Reducing depressive symptomatology with a smartphone app: study protocol for a randomized, placebo-controlled trial

Trials
Cezar GiosanRareș Boian

Abstract

Depression has become one of the leading contributors to the global disease burden. Evidence-based treatments for depression are available, but access to them is still limited in some instances. As technology has become more integrated into mental health care, computerized cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) protocols have become available and have been recently transposed to mobile environments (e.g., smartphones) in the form of "apps." Preliminary research on some depression apps has shown promising results in reducing subthreshold or mild to moderate depressive symptoms. However, this small number of studies reports a low statistical power and they have not yet been replicated. Moreover, none of them included an active placebo comparison group. This is problematic, as a "digital placebo effect" may explain some of the positive effects documented until now. The aim of this study is to test a newly developed mobile app firmly grounded in the CBT theory of depression to determine whether this app is clinically useful in decreasing moderate depressive symptoms when compared with an active placebo. Additionally, we are interested in the app's effect on emotional wellbeing and depressogenic cognitions. Romanian-speaking adults (18 ...Continue Reading

Associated Clinical Trials

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Citations

Jul 10, 2018·Current Opinion in Psychiatry·Seema Mehrotra, Ravikesh Tripathi
Apr 3, 2020·JMIR MHealth and UHealth·Ignacio MirallesSven Casteleyn
Apr 30, 2020·JMIR MHealth and UHealth·Tania LecomteYasser Khazaal
Oct 31, 2019·Journal of Medical Internet Research·Morten Lindbjerg TønningMaria Faurholt-Jepsen
Aug 17, 2021·Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy·Abby AizenstrosNikolaos Kazantzis

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