ADAPT researcher Andreas Balaskas, along with co-authors Stephen M Schueller, Anna L Cox and Gavin Doherty, have recently published a research paper in the leading peer reviewed publication JMIR mHealth and uHealth regarding the development and functionality of mobile apps for anxiety.
Many mobile apps for anxiety have been developed over the years in response to the prevalence of anxiety disorders. However, while the number of publicly available apps for anxiety is increasing, attrition rates among mobile apps remains high. These apps must be engaging and relevant to end users in order to be considered effective. In this case, engagement features and the ability to tailor delivery to the needs of individual users becomes key.
Engagement and tailoring features can also be further expanded in existing apps, which currently make limited use of social features and clinical support. To guide the evolution of these interventions, further research is needed to explore the effectiveness of different types of engagement features and approaches to tailoring therapeutic content.
The research developed by Balaskas, Schueller, Cox and Doherty, aims to explore the functionality of publicly available mobile apps for anxiety that integrate Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) with a focus on content delivery, including engagement and tailoring features. Their study will also review how cognitive behavioural elements are delivered by anxiety apps and their functionalities to support user engagement and tailoring based on user needs.
Read their full article here.
