Waiting for Therapy? There’s an App for That
Medscape July 26, 2024
TOPLINE:
Smartphone apps, including those using cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and mindfulness techniques, showed comparable efficacy in reducing depression, anxiety, and suicidality in patients with psychiatric conditions waiting for appointments with psychiatrists or therapists.
METHODOLOGY:
- Participants were adults aged 18 years or older seeking outpatient psychiatric services from several mental and behavioral health clinics within the University of Michigan Health System.
- Eligible participants were those with either a scheduled future mental health appointment or an initial appointment completed within the past 60 days and daily access to a smartphone.
- After completing a baseline survey that gathered data on participants’ depression, anxiety, and suicidality scores, 2080 participants were randomly assigned to one of five groups:
- Enhanced personalized feedback (EPF) only...