A systematic review and meta-analysis examined the relationship between user engagement and clinical outcomes in apps designed for depression and anxiety. The study analyzed 28 trials, with 13 included in the meta-analysis, focusing on how engagement metrics correlated with symptom improvement. Researchers identified over 40 different engagement metrics, with more than half of the studies examining multiple predictors. The analysis revealed a significant pooled effect, showing that greater user engagement was associated with larger symptom improvement (r = 0.16). This effect remained significant after adjusting for publication bias, with a slight decrease when accounting for studies that reported non-significant associations without data (r = 0.11). Additional analyses indicated significant effects when examining specific engagement metrics, symptom outcomes, and app characteristics, though contributions to these analyses were limited. The findings suggest that while engagement may play a small role in improving symptoms, better reporting standards are needed to clarify which engagement metrics should be consistently utilized in future research.
Association between user engagement and clinical outcomes in smartphone apps for depression and anxiety: A systematic review and meta-analysis
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