A randomized controlled trial on COGITO, a free self-help smartphone app to enhance mental well-being.

Anxiety Depression Self-help Smartphone app Well-being

Journal

Journal of psychiatric research
ISSN: 1879-1379
Titre abrégé: J Psychiatr Res
Pays: England
ID NLM: 0376331

Informations de publication

Date de publication:
11 Apr 2024
Historique:
received: 10 02 2024
revised: 02 04 2024
accepted: 09 04 2024
medline: 27 4 2024
pubmed: 27 4 2024
entrez: 26 4 2024
Statut: aheadofprint

Résumé

Smartphone apps may help to prevent the transition from minor to severe mental health problems. We compared a free self-help smartphone app (COGITO; www.uke.de/cogito_app) against a wait-list condition for the improvement of self-esteem and depression. The Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale represented the primary outcome in this controlled trial. The final sample (n = 213) was randomly assigned to either the app or to the control condition. The app condition significantly improved the primary outcome relative to controls for all analyses. Satisfaction of completers was high. The present results warrant independent replication; the retention rate needs to be increased to allow solid inferences about acceptance. The present study demonstrates that the COGITO app may represent an effective self-help tool for psychological problems.

Sections du résumé

BACKGROUND BACKGROUND
Smartphone apps may help to prevent the transition from minor to severe mental health problems. We compared a free self-help smartphone app (COGITO; www.uke.de/cogito_app) against a wait-list condition for the improvement of self-esteem and depression.
METHODS METHODS
The Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale represented the primary outcome in this controlled trial. The final sample (n = 213) was randomly assigned to either the app or to the control condition.
RESULTS RESULTS
The app condition significantly improved the primary outcome relative to controls for all analyses. Satisfaction of completers was high. The present results warrant independent replication; the retention rate needs to be increased to allow solid inferences about acceptance.
CONCLUSIONS CONCLUSIONS
The present study demonstrates that the COGITO app may represent an effective self-help tool for psychological problems.

Identifiants

pubmed: 38670060
pii: S0022-3956(24)00216-4
doi: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2024.04.021
pii:
doi:

Types de publication

Journal Article

Langues

eng

Sous-ensembles de citation

IM

Pagination

254-257

Informations de copyright

Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Déclaration de conflit d'intérêts

Declaration of competing interest The authors state that they do not share any conflict of interest.

Auteurs

Steffen Moritz (S)

Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany. Electronic address: moritz@uke.de.

Dominik Paweł Grudzień (DP)

Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.

Łukasz Gawęda (Ł)

Experimental Psychopathology Lab, Institute of Psychology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland.

Adrianna Aleksandrowicz (A)

Experimental Psychopathology Lab, Institute of Psychology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland.

Ryan Balzan (R)

College of Education, Psychology & Social Work, Flinders University, Australia.

Athif Shaffy (A)

Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.

Alina Bruhns (A)

Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.

Swantje Marie Borsutzky (SM)

Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.

Lara Rolvien (L)

Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.

Classifications MeSH