Table 3.
Characteristics of included studies
| Total sample | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Study (Year) Country, Recruitment |
Design (# arms) | Mental health concern |
M age (range) F% |
Pre N (AR%) | Name | n (AR%) | |
| App-based (accessed through smartphone/tablet) | |||||||
|
Ravaccia et al. (2022) UK, School |
Mixed-method (pre-post) (1-arm) |
General well-being |
NR 64%F |
398 (80) | Tellmi | 398 (80) | |
|
Schueller et al. (2019) USA, Community |
Pilot feasibility trial (pre-post) (1-arm) | Mental wellbeing |
19.06 (18–24) 65F% |
28 (18) | Pocket helper + Purple chill + Slumber time | 28 (18) | |
|
Sit et al. (2022) China, University |
Exp. (pre-post) (1-arm) |
Depression Anxiety |
NR (18–25) 68F% |
38 (66) | Step-by-step (SbS) | 38 (66) | |
|
Sun et al. (2022) China, Community |
RCT (2-arm) |
Anxiety Depression |
22.21 (> 18) 73.7F% |
114 (13) | WeChat mini |
Mindfulness-mHealth: 57 (9) Social support- mHealth: 57 (18) |
|
| Combination delivery (e.g., Telehealth and app-based) | |||||||
|
Garnefski and Kraaij (2023) Netherlands, Community |
Exp. (pre-post) (1-arm) | Depression |
24.71 (> 18) 77F% |
31 (26) | Moodpep | 31 (26) | |
|
Hennemann et al. (2022a) Germany,University |
RCT (2-arm) | Somatic symptom distress |
24.53 (≥ 18) 83F% |
156 (13) | iSOMA-guided | 81 (16) | |
|
Hennemann et al. (2022b) Germany, University |
RCT (2-arm) | Somatic symptom distress |
24.60 (≥ 18) 83F% |
149 (6) | iSOMA-guided |
iSOMA-guided: 81(0) iSOMA GoD: 68 (0) |
|
|
Klimczak et al. (2023) USA, University |
RCT (3-arm) |
Depression Anxiety |
22.53 (≥ 18) 75F% |
230 (24) | ACT guide |
Phone: 77 (22) Text: 75 (21) |
|
|
Lappalainen et al. (2021) Finland, School |
RCT (3-arm) |
Depression Psychological flexibility |
15.27 (14–16) 51F% |
243 (2) | Youth COMPASS | iACT-WhatsApp: 80 (0) | |
|
Lappalainen et al. (2023) Finland, School |
RCT (3-arm) |
Depression Psychological flexibility |
15.01 (14–16) 67F% |
234 (41) | Youth COMPASS |
Student & virtual coach: 79 (48) Virtual coach only: 75 (56) |
|
|
O'Connor et al. (2020) Canada, Community |
Pilot RCT (2-arm) | Anxiety |
15.3 (13–17) 90F% |
94 (26) | Being real, easing anxiety: Tools helping electronically (BREATHE) | 36 (0) | |
|
O'Connor et al. (2022) Canada, Community |
RCT (2-arm) | Anxiety |
16.4 (NR) 72F% |
563 (57) | Being real, easing anxiety: Tools helping electronically (BREATHE) | 258 (66) | |
|
Radomski et al. (2020) Canada, Community |
RCT (2-arm) | Anxiety |
16.6 (13–17) 71F% |
536 (57) | Being real, easing anxiety: Tools helping electronically (BREATHE) | 258 (67) | |
|
Rodriguez et al. (2021) China, University |
RCT (2-arm) | Depression, Anxiety, Stress |
23.5 (NR) 74F% |
54 (57) | MIND | 27 (41) | |
|
Stapinski et al. (2021) Australia, Community |
RCT (2-arm) | Anxiety, Alcohol use |
21.6 (17–24) 67F% |
123 (28) | Inroads | 62 (0) | |
|
van Doorn et al. (2022) Netherlands, Community |
Exp. (pre-post) (2-arm) | Perceived stress |
22.38 (NR) 100F% |
8 (0) | ENYOY, Sense-IT | 8 (0) | |
| Telehealth (Zoom/videoconferencing software) | |||||||
|
Harra and Vargas (2023) USA, University |
RCT (2-arm) | Anxiety, Depression |
19.5 (NR) 47F% |
45 (29) | Unnamed | 14(33) | |
|
Novella et al. (2022) USA, University |
RCT (2-arm) | Anxiety |
19.29 (18–22) 87%F |
52 (5) | Unnamed | 23 (0) | |
| Web-based (accessed through internet browser or internet supported device. e.g., computer, phone) | |||||||
|
Celia et al. (2022) Italy, University |
Exp. (pre-post) (1-arm) | Stress, Anxiety, Social maladjustment, Negative affect |
22.88 (NR) 65.6F% |
32 (0) | Unnamed | 32 (0) | |
|
Cerutti et al. (2022) Italy, University |
Exp. (pre-post) (1-arm) | Depression, Anxiety, Hopelessness, Burnout |
23.27 (NR) 78F% |
67 (0) | Unnamed | 67 (0) | |
|
Cook et al. (2019) UK, University |
RCT (3-arm) | Worry/rumination |
NR (18–24) 83F% |
235 (31) | RESPOND | 82 (39) | |
|
Grudin et al. (2022) Sweden, Mental health service |
RCT (3-arm) | Experiential avoidance, Depression |
15.4 (13–17) 59F% |
32 (0) |
Internet behavioral activation (I-BA) |
11 (9) | |
|
Juniar et al. (2022) Indonesia, University |
Feasibility study (pre-post) (1-arm) |
Stress |
24.03 (19–42) 85% |
68 (63) | Rileks | 68 (63) | |
|
Karyotaki et al. (2022) Netherlands, University |
RCT (2-arm) | Depression, Anxiety |
21.91 (≥ 18) 81F% |
100 (18) | ICare Prevent | 48 (17) | |
|
Keinonen et al. (2021) Finland, University |
Exp. (1-arm) |
Avoidance Depression |
15 (14–16) NR |
123 (0) | Unnamed | 123 (0) | |
|
Koltz (2022) USA, School |
Single case design (pre-post) (1-arm) |
Stress |
13.5 (12–15) 50F% |
4 (0) | inSPIRE | 4 (0) | |
|
Küchler et al. (2023) Germany, University |
RCT (3-arm) | Mental wellbeing |
25.77 (> 18 yr) 75F% |
386 (48) | StudiCare-M | 130 (58) | |
|
Pescatello et al. (2021) USA, University |
Exp. (3-arm) | Psychological distress |
NR (≥ 18 yr) NR F% |
5568 (NR) | SilverCloud (SC) |
SC:1,247 (NR) SC + therapy: 527 (NR) |
|
|
Peynenburg et al. (2022) Canada, University |
Randomized Factorial Trial (4-arm) | Depression, Anxiety |
23.73 (17–46) 81F% |
277 (30) | UniWellbeing | MI + Booster: 68 (29) | |
|
Radovic et al. (2021) USA, Mental health service |
RCT (2-arm) | Depression, Anxiety |
16 (12–19) 76F% |
38 (34) | Supporting our valued adolescent (SOVA) | 18 (22) | |
|
Rice et al. (2020) Australia, Mental health service |
Exp. (pre-post) (1-arm) | Social anxiety |
19.8 (14–25) 47F% |
89 (15) | Entourage | 89 (15) | |
|
Wahlund^ (2022) Sweden, NR |
Pilot (pre-post) (1-arm) | Excessive worry |
NR (13–17) NR F% |
13 (8) | BIP Worry | 13 (8) | |
^ = Unpublished thesis, ACT acceptance commitment therapy, App application, AR attrition rate, E electronic, Exp experimental, F female, GoD guidance on demand, iACT Internet-based ACT, i-BA Internet-based Behavioral Activation, Incl includes/including, M mean, mHealth mobile health, MI motivational interviewing, N sample size, n subsample size, NR not reported, RCT randomized controlled trial, Yr year