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Tag: literature review
02/14/2023

Gaming My Way to Recovery: A Systematic Scoping Review of Digital Game Interventions for Young People’s Mental Health Treatment and Promotion

Ferrari M, Sabetti J, McIlwaine SV, Fazeli S, Sadati SMH, Shah JL, Archie S, Boydell KM, Lal S, Henderson J, Alvarez-Jimenez M, Andersson N, Nielsen RKL, Reynolds JA and Iyer SN (2022) Gaming My Way to Recovery: A Systematic Scoping Review of Digital Game Interventions for Young People’s Mental Health Treatment and Promotion. Front. Digit. Health 4:814248. doi: 10.3389/fdgth.2022.814248

This review summarized literature on video game interventions for young people (ages 12-29) and mapped the evidence for game use to support mental health and substance use treatment for youth people, how stakeholders were involved in program development, and potential harms or ethical issues. Forty-nine studies testing 32 digital games were identified. An adapted stepped care model based on illness manifestation and severity was used as a conceptual framework for organizing target populations, mental health outcome, video games, and study results. Ten studies (20%) targeted mental health prevention or education for undiagnosed youth (Step 0), 6 studies (12%) targeted at-risk groups or suspected mental health problems (Step 1), 24 studies (49%) targeted mild to moderate conditions (Steps 2-3), and 9 studies (18%) targeted severe and complex conditions (Step 4). The majority (66%) of studies targeted youth (19 years or younger) , as opposed to young adults. 11 of the games made clear efforts to promote equity and inclusiveness in focusing on minority youth and low-resource settings. Eleven studies were mixed method or qualitative studies. Two-thirds of quantitative studies (N=38) reported significant improvement on at least one key mental health outcome. The review also found evidence of high user satisfaction and program adherence. There were a range of identified issues such as limited game elements, storylines, lack of personalization or cultural fit, and lack of therapist support. Most studies included stakeholder feedback in developing and evaluating videogames. Results indicated the need for greater attention to participation of young end-users in game development to improve engagement, and to eliciting participation by service providers and family to promote the integration of games as standard tools for mental health treatment for youth.

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01/03/2023

Effect of Mobile Phone App–Based Interventions on Quality of Life and Psychological Symptoms Among Adult Cancer Survivors: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

Qin M, Chen B, Sun S, Liu X.Effect of Mobile Phone App–Based Interventions on Quality of Life and Psychological Symptoms Among Adult Cancer Survivors: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. J Med Internet Res 2022;24(12):e39799 DOI: 10.2196/39799

A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to investigate the effectiveness of mobile phone app interventions on quality of life (QOL) and psychological outcomes in adult cancer patients. Researchers identified randomized controlled trial studies evaluating apps that targeted adults with cancer and QOL or psychological symptoms. In total, 30 randomized controlled trials with a total of 5,353 patients were included in the meta-analysis. App interventions included health education, physician-patient communication, or data management regarding patient self-monitoring behaviors. On average, interventions were conducted over 2.8 months. Compared with standard care, app interventions significantly improved QOL (Standardized Mean Difference (SMD)=0.39, p<.001) and self-efficacy (SMD=0.15, p=.03) and reduced anxiety (SMD=0.64, p<.001), depression (SMD=-0.33, p=.009), and distress (SMD=-0.34, p=.01) symptoms. Subgroup analyses were also conducted for intervention duration, type of cancer, theoretical approach, treatment category, and intervention delivery (interactive 2-way communication format versus 1-way communication format). Short-term (<3 months) interventions were found to have higher effectiveness compared to longer term interventions for QOL, anxiety and depression. However, given that only 9 studies were longer than 3 months, there is a need for further research on the long-term effects of these app interventions. Apps that included physician-patient communication and that were based on cognitive behavioral therapy were most effective for improving QOL and psychological outcomes. Overall, results provide evidence for the effectiveness of mobile phone app interventions on QOL and psychological outcomes, however caution is needed in the over-interpretation of findings due to high heterogeneity across the studies.

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05/16/2022

Barriers to and Facilitators of User Engagement With Digital Mental Health Interventions: Systematic Review

Borghouts J, Eikey E, Mark G, De Leon C, Schueller SM, Schneider M, Stadnick N, Zheng K, Mukamel D, Sorkin DH. Barriers to and Facilitators of User Engagement With Digital Mental Health Interventions: Systematic Review. J Med Internet Res 2021;23(3):e24387

The purpose of this systematic review was to identify common barriers and facilitators that influence user engagement with digital mental health interventions. All empirical studies that report qualitative and/or quantitative data on a digital mental health intervention among adults were included (N=208 articles). Studies evaluated user engagement through surveys, interviews, focus groups, randomized controlled trials, field studies, analysis of app data, and user reviews. The researchers extracted data related to the user, the program or content offered by the intervention, and the technology and implementation environment. Identified barriers included: severe mental health illnesses that hampered engagement, technical issues, and a lack of personalization. Facilitators included: social connectedness, increased insight into health, and a feeling of being in control of one’s health. These factors should be considered as guidance when evaluating interventions to improve engagement. In addition, this review can help develop targeted strategies to overcome barriers and successfully implement digital mental health interventions.

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03/21/2022

Self-directed Technology-Based Therapeutic Methods for Adult Patients Receiving Mental Health Services: Systematic Review

Saad A, Bruno D, Camara B, D’Agostino J, Bolea-Alamanac B. Self-directed Technology-Based Therapeutic Methods for Adult Patients Receiving Mental Health Services: Systematic Review. JMIR Ment Health 2021;8(11):e27404. https://mental.jmir.org/2021/11/e27404 DOI: 10.2196/27404

A review was conducted to identify evidence-based, self-directed digital therapeutics for adult patients after they are discharged from mental health services. The studies included in the systematic review are interventions that are automated without human input, self-directed (patients can implement on their own) and treat mental health conditions. Thirty-six papers met eligibility. Included studies used technologies such as websites, automated text messages, mobile apps, videos, computer software, and integrated voice response. Twenty-two of the studies evaluated internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy compared to waitlist, human-delivered therapy, or other active intervention control groups. Of the 9 studies that compared a digital therapeutic to a waitlist control, 8 found the digital treatment showed a positive effect. Of the 8 studies that compared guided versus unguided digital care, results were mixed; 3 showed no difference, 3 favored guided interventions, and 2 favored unguided interventions. Across studies, dropout rates were high (up to 80%), which suggests possible issues with intervention acceptability. Overall, self-directed interventions have potential benefits such as accessibility, lower costs in health care, and improved healthcare equity.

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02/21/2022

Use of mobile apps for self-care in people with Parkinson disease: Systematic review

Lee J, Yeom I, Chung ML, Kim Y, Yoo S, Kim E. (2022). Use of mobile apps for self-care in people with Parkinson disease: Systematic review. JMIR mHealth and uHealth, 10(1), e33944. https://doi.org/10.2196/33944

A systematic review was conducted to explore the features and characteristics of mobile apps for self-care among people with Parkinson disease. Self-care includes health maintenance, symptoms tracking and monitoring, and symptom management. Seventeen studies were identified in the review, including 3 randomized controlled trials and 14 observational and quasi-experimental studies. Most of the mobile apps focused on symptom monitoring, especially motor symptoms. Motor symptoms were measured through smartphone sensors, wearable devices, and task performance. Many studies focused on clinical symptoms assessment for Parkinson disease and there is a lack of studies on symptom management. Future research is needed for people with Parkinson disease on self-care management and maintenance based on symptom monitoring.

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02/14/2022

Impact of smartphone app–based psychological interventions for reducing depressive symptoms in people with depression: Systematic literature review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Serrano-Ripoll MJ, Zamanillo-Campos R, Fiol-DeRoque MA, Castro A, Ricci-Cabello I. (2022). Impact of smartphone app-based psychological interventions for reducing depressive symptoms in people with depression: Systematic literature review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. JMIR mHealth and uHealth, 10(1), e29621. https://doi.org/10.2196/29621

Researchers conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to analyze the impact of app-based psychological interventions for depression. Included studies examined the impact of app-based psychological interventions delivered through smartphones that target depression compared with a nonactive control group. The review identified 12 trials evaluating 14 different interventions. Of the 12 trials, five presented a low risk of bias. Two-thirds of the interventions were based on cognitive behavioral therapy or a combination of cognitive behavioral therapy and another type of therapy. The researchers pooled data using random effects meta-analyses to obtain estimates of the effect size of the intervention. Eighty three percent of the trials reported evidence that app-based interventions moderately reduced depressive symptoms compared to the control groups. A meta-regression analysis indicated that participants with moderate to severe depression observed greater reduction in depressive symptoms compared to participants with mild to moderate depression.

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01/31/2022

Mobile phone-based interventions for mental health: A systematic meta-review of 14 meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials

Goldberg SB, Lam SU, Simonsson O, Torous J, Sun S (2022) Mobile phone-based interventions for mental health: A systematic meta-review of 14 meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials. PLOS Digit Health 1(1): e0000002. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pdig.0000002

Researchers conducted a systematic review of meta-analyses to synthesize evidence for effectiveness of mobile phone-based mental health interventions evaluated in randomized controlled trials. The study aimed to clarify the strength of evidence across different participants, interventions, comparisons, and outcomes. Studies that report an effect size from a meta-analysis related to mobile phone-based interventions, on any mental health outcome, and based on at least four randomized controlled trials were included. The review summarized the results from 14 meta-analyses with a total of 145 randomized controlled trials representing 47,940 participants. Thirty-four effect sizes were identified and evaluated on criteria related to strength of evidence. Eight effect sizes showed promising evidence (n>1000, p<10-6) for mobile apps to improve psychological symptoms and quality of life and text message-based interventions for smoking cessation. Four effect sizes provided suggestive evidence (n>1000, p<10-3), 14 provided weak evidence (n>1000, p<0.05), and eight were non-significant. The magnitude of effects decreased as comparison conditions were more active. Only one study tested moderators as predictors, including study design and aspects of the intervention; however, none significantly impacted treatment effects. Overall, the results indicate that mobile phone-based interventions have potential to promote mental health.

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01/24/2022

Blockchain applications in health care for COVID-19 and beyond: A systematic review

Ng WY, Tan TE, Movva PVH, Fang AHS, Yeo KK, Ho D, Foo FSS, Xiao Z, Sun K, Wong TY, Sia AT, Ting DSW. (2021). Blockchain applications in health care for COVID-19 and beyond: A systematic review. The Lancet Digital Health, 3(12). https://doi.org/10.1016/s2589-7500(21)00210-7

Blockchain is a new digital database that stores information in a computer network and maintains secure and decentralized records. Blockchain technology makes it nearly impossible to manipulate or falsify data, is a distributed system, and transparent. Blockchain can be applied in healthcare, especially to improve access, security, and privacy for sensitive patient data and medical records. A systematic review was conducted to explore the uses of blockchain in COVID-19 related and non-related healthcare. The researchers included articles up to July 2021, with clinical and technical designs, with or without prototype development. A total of 415 were included in the final analysis. The results found that blockchain COVID-19 related applications are mostly pandemic control and surveillance, immunity or vaccine monitoring, and contact tracing. The most common non-COVID-19 related applications are management of electronic medical records, remote monitoring or mobile health, and supply chain monitoring. Most publications reported technical performance of the blockchain platforms and only nine studies assessed real-world clinical outcomes. The most widely used platforms were Ethereum and Hyperledger. Overall, the review indicated that blockchain technology has the potential to be helpful in various applications in healthcare; however, there is a need for future research in clinical use of blockchain technology.

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11/01/2021

Engaging Children and Young People in Digital Mental Health Interventions: Systematic Review of Modes of Delivery, Facilitators, and Barriers

Liverpool S, Mota CP, Sales CMD, Čuš A, Carletto S, Hancheva C, Sousa S, Cerón SC, Moreno-Peral P, Pietrabissa G, Moltrecht B, Ulberg R, Ferreira N, Edbrooke-Childs J. Engaging Children and Young People in Digital Mental Health Interventions: Systematic Review of Modes of Delivery, Facilitators, and Barriers. J Med Internet Res 2020;22(6):e16317. doi: 10.2196/16317

The purpose of this systematic review was to identify different modes of delivery used in children and young people in digital mental health interventions, explore factors that influence usage and implementation, and describe whether children and young people engage in digital health interventions. Eligible studies had a sample with children and young people, a digital health intervention targeting a mental health symptom or problem, and explored the adherence, acceptability, or barriers and facilitators to engagement. A total of 83 articles, with 71 interventions, met inclusion criteria. Cognitive behavioral therapy was the most common therapeutic modality. Affective disorders (including anxiety and depression) were the most common targets of the digital health interventions. The review identified 6 different modes of delivery: websites, games and computer-based programs, apps, robots and digital devices, virtual reality, and mobile text messaging. The findings show children and young people prefer interventions with features such as videos, limited text, ability to personalize, ability to socialize with others, and text message reminders. This review also found that studies reported a high average retention rate of 79%. Overall, digital health interventions can support children and young people at various stages of psychological treatment. Future research is needed to explore which modalities are most effective for increasing engagement and improving mental health outcomes.

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