Using A Mental Health App? New Study Says Your Data May Be Shared

A sad face emoticon is seen on an iPhone in this photo illustration on May 25, 2018. (Photo by Jaap ... [+] Arriens/NurPhoto via Getty Images)NurPhoto via Getty Images If you’re

among the nearly 36% of Americans who report symptoms of anxiety or depression, you may have used—or thought about using—a mental health app for support. But with thousands of

mental health smartphone apps on the large and growing market, you might wonder how good the apps actually are. And can you trust them? Despite many available options, new research

suggests that the market is not serving consumers optimally due to limited innovation, evidence-based interventions, and sound privacy controls. The new study published this week

in JAMA Network Open set out to systematically assess available mental health apps based on critical measures such as clinical validation and privacy practices. Researchers also

examined degrees of innovation and the association between app privacy measures and app popularity. Researchers analyzed 578 mental health-related apps across 105 dimensions, using

an app evaluation framework established by the American Psychiatric Association. The study only included apps that cost $10 or less to download and based evaluations on free, basic

versions of the apps or free trials, as well as app descriptions in the app store, rather than on in-app purchases or paid subscriptions to unlock the full set of features. Most

apps (88%) included in the study were free to download, but only 39% were completely free. Lack differentiation leads to missed opportunities The study revealed a lack of evidence

and innovation among the apps evaluated. Most of the apps are not based on clinical evidence, with just 15% of apps offering studies demonstrating their efficacy or feasibility.

Researchers did not evaluate the quality of the studies even where they were available. Additionally, there was little variation—or innovation—among apps studies. Most apps

shared similar features. The most common app features were psychoeducation (41%), goal setting (38%), and mindfulness (38%). Apps most commonly used user surveys (45%), diary

entries (34%), and microphones (21%) to gather inputs. Other top app features included mood and symptom tracking, journaling, and deep breathing. Most commonly, apps provided

notifications (68%), data summaries (61%), and information resources (50%). A small minority (15%) of apps collected passive data, such as biofeedback like step counts and heart

rates, or geolocation. “Most apps offer very basic symptom tracking, journaling, mindfulness exercises, or basic information about mental illnesses,” said Dr. John Torous, MBI,