Standalone Apps for Anxiety and Depression Show Promising Early Efficacy: A Commentary on Meta-Analytic Results
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15626/MP.2020.2458Keywords:
meta-analysis, apps, anxiety, depressionAbstract
The current commentary is focused on the methods and conclusions drawn in a recent meta-analysis which evaluated the impact of standalone interventions in treating anxiety and depressive symptoms (Weisel et al., 2019). The current commentary discusses the large impact of methodological choices made to exclude transdiagnostic treatments and group heterogeneous treatments on study conclusions. Additionally, the current commentary evaluates these conclusions considering opposing from two additional meta-analytic findings. The current review concludes that more research is needed effects before drawing any definitive conclusions, but the current evidence base suggests that apps show promising early efficacy in treating anxiety and depressive symptoms.
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