Previously submitted to: JMIR Mental Health (no longer under consideration since Jun 28, 2025)
Date Submitted: Jun 28, 2025
Open Peer Review Period: Jun 28, 2025 - Jun 28, 2025
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The influence of societal behaviours and trends on mental health based applications: An environmental scan
ABSTRACT
Background:
Within a decade, the expeditious evolution of technology has catalyzed digital advancements employed even at one’s fingertips. Now a household item, smartphones host innumerable apps supporting users across the world. One of the rising market niches includes mental-health based applications, which further branch into topics of lifestyle, habit-building, and productivity.
Objective:
This systematic review explores quantitative and qualitative studies discussing variables of influence on social behaviours and trends for mental-health based applications.
Methods:
Searched databases include Science Direct, ProQuest, and Scopus with further supplementation of grey literature from Science Daily, Common Sense Media, and Extreme Networks. Extracted data precluded meta-analysis given the significant heterogeneity in study design, outcomes, and measurements. Studies were screened with a piloted tool and screening & extraction was completed independently among two authors. Disagreements following reconciliation between the two authors were settled by a third author.
Results:
Appraised articles identified trends & behaviors associated with app functionality, accessibility, and data/privacy security. The decline or absence of these features correlated with low user engagement.
Conclusions:
Prevalent features were determined for enhanced functionality, accessibility, and database security, which may serve to bolster apps within mental-health and its niches.
Citation
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