Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Trent Ernest Hammond, Lisa Lampe, Andrew Campbell, Steve Perisic, Vlasios Brakoulias
Summary: The study identified 1043 apps related to social anxiety in the Australian Apple App and Google Play Stores, but only 12 apps were evaluated (3 iOS apps and 9 Android apps). Some of the apps were for treatment purposes, some provided supportive resources, some were for self-assessment, and some were designed for multiple purposes. Overall app quality was acceptable according to the Mobile App Rating Scale, but there was a lack of empirical information and clinical evidence to recommend their use.
JMIR MHEALTH AND UHEALTH
(2021)
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Alexandra Roy, Elizabeth A. Hoge, Pablo Abrante, Susan Druker, Tao Liu, Judson A. Brewer
Summary: This study tested the efficacy and mechanism of an app-delivered Mindfulness Training for Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), demonstrating its clinical efficacy in reducing anxiety with significant results. Increased mindfulness at 1 month was found to mediate decreases in worry at 2 months, and decreases in worry at 1 month mediated reductions in anxiety at 2 months. This highlights the potential of digital therapeutics in improving health outcomes for individuals with anxiety at a low cost.
JOURNAL OF MEDICAL INTERNET RESEARCH
(2021)
Review
Health Care Sciences & Services
Sarah Hatem, Janet C. Long, Stephanie Best, Zoe Fehlberg, Brona Nic Giolla Easpaig, Jeffrey Braithwaite
Summary: This study identified 29 mobile apps specifically developed for rare disease patients, with a focus on cystic fibrosis, hemophilia, and thalassemia. The apps primarily provided information and symptom tracking features, but scored low in engagement. Developers are recommended to improve app engagement, include consumers and clinicians in design, and always provide high-quality information.
JOURNAL OF MEDICAL INTERNET RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Christian A. Webb, Matthew J. Hirshberg, Richard J. Davidson, Simon B. Goldberg
Summary: This study developed and tested a data-driven algorithm to predict who is most likely to benefit from a meditation app. The results showed that Personalized Advantage Index scores moderated group differences in outcomes, indicating the potential of the algorithm to inform which individuals are most likely to benefit. This algorithm can be used to objectively communicate expected benefits to individuals, helping them make informed decisions about using a meditation app.
JOURNAL OF MEDICAL INTERNET RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Whitney Thurman, Monika Semwal, Leticia R. Moczygemba, Mark Hilbelink
Summary: In the United States, the number of homeless individuals has been increasing over the past three years. A study found that access to smartphone technology can empower homeless individuals to better manage their health and meet social needs.
JOURNAL OF MEDICAL INTERNET RESEARCH
(2021)
Review
Health Care Sciences & Services
Giulia Bassi, Silvia Gabrielli, Valeria Donisi, Sara Carbone, Stefano Forti, Silvia Salcuni
Summary: This study reviewed literature on the types of psychological instruments used in digital interventions for assessing depression, anxiety, and stress in patients with T2DM. The deployment of appropriate psychological tools in digital interventions enables faster and easier screening of anxiety, stress, and depression symptoms in T2DM patients, with mobile health solutions being preferred tools for such interventions.
JOURNAL OF MEDICAL INTERNET RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Alexander Hart, Dorota Reis, Elisabeth Prestele, Nicholas C. Jacobson
Summary: Sparse movement-related sensor data can be used with personalized machine learning models to infer individuals' self-reported states. This study demonstrates that passively collected sensor data, paired with personalized machine learning models, can effectively predict individuals' later self-reported states. However, further research is needed to investigate factors that may affect the accuracy and reliability of these predictions.
JOURNAL OF MEDICAL INTERNET RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Elias Aboujaoude, Germano Vera Cruz, Lucien Rochat, Robert Courtois, Farah Ben Brahim, Riaz Khan, Yasser Khazaal
Summary: Smartphone tools that monitor and control smartphone use were found to be popular among participants, especially among parents monitoring their children's smartphone use. The survey revealed that sleep-related tools were most commonly used, with about 33.1% of participants perceiving them as effective. Problematic smartphone users tended to be younger and more likely to be female. Three user classes were identified: nonusers, effective users, and ineffective users. Nonusers were more likely to use the Android operating system, while younger adults and females were more likely to be effective users. The presence of psychiatric symptoms did not discourage smartphone tool use.
JOURNAL OF MEDICAL INTERNET RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Julie C. Lauffenburger, Renee A. Barlev, Ellen S. Sears, Punam A. Keller, Marie E. McDonnell, Elad Yom-Tov, Constance P. Fontanet, Kaitlin Hanken, Nancy Haff, Niteesh K. Choudhry
Summary: The study found that most patients try to incorporate cues into their daily routines to help them with consistent medication taking; many patients leverage some form of technology as a cue to support adherence to medication taking and diabetes self-management behaviors; patients value simplicity and integration of technology solutions used for diabetes care, managing medications, and communicating with health care providers; some patients express reluctance to rely on mobile technology for these diabetes care behaviors; and patients believe they prefer positively framed communication, but communication preferences are highly individualized.
JOURNAL OF MEDICAL INTERNET RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Xinwei Li, Weijian Li, Mengxian Liu, Weilong Xiao, Hui Zhou
Summary: The study found that social anxiety and self-control played a mediating role in the relationship between shyness and mobile phone addiction among college students. By alleviating social anxiety and strengthening self-control, the risk of mobile phone addiction can be reduced.
FRONTIERS IN PUBLIC HEALTH
(2022)
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Shivani Patel, Gerry Craigen, Mariana Pinto da Costa, Becky Inkster
Summary: Digital social prescription refers to the concept of facilitating social prescriptions through technology. The study identified the main strength of digital social prescription tools as rapid start-up and cost-effectiveness, while the main weaknesses were low adherence and usability challenges. Opportunities of digital social prescriptions include increased access to social prescription services, while threats involve certain groups being disadvantaged, potential negative consequences for patients, and issues related to confidentiality and data protection.
JOURNAL OF MEDICAL INTERNET RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Raquel Paz Castro, Severin Haug, Rudolf Debelak, Robert Jakob, Tobias Kowatsch, Michael P. Schaub
Summary: This study aimed to investigate the engagement of adolescents with a mobile phone-based life skills program and its associations with their characteristics, substance use, and mental health outcomes. The results showed that most of the adolescents participated in the program, but efforts should be made to increase engagement among problem drinkers and ensure the effectiveness of interventions across different educational levels.
JOURNAL OF MEDICAL INTERNET RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
William Nardi, Alexandra Roy, Shira Dunsiger, Judson Brewer
Summary: This study found that engagement with app features is associated with health outcomes, particularly the engagement with the primary intervention feature is associated with mental health outcomes of adults with generalized anxiety disorder.
JOURNAL OF MEDICAL INTERNET RESEARCH
(2022)
Review
Health Care Sciences & Services
Elizabeth Fong-Chy Kuo, Jacklyn Cho, Iredia Olaye, Diana Delgado, Nicola Dell, Madeline R. Sterling
Summary: Home health aides (HHAs) face challenges in communicating with other healthcare professionals and accessing educational resources. This study conducted a literature review and landscape analysis to identify technology-based tools and apps designed for HHAs. The results showed that only a limited number of studies and mobile apps have been developed to support HHAs, highlighting the need for further research and evaluation of these tools.
JOURNAL OF MEDICAL INTERNET RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Shefaly Shorey, Yap Seng Chong, Luming Shi, Jing Shi Chua, Jancy Thilagamangai, Jancy Mathews, Siew Hoon Lim, Ruochen Du, Yiong Huak Chan, Thiam Chye Tan, Cornelia Chee, Evelyn Law
Summary: This study found that using the Supportive Parenting App (SPA) has a significant positive impact on infant developmental outcomes, particularly in terms of language and social skills.
JMIR MHEALTH AND UHEALTH
(2023)
Article
Psychology, Experimental
Nicholas C. Jacobson, Kelsey J. Evey, Aidan G. C. Wright, Michelle G. Newman
Summary: Researchers have debated the validity of discrete emotions versus global affect for a long time. This study integrates these perspectives by examining the structures of state emotions and trait affect across time. The results suggest that positive affect and negative affect can differentiate individuals, but at least seven differentiated emotions are experienced within individuals across time.
Article
Engineering, Manufacturing
Nicholas Jacobson, Erik Carerra, Lawrence Smith, Lorna Browne, Nicholas Stence, Alison Sheridan, Robert MacCurdy
Summary: Current limitations in accuracy, quality, and efficiency have restricted the applications of 3D printing for surgical planning to bony structures and simple morphological descriptions of complex organs. This study presents a new printing technique that allows for the creation of high-resolution 3D models directly from medical images, with superior spatial and contrast resolution, and enhanced soft tissue differentiation.
3D PRINTING AND ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING
(2022)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Michael Heinz, George D. Price, Franklin Ruan, Robert J. Klein, Matthew Nemesure, Aliza Lopez, Nicholas C. Jacobson
Summary: This study examines the differences in physical movement among individuals treated with SSRIs compared with control participants and identifies the unique features of movement in patients treated with SSRIs. The results suggest a moderate association between passive movement and SSRI use, supporting the use of passive sensors for exploring and characterizing adverse effects of psychotropic medication.
Article
Family Studies
Robert J. Klein, Nhi D. Nguyen, Joseph A. Gyorda, Nicholas C. Jacobson
Summary: This study suggests that emotion regulation ability has important prospective effects on future psychiatric symptoms in adolescents. Between-person analysis revealed that dispositional emotion regulation ability at baseline predicted a greater risk for developing clinically significant depression, anxiety, and substance dependence over the 7-year follow-up period.
JOURNAL OF RESEARCH ON ADOLESCENCE
(2022)
Article
Psychology, Experimental
Robert J. Klein, Nicholas C. Jacobson, Michael D. Robinson
Summary: According to psychological flexibility theory, fully experiencing negative emotions can enhance psychological well-being. Research shows that more intense emotional reactions are associated with higher levels of well-being, regardless of the valence of the emotions. Additionally, happy individuals exhibit more functional approach/avoidance behavior in behavior-focused tasks.
Article
Psychology, Clinical
Damien Lekkas, Joseph A. Gyorda, Nicholas C. Jacobson
Summary: This study investigates the relationship between physical activity (PA) and emotion regulation in adolescents with objective anorexia nervosa (AN) and healthy controls. The results show that PA is crucial for negative emotion regulation in AN patients, while it mainly affects positive emotions in the healthy control group.
EUROPEAN EATING DISORDERS REVIEW
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Joseph A. Gyorda, Matthew D. Nemesure, George Price, Nicholas C. Jacobson
Summary: Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is a common mental health disorder that often goes untreated. Worry, a core aspect of GAD, is associated with negative health outcomes, emphasizing the need for simple treatments. This study leveraged pretreatment individual differences to predict personalized treatment response to a digital intervention.
JOURNAL OF AFFECTIVE DISORDERS
(2023)
Article
Psychiatry
Elad Yom-Tov, Damien Lekkas, Michael V. Heinz, Theresa Nguyen, Paul J. Barr, Nicholas C. Jacobson
Summary: Mental health disorders are prevalent, but access to treatment is limited, especially in rural areas. Online screening tools are seen as a strategy to improve mental illness identification and treatment. However, research on their effectiveness in rural communities is lacking. This study found that online screening was more common in rural areas with limited mental health resources, highlighting their importance in bridging mental health care gaps.
JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRIC RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Psychology, Clinical
Nicholas C. Jacobson, Thane M. Erickson, Christina M. Quach, Narayan B. Singh
Summary: This study examines the relationship between two novel idiographic measures of emotional complexity (EC) and emotional granularity, as well as their links to psychopathology. The results suggest that both measures are distinct and predict anxiety, depression, and personality pathology.
COGNITIVE THERAPY AND RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Cynthia Campbell, Ching-Hua Chen, Sara R. Adams, Asma Asyyed, Ninad R. Athale, Monique B. Does, Saeed Hassanpour, Emily Hichborn, Melanie Jackson-Morris, Nicholas C. Jacobson, Heather K. Jones, David Kotz, Chantal A. Lambert-Harris, Zhiguo Li, Bethany McLeman, Varun Mishra, Catherine Stanger, Geetha Subramaniam, Weiyi Wu, Christopher Zegers, Lisa A. Marsch
Summary: This study aimed to examine patient engagement with multiple digital phenotyping methods among patients receiving buprenorphine medication for opioid use disorder (OUD). The results showed that patients had relatively high engagement with smartphone and smartwatch data, but limited engagement with social media data.
JOURNAL OF MEDICAL INTERNET RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Joseph A. Gyorda, Damien Lekkas, George Price, Nicholas C. Jacobson
Summary: This study examined the differential effects of statewide mask mandates and political party affiliations on mental health symptoms in the United States using state-specific internet search query data. The results showed that compared to Democratic states, Republican states experienced an increase in stress and anxiety symptoms following the implementation of mask mandates. These findings suggest the importance of monitoring and providing additional support, particularly for anxiety symptoms, after the implementation of public health-related mandates.
JOURNAL OF MEDICAL INTERNET RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Psychology, Clinical
Matthew D. Nemesure, Chloe Park, Robert R. Morris, William W. Chan, Ellen E. Fitzsimmons-Craft, Gavin N. Rackoff, Lauren A. Fowler, C. Barr Taylor, Nicholas C. Jacobson
Summary: In a study, it was found that a guided chat-based intervention could reduce weight and shape concerns and eating disorder pathology. The study aimed to determine if a modified single session mini-course could reduce body image concerns among individuals using eating disorder related search terms on a social media platform. The results showed that this single session micro-intervention can help improve body image.
Article
Psychology, Clinical
Damien Lekkas, Joseph A. Gyorda, George D. Price, Nicholas C. Jacobson
Summary: Wearable technology allows for continuous and unobtrusive collection of data, which is useful for studying depression. This study examined the associations between passive sensing-derived features and self-report responses to depression items. The findings emphasized the unique contributions of wearable features in detecting depression symptoms and provided a blueprint for modeling depression in passive sensing research.
BEHAVIOUR RESEARCH AND THERAPY
(2023)
Article
Psychology, Multidisciplinary
Amanda C. Collins, George D. Price, Rosalind J. Woodworth, Nicholas C. Jacobson
Summary: Positive psychology interventions are effective for increasing happiness and decreasing depressive symptoms. Machine learning can be used to predict individual response to web-based interventions, which has important clinical implications for matching individuals to interventions based on their characteristics.
JOURNAL OF POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Psychology, Clinical
Erica Greenberg, Caroline Albright, Margaret Hall, Susanne Hoeppner, Sarah Miller, Alyssa Farley, Michelle Silverman, Valerie Braddick, Susan Sprich, Sabine Wilhelm
Summary: This study evaluated the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of a modified comprehensive behavioral intervention for tics (MCBIT) therapy for youths with chronic tic disorders (CTDs), attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and associated psychosocial impairment. The results showed that MCBIT treatment is feasible and acceptable for youths with CTD and ADHD, and is similarly well tolerated relative to traditional comprehensive behavioral intervention for tics (CBIT). However, there were no significant differences between MCBIT and CBIT in terms of treatment outcomes. The study recommends further investigation of novel behavioral approaches that can target tics and related conditions simultaneously and successfully.