, and advice, activities, and strategies for parents. The information quality of resources, such as credibility of source and evidence base was, however, mostly low. Apps and digital resources with good credibility and an existing evidence base were largely developed in partnership with research, health, or government institutions, and were rated significantly higher on overall quality compared with apps and digital resources not developed in partnership with such institutions (apps; t=-4.35, P<.001; digital resources; t=-4.95, P<.001).

CONCLUSIONS

The lack of evidence base across resources means that it is extremely difficult to provide recommendations to families with respect to apps or digital resources that may support their needs. Frameworks for the development of new tools are discussed, highlighting the novel approaches required to demonstrate the efficacy of tools for improving outcomes for children and families. Such a framework requires collaboration with multiple stakeholders (software developers, researchers, regulatory bodies, clinicians, children, and families) and engagement across multiple levels of expertise (app development, implementation, and dissemination within services, policy, and clinical regulations), to harness the potential of digital health for improving outcomes and promoting support in child neurodevelopment, which at this juncture remains largely underdeveloped.