App capable of lowering depression, anxiety symptoms by 50 percent

Mental health advice is sometimes hard to find but with the IntelliCare suite of smartphone application advice is only a few clicks away. According to a new study conducted by Northwestern Medicine, and published in Journal of Medical Internet Research, users of IntelliCare experienced lower rates of depression and anxiety.

"We designed these apps so they fit easily into people's lives and could be used as simply as apps to find a restaurant or directions," said lead study author David Mohr, professor of preventive medicine and director of the Center for Behavioral Intervention Technologies at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago.

The 14 IntelliCare apps offered exercises to reduce self-criticism, stress and worrying all while providing positive feedback and advice on self-care. By prioritizing interactive skill training over education, the app allowed users to spend less time on the app while treating themselves more efficiently.

The study, conducted by a team from Northwestern University, included 96 participants with elevated symptoms of depression or anxiety. Participants were given access to all 14 IntelliCare apps and received eight weeks of coaching on how to use the app, a phone call and two texts per week.

Result showed that participants reported a 50 percent decrease in depressive and anxiety symptoms. Participants used the app an average of 195 times over the eight-week period and spent an average of one minute using each of the 14 apps. The most time was spent in the apps with relaxation videos.

"Some of the participants kept using them after the study because they felt that the apps helped them feel better," Mohr said. "There were many apps to try during the study, so there was a sense of novelty. We now have evidence these approaches will likely work. They are designed to teach many of the same skills therapists teach patients. Different apps are expected to work for different people. The goal is to find what's right for you."