Table 4.

Meta‐analyses on the effects of apps on specific anxiety symptoms

Outcome	Analysis	n	g (95% CI)	p	I2	NNT
Post‐traumatic stress symptoms
	Apps vs. control conditions	17	0.12 (0.03‐0.21)	0.007	24%	28.3
	Lower risk of bias trials only	3	0.34 (0.11‐0.57)	0.004	22%	9.2
	Small sample trials removed	5	0.11 (–0.04 to 0.25)	0.150	59%	31.0
	One effect per study (smallest)	15	0.13 (0.03‐0.23)	0.008	29%	26.0
	One effect per study (largest)	15	0.14 (0.04‐0.24)	0.005	30%	24.1
	Trim‐and‐fill procedure	14	0.13 (0.02‐0.24)	‐	‐	26.0
	Post‐traumatic stress primary target/outcome	12	0.12 (0.01‐0.24)	0.039	44%	28.3
	Pre‐selected for post‐traumatic stress symptoms	10	0.14 (0.04‐0.25)	0.006	29%	24.1
	CBT apps only	12	0.15 (0.02‐0.29)	0.019	35%	22.4
Social anxiety symptoms
	Apps vs. control conditions	10	0.52 (0.22‐0.82)	0.001	75%	5.7
	Lower risk of bias trials only	1	0.10 (–0.16 to 0.37)	0.446	0%	34.3
	Small sample trials removed	1	0.10 (–0.16 to 0.37)	0.446	0%	34.3
	One effect per study (smallest)	9	0.53 (0.19‐0.86)	0.002	77%	5.6
	One effect per study (largest)	9	0.61 (0.28‐0.93)	<0.001	71%	4.8
	Trim‐and‐fill procedure	6	0.24 (–0.06 to 0.55)	‐	‐	13.5
	Social anxiety primary target/outcome	6	0.74 (0.24‐1.24)	0.003	83%	3.9
	Pre‐selected for social anxiety symptoms	5	0.75 (0.16‐1.32)	0.011	86%	3.8
	CBT apps only	4	0.73 (0.01‐1.45)	0.044	82%	3.9
Obsessive‐compulsive symptoms
	Apps vs. control conditions	5	0.51 (0.18‐0.84)	0.002	42%	5.8
Panic symptoms
	Apps vs. control conditions	2	–0.12 (–0.50 to 0.25)	0.515	0%	‐
Acrophobia symptoms
	Apps vs. control conditions	2	0.90 (0.38‐1.42)	0.001	0%	3.0

n – number of comparisons, NNT – number needed to treat, CBT – cognitive behavioral therapy