Joaquim Raduà
Psychiatrist and head of the Imaging of Mood and Anxiety Disorders research group at IDIBAPS
Miquel Àngel Fullana
Clinical psychologist at the Psychiatry and Psychology Service of the Hospital Clínic de Barcelona and member of the research group Imaging of mood and anxiety disorders at IDIBAPS
The mental health of the population is probably worsening and we know that psychological treatments, especially cognitive behavioural therapy, can be an effective strategy to address this problem. However, finding specialised professionals and covering the costs associated with this type of intervention is complicated. In this context, the use of new technologies to deliver effective psychological treatments on a large scale is most welcome.
This meta-analysis examines randomised controlled studies on the efficacy of apps for treating moderate and severe depression, and concludes that apps have beneficial effects compared to various control groups. The meta-analysis uses a generally sound methodology, although some statistical choices used are poorly recommended, such as using fixed-effects models when the studies analysed are very heterogeneous, or analysing together different types of control groups (e.g. treatment as usual and waiting list) that previous research has shown may have different effects.
The results of this meta-analysis reinforce the evidence for the positive impact of new technologies in improving the mental health of the population. In fact, previous studies also support the benefits of internet-based cognitive behavioural therapy (ICBT) for other disorders, such as obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). In this regard, we should mention that at Hospital Clínic - IDIBAPS we are starting the first ICBT studies for OCD in collaboration with the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, pioneers in this field.