Application of software in mental health – benefits and limitations: integrative literature review

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.33448/rsd-v11i16.37908

Keywords:

Software; Mental health; Benefits; Limitations.

Abstract

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), almost 1 billion people lived with a mental disorder in 2019. In this context, despite the growth in the use of smartphones and the consequent increase in the offer of applications offering support and guidance services regarding health mental, E-Mental Health, studies focused on the effectiveness of these software are scarce. Therefore, this integrative review sought to identify the benefits and limitations regarding the use of software applied to mental health. For this exploratory integrative bibliographical review, articles were searched in the National Library of Medicine (PUBMED) and SciELO (Scientific Electronic Library Online) databases, using the Health Science descriptors - (DeSC) and indexers - Medical Subject Headings - ( MeSH) considering the keywords: mental health; programs, and their respective terms in English: “Mental Health”; “Software”, with the Boolean operators: “AND” and “OR”. What was concluded is that, despite the large number of E-Mental Health, although an expansion of software aimed at mental health has been observed, there is not a significant number of researches and, consequently, evidence, regarding the effectiveness of these programs.

References

Catuara-Solarz, S., Skorulski, B., Estella-Aguerri, I., Avella-Garcia, C. B., Shepherd, S., Stott, E., & Dix, S. (2022). The Efficacy of “Foundations,” a Digital Mental Health App to Improve Mental Well-being During COVID-19: Proof-of-Principle Randomized Controlled Trial. JMIR mHealth and uHealth, 10(7), e30976.

Chan, S., Li, L., Torous, J., Gratzer, D., & Yellowlees, P. M. (2019). Review and Implementation of Self-Help and Automated Tools in Mental Health Care. The Psychiatric clinics of North America, 42(4), 597–609. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psc.2019.07.001.

Coelhoso, C. C., Tobo, P. R., Lacerda, S. S., Lima, A. H., Barrichello, C., Amaro, E., Jr, & Kozasa, E. H. (2019). A New Mental Health Mobile App for Well-Being and Stress Reduction in Working Women: Randomized Controlled Trial. Journal of medical Internet research, 21(11), e14269. https://doi.org/10.2196/14269

Ferenhof, H. A., & Fernandes, R. F. (2016). Desmistificando a revisão de literatura como base para redação científica: método SSF. Revista ACB, 21(3), 550-563.

Graham, A. K., Greene, C. J., Kwasny, M. J., Kaiser, S. M., Lieponis, P., Powell, T., & Mohr, D. C. (2020). Coached Mobile App Platform for the Treatment of Depression and Anxiety Among Primary Care Patients: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA psychiatry, 77(9), 906–914. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2020.1011.

Ghanbari, E., Yektatalab, S., & Mehrabi, M. (2021). Effects of Psychoeducational Interventions Using Mobile Apps and Mobile-Based Online Group Discussions on Anxiety and Self-Esteem in Women With Breast Cancer: Randomized Controlled Trial. JMIR mHealth and uHealth, 9(5), e19262. https://doi.org/10.2196/19262

Hwang, W. J., & Jo, H. H. (2019). Evaluation of the effectiveness of mobile app-based stress-management program: a randomized controlled trial. International journal of environmental research and public health, 16(21), 4270.

Harrer, M., Adam, S. H., Fleischmann, R. J., Baumeister, H., Auerbach, R., Bruffaerts, R., & Ebert, D. D. (2018). Effectiveness of an internet-and app-based intervention for college students with elevated stress: randomized controlled trial. Journal of medical Internet research, 20(4), e9293.

Kemp, Simon. Digital 2022 January Global Statshot Report. 2022. https://datareportal.com/reports/digital-2022-global-overview-report

Kenny, R., Fitzgerald, A., Segurado, R., & Dooley, B. (2020). Is there an app for that? A cluster randomised controlled trial of a mobile app-based mental health intervention. Health informatics journal, 26(3), 1538–1559. https://doi.org/10.1177/1460458219884195.

Martinengo, L., Stona, A. C., Car, L. T., Lee, J., Griva, K., & Car, J. (2022). Education on Depression in Mental Health Apps: Systematic Assessment of Characteristics and Adherence to Evidence-Based Guidelines. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 24(3), e28942.

Miller, E., & Polson, D. (2019). Apps, Avatars, and Robots: The Future of Mental Healthcare. Issues in mental health nursing, 40(3), 208–214. https://doi.org/10.1080/01612840.2018.1524535.

Newbold, A., Warren, F. C., Taylor, R. S., Hulme, C., Burnett, S., Aas, B., & Watkins, E. R. (2020). Promotion of mental health in young adults via mobile phone app: study protocol of the ECoWeB (emotional competence for well-being in Young adults) cohort multiple randomised trials. BMC psychiatry, 20(1), 1-18.

O’Dea, B., Han, J., Batterham, P. J., Achilles, M. R., Calear, A. L., Werner‐Seidler, A., & Christensen, H. (2020). A randomised controlled trial of a relationship‐focussed mobile phone application for improving adolescents’ mental health. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 61(8), 899-913.

OMS. World mental health report: transforming mental health for all. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2022. Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO

Pratap, A., Renn, B. N., Volponi, J., Mooney, S. D., Gazzaley, A., Arean, P. A., & Anguera, J. A. Using Mobile Apps to Assess and Treat Depression in Hispanic and Latino Populations: Fully Remote Randomized Clinical Trial.J Med Internet Res 2018;20(8): e10130. 10.2196/10130

Ponzo, S., Morelli, D., Kawadler, J. M., Hemmings, N. R., Bird, G., & Plans, D. (2020). Efficacy of the Digital Therapeutic Mobile App BioBase to Reduce Stress and Improve Mental Well-Being Among University Students: Randomized Controlled Trial. JMIR mHealth and uHealth, 8(4), e17767. https://doi.org/10.2196/17767

Renfrew, M. E., Morton, D. P., Morton, J. K., Hinze, J. S., Beamish, P. J., Przybylko, G., & Craig, B. A. (2020). A Web- and Mobile App-Based Mental Health Promotion Intervention Comparing Email, Short Message Service, and Videoconferencing Support for a Healthy Cohort: Randomized Comparative Study. Journal of medical Internet research, 22(1), e15592. https://doi.org/10.2196/15592.

Silva, C. M. T. da., Dias, F. G., Sousa, M. C., Oliveira, V. P., Oliveira, K. B., & Farias, R. R. S. (2022). The contribution of psychology to the mental health of athletes in the sport scope: a bibliographic research. Research, Society and Development, 11(12), e169111231471. https://doi.org/10.33448/rsd-v11i12.31471

Silvares, E. F., & Mattos e Pereira, R. F. Adesão em saúde e psicoterapia: conceituação e aplicação na enurese noturna. Psicologia USP [online]. 2012, 23(3) 539-558. <https://doi.org/10.1590/S0103-65642012005000012>. https://doi.org/10.1590/S0103-65642012005000012.

Tibes, C. M. D. S., Dias, J. D., & Zem-Mascarenhas, S. H. (2014). Aplicativos móveis desenvolvidos para a área da saúde no Brasil: revisão integrativa da literatura. Revista Mineira de Enfermagem, 18(2), 471-486. http://www.dx.doi.org/10.5935/1415-2762.20140035.

Weitzel, E. C., Quittschalle, J., Welzel, F. D., Löbner, M., Hauth, I., & Riedel-Heller, S. G. E-Mental-Health und digitale Gesundheitsanwendungen in Deutschland [E-Mental Health and healthcare apps in Germany]. Nervenarzt. 2021 Nov;92(11):1121-1129. German. 10.1007/s00115-021-01196-9. Epub 2021 Oct 4. PMID: 34608535.

Wiljer, D., Shi, J., Lo, B., Sanches, M., Hollenberg, E., Johnson, A., Abi-Jaoudé, A., Chaim, G., Cleverley, K., Henderson, J., Isaranuwatchai, W., Levinson, A., Robb, J., Wong, H. W., & Voineskos, A. (2020). Effects of a Mobile and Web App (Thought Spot) on Mental Health Help-Seeking Among College and University Students: Randomized Controlled Trial. Journal of medical Internet research, 22(10), e20790. https://doi.org/10.2196/20790.

Downloads

Published

30/11/2022

How to Cite

MAGALHÃES, B. B.; ANDRADE, J. K. M. L. de; CARVALHO, A. F. M. de .; COSTA, J. V. .; JESUÍNO, A. D. S. A.; DANTAS NETA, N. B.; MAGALHÃES, J. V.; MAGALHÃES, D. A. P.; MUNIZ, I. S. L.; SILVA, D. de S. Application of software in mental health – benefits and limitations: integrative literature review . Research, Society and Development, [S. l.], v. 11, n. 16, p. e93111637908, 2022. DOI: 10.33448/rsd-v11i16.37908. Disponível em: https://rsdjournal.org/index.php/rsd/article/view/37908. Acesso em: 25 apr. 2024.

Issue

Vol. 11 No. 16

Section

Review Article

License

Copyright (c) 2022 Breno Borges Magalhães; Jordana Katrine Maria Lopes de Andrade; Ana Flávia Machado de Carvalho; Jandson Vieira Costa; Ana Deyvis Santos Araújo Jesuíno; Neusa Barros Dantas Neta; Josianne Vieira Magalhães; Davi Antonio Pessoa Magalhães; Ingridy Silva Lima Muniz; Dayana de Sousa Silva

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:

1) Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.

2) Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.

3) Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work.