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. 2022 Jan 27;10(1):e29621. doi: 10.2196/29621

Table 3.

Subgroup post hoc analyses.

Characteristics Interventions (n=14), n (%) Sample size (smartphone/control) Meta-analysis, SDMa (95% CI) Heterogeneity Between-group tests,
coefficient (95% CI)




I2 (%) P value
Depression severity −0.49 (−0.76 to −0.22)

Mild to moderate 3 (21) 438/436 −0.16 (−0.43 to 0.12) 69.3 .04

Moderate to severe 9 (64) 587/557 −0.67 (−0.79 to −0.55) 0.0 .68
Type of psychotherapy 0.08 (−0.14 to 0.30)

CBTb 4 (28) 271/263 −0.63 (−0.81 to −0.46) 0.0 .85

CBT + positive psychology 4 (28) 411/405 −0.55 (−0.95 to −0.15) 87.1 <.001

CBT + mindfulness 2 (14) 288/286 −0.18 (−0.64 to 0.28) 72.7 .06

Behavioral activation 2 (14) 55/39 −0.65 (−1.09 to −0.21) 2.2 .31
Intervention duration −0.24 (−0.64 to 0.16)

1-7 weeks 6 (43) 659/652 −0.41 (−0.68 to −0.14) 80.5 <.001

8-12 weeks 6 (43) 366/341 −0.66 (−0.81 To −0.50) 0.0 .80
Comparator −0.41 (−0.87 to 0.05)

Usual care 9 (64) 832/825 −0.58 (−0.76 to −0.40) 62.9 .001

Active control (minimal intervention) 3 (21) 193/168 −0.11 (−0.32 to 0.10) 0.0 .56
Intervention components −0.07 (−0.52 to 0.37)

Unifaceted 7 (50) 552/520 −0.48 (−0.72 to −0.24) 63.2 .01

Multifaceted 5 (35) 473/473 −0.56 (−0.87 to −0.24) 80.3 <.001
Directionality −0.29 (−0.70 to 0.11)

Unidirectional communication 8 (57) 702/670 −0.41 (−0.64 to −0.17) 72.8 <.001

Bidirectional communication 4 (28) 323/323 −0.68 (−0.84 to −0.52) 0.0 .72
Method for assessing depression 0.07 (−0.68 to 0.81)

Diagnostic instrument 1 (7) 81/83 −0.57 (−0.88 to −0.26) N/Ac N/A

Validated self-reported measure 11 (78) 944/911 −0.50 (−0.70 to −0.30) 72.4 <.001

aSMD: standardized mean difference.

bCBT: cognitive behavioral therapy.

cN/A: not applicable (subgroup with only 1 study).