Medical Design and Outsourcing

  • Home
  • Medical Device Business
    • Mergers & Acquisitions
    • Financial
    • Regulatory
  • Applications
    • Cardiovascular
    • Devices
    • Imaging
    • Implantables
    • Medical Equipment
    • Orthopedic
    • Surgical
  • Technologies
    • Contract Manufacturing
    • Components
    • Electronics
    • Extrusions
    • Materials
    • Motion Control
    • Prototyping
    • Pumps
    • Tubing
  • Med Tech Resources
    • DeviceTalks Tuesdays
    • Digital Editions
    • eBooks
    • Manufacturer Search
    • Medical Device Handbook
    • MedTech 100 Index
    • Podcasts
    • Print Subscription
    • The Big 100
    • Webinars / Digital Events
    • Whitepapers
    • Video
  • 2022 Leadership in MedTech
    • 2022 Leadership Voting!
    • 2021 Winners
    • 2020 Winners
  • Women in Medtech

Study Finds Smartphone Apps May Reduce Depression

September 25, 2017 By Amy Wallace

New research shows that smartphone apps may be beneficial for people with depression. (Credit: John Angelillo/UPI)

Research by Western Sydney University found that smartphone apps may be an effective treatment option for patients with depression.

“The majority of people in developed countries own smartphones, including younger people who are increasingly affected by depression,” Joseph Firth, a postdoctoral research fellow from the National Institute of Complementary Medicine, or NICM, said in a press release.

“Combined with the rapid technological advances in this area, these devices may ultimately be capable of providing instantly accessible and highly effective treatments for depression, reducing the societal and economic burden of this condition worldwide.”

The study, published Thursday in World Psychiatry, was a collaboration between NICM, Harvard Medical School, The University of Manchester and the Black Dog Institute in Australia.

Researchers analyzed 18 randomized clinical trials of 22 different smartphone-delivered mental health interventions with more than 3,400 male and female participants ages 18-59 who had a range of mental health conditions such as major depression, mild to moderate depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder and insomnia.

“The data shows us that smartphones can help people monitor, understand and manage their own mental health. Using apps as part of an ‘integrative medicine’ approach for depression has been demonstrated to be particularly useful for improving mood and tackling symptoms in these patients,” Professor Jerome Sarris, NICM deputy director, said.

Researchers found that overall, smartphone apps significantly reduced depressive symptoms.

The study showed that smartphone apps were the most effective in people with mild to moderate depression, although the benefits for those with major depression have not been widely studied.

Researchers found interventions that used self-contained apps, or apps that did not rely on other aspects like clinician and computer feedback, were significantly more effective than non-self-contained apps.

The study showed no difference in apps which apply principles of mindfulness compared to cognitive behavioral therapy or mood monitoring programs.

“Patients and doctors are faced with a vast array of mental health apps these days, and knowing which ones are actually helpful is imperative,” Dr. John Torous. a clinical fellow in the department of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, said.

“This research provides much needed information on the effectiveness of apps for depression, and offers important clues into the types of apps which can help patients manage their condition.”

Related Articles Read More >

DermaSensor skin cancer MedTech Innovator DeviceTalks Boston
DermaSensor wins MedTech Innovator Mid-Stage Companies Pitch Event
Product packaging for the Lucira combination COVID-19 and flu test
Lucira Health asks FDA for EUA on molecular at-home COVID/flu test
gBETA Medtech accelerator picks its next startups
Hologic
Hologic handily beats the Street with Q2 results

DeviceTalks Weekly.

May 13, 2022
Our Pre-Post-DeviceTalks Boston episode, also MedtronicTalks replay with Gastro CMO Austin Chiang
See More >

MDO Digital Edition

Digital Edition

Subscribe to Medical Design & Outsourcing. Bookmark, share and interact with the leading medical design engineering magazine today.

MEDTECH 100 INDEX

Medtech 100 logo
Market Summary > Current Price
The MedTech 100 is a financial index calculated using the BIG100 companies covered in Medical Design and Outsourcing.
DeviceTalks

DeviceTalks is a conversation among medical technology leaders. It's events, podcasts, webinars and one-on-one exchanges of ideas & insights.

DeviceTalks

New MedTech Resource

Medical Tubing

Enewsletter Subscriptions

Enewsletter Subscriptions

MassDevice

Mass Device

The Medical Device Business Journal. MassDevice is the leading medical device news business journal telling the stories of the devices that save lives.

Visit Website
MDO ad
Medical Design and Outsourcing
  • MassDevice
  • DeviceTalks
  • MedTech 100 Index
  • Medical Tubing + Extrusion
  • Drug Delivery Business News
  • Drug Discovery & Development
  • Pharmaceutical Processing World
  • R&D World
  • About Us/Contact
  • Advertise With Us
  • Subscribe to Print Magazine
  • Subscribe to E-newsletter
  • Attend our Monthly Webinars
  • Listen to our Weekly Podcasts
  • Join our DeviceTalks Tuesdays Discussion

Copyright © 2022 WTWH Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Site Map | Privacy Policy | RSS

Search Medical Design & Outsourcing

  • Home
  • Medical Device Business
    • Mergers & Acquisitions
    • Financial
    • Regulatory
  • Applications
    • Cardiovascular
    • Devices
    • Imaging
    • Implantables
    • Medical Equipment
    • Orthopedic
    • Surgical
  • Technologies
    • Contract Manufacturing
    • Components
    • Electronics
    • Extrusions
    • Materials
    • Motion Control
    • Prototyping
    • Pumps
    • Tubing
  • Med Tech Resources
    • DeviceTalks Tuesdays
    • Digital Editions
    • eBooks
    • Manufacturer Search
    • Medical Device Handbook
    • MedTech 100 Index
    • Podcasts
    • Print Subscription
    • The Big 100
    • Webinars / Digital Events
    • Whitepapers
    • Video
  • 2022 Leadership in MedTech
    • 2022 Leadership Voting!
    • 2021 Winners
    • 2020 Winners
  • Women in Medtech