Android and iPhone Mobile Apps for Psychosocial Wellness and Stress Management: Systematic Search in App Stores and Literature Review : Lau et al 2020

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32357125/

 

The conclusion doesn't say whether this is a good thing or a bad thing. Perhaps they could have been clearer and written a more comprehensive conclusion as follows:

Conclusions: The authors were relieved to find that only 2.08% (21/1009) of publicly available psychosocial wellness and stress management mobile apps discoverable to self-help seekers have published, peer-reviewed evidence of feasibility and/or efficacy. Given the track record of psychosocial peer-reviewed evidence these apps may be considered especially dodgy. Clinicians and investigators may use these findings to help patients and families navigate the volume of emerging digital health interventions for stress management and wellness.

EDIT: I tip my hat to whoever put in the proposal to get paid to browse the app store by the way.

 

If the authors are looking for a new project that involves browsing and stating the bleedin' obvious, they may like to walk into any German pharmacy and see how many of the products on offer have any evidential basis for the health claims that they make. Or they could look at all the adverts on German television in the early evening and see how many of the health claims made can be substantiated.

They may conclude that private companies make dodgy health claims to sell products for a profit, that there's a massive market of willing customers, and that it's been going on for quite a while. Clinicians and investigators may use these findings to help patients and families navigate the volume of dodgy health products available, and patients and families in their turn can tell the clinicians and investigators not to be so closed minded because science doesn't know everything.