Naturalistic evaluation of HeadGear: a smartphone app to reduce depressive symptoms in workers
File(s)
Published version
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Mobile health (mHealth) apps have the potential to expand access to evidence-based interventions for mental health conditions, including depression. HeadGear was developed to prevent depression and improve well-being among the working population and was associated with significant positive effects in an efficacy trial. This study presents the results from a naturalistic trial intended to evaluate real-world usage of the app. We examined the naturalistic use of HeadGear between March 2019 and March 2022, using app analytic data, in-app event data, and surveys assessing depressive symptoms, well-being, and work performance repeated at 30-day intervals over 5-month app usage. During the observation period, HeadGear was widely disseminated to the public, and downloaded 26,455 times. Of those who downloaded the app, 12,995 completed baseline. The mean age of users was 38.23 (SD = 12.39) and 60% were women. Approximately one in four met criteria for probable depression at baseline. Depressive symptoms showed consistent improvement at all time points (Cohen’s d ranging from 0.24 at 1 month to 0.13 at 5 months). A similar pattern emerged for well-being. Work performance showed improvement to 2-month follow-up only. The strongest change was found for those with greater symptom severity at baseline, and those with high app engagement. Attrition at follow-up points was high. Findings regarding the real-world use of HeadGear are promising and highlight the use of such apps among those with higher symptom severity (despite the intended use of the app as a prevention tool). Further work is required to tailor mHealth apps to reach their full potential through an enhanced understanding of the utility of individual features for effectiveness and engagement.
Date Issued
2025-05-01
Date Acceptance
2024-01-04
Citation
Behavior Therapy, 2025, 56 (3), pp.529-542
ISSN
0005-7894
Publisher
Elsevier
Start Page
529
End Page
542
Journal / Book Title
Behavior Therapy
Volume
56
Issue
3
Copyright Statement
© 2024 Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons. org/licenses/by/4.0/).
License URL
Identifier
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/40287181
PII: S0005-7894(24)00001-7
Subjects
ANXIETY
CARE
depression
eHealth
HEALTH
INTERNET
INTERVENTIONS
Life Sciences & Biomedicine
METAANALYSIS
mHealth
naturalistic
ONSET
PERFORMANCE
PHQ-9
Psychiatry
Psychology
Psychology, Clinical
Science & Technology
smart-phone app
Social Sciences
VALIDITY
well-being
Publication Status
Published
Coverage Spatial
England
Date Publish Online
2024-01-11