A Systematic Review of Mobile Apps as an Adjunct to Psychological Interventions for Emotion Dysregulation

Background: Mental health care has been enriched with the progressive use of technology during the last ten years, in particular after the COVID-19 pandemic. Mobile applications (apps) and smartphones have become the most widespread access point for many people who look for self-help in the psychological domain. Objective: We focused on a systematic review of mobile apps for mental health, focusing on the blending of apps with psychotherapy contexts, with a specific focus on emotional dysregulation. Methods: A comprehensive literature search (January 2017 to August 2022) in PubMed, PsycInfo, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library was conducted. Abstracts were included if they described mental health mobile apps targeting emotional dysregulation and their use during ongoing psychological or psychotherapy treatment for adults and adolescents. Results: In total, 397 abstracts were identified; of these, 19 publications describing apps targeting borderline personality disorder, depression, anxiety, suicidal behaviors, and post-traumatic stress disorders met the inclusion criteria. Conclusions: App-enhanced psychotherapy might be a winning combination in many scenarios, but at the same time, many issues must still be faced in this yet emerging scientific field. In conclusion, we tried to put together some major guidelines for mental health mobile app development in the context of psychological treatments.