An explorative review of youth mental health apps for prevention and promotion

Abstract

Youth mental health interventions are increasingly delivered through technology. One factor which may impact engagement and adherence with these apps is how well they fit with young people using them. Yet, how well these technologies fit with requirements and preferences of young people is largely unexplored. By reviewing examples of mental health promotion apps for young people (n=29) we identified a misalignment between young people’s media use and what youth mental health promotion apps provide. This presents a space to improve youth mental health technology. 1