A new evidence-based CBT smartphone app to help Australian teens overcome depression and psychological distress
Author: Associate Professor Bridianne O'Dea, Adolescent Mental Health Researcher at Black Dog Institute
Recent research by the Black Dog Institute has found that one-third of Australian teens experience high levels of psychological distress and 15% experience depressive symptoms (1). While in-person psychological therapies can be effective, many young Australians cannot get timely access to care (2) or are reluctant to first seek help face to face. Instead, many teens turn to the internet. While the growth of mental health apps and websites has the potential to provide help to youth when they most need, it can be difficult to know what resources are evidence-based or effective for use among teens.
Over 10,000 commercial mental health apps are available, offering various features including mood tracking, journaling, psychoeducation, deep breathing, and mindfulness (3). Despite the popularity of Internet resources, many lack proof of effectiveness and the critical therapeutic elements needed to overcome depression such as cognitive restructuring, behavioural activation, and problem-solving are often missing (4, 5).
In fact, research shows that only 3% of reviewed mental health apps have scientific backing (6). This means many of the health benefits and safety claims of apps are unproven, often accompanied by disclaimers. Additionally, many apps face consumer issues like privacy loss through covert data collection and a lack of transparency in privacy policies, authorship, and commercial interests. And lastly, few studies have examined the harms of using mental health apps, making it unclear how often harms occur, whether users are aware of them, or when the benefits of mental health app use outweigh the risks (7).
ClearlyMe®: A Mental Health App to Support Teens
To address these issues, the Black Dog Institute developed ClearlyMe®, a free, self-directed CBT app for teens with mild to moderate depressive symptoms. It targets common depression symptoms like low mood, negative thinking, relaxation difficulties, and motivation loss.
ClearlyMe is unique because it was co-designed with teens and includes 37 bite-sized lessons on key CBT topics such as cognitive restructuring, emotion awareness, goal setting, and mindfulness (8). These lessons help teens practice skills and coping strategies to improve their mental health over time.
Moreover, ClearlyMe has been evaluated through a rigorous randomised controlled trial involving 569 adolescents aged 12-17 who were experiencing depressive symptoms. The app was found to be superior to the active control condition for improving depressive symptoms, reducing psychological distress and improving health-related quality of life (9).
The Black Dog Institute also recognises the importance of data privacy and security in apps being used by youth. The Institute conducts privacy impact assessments for all digital products and the data collection within ClearlyMe is compliant with Australian Privacy Principles and has been reviewed by the UNSW Sydney Human Research Ethics Committee. Young people, parents, and professionals using ClearlyMe can be reassured of the care taken to protect the data within the app.
ClearlyMe represents a significant advancement in digital mental health in Australia. The app offers an evidence-based, user-friendly solution to help teens overcome depression and/or psychological distress. By recommending ClearlyMe to adolescents, you are providing young people with a powerful tool to better their mental health.
References
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- Subotic-Kerry, M., et al. BMJ Yale. 2023. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1101/2023.08.21.23294348. Online Preprint.
- Lagan, S., et al. Acta Psychiatr Scand. 2021;144(2):201-210. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/acps.13306
- Li, S.H., et al. BMC Psychiatry. 2022;22(1):746. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-022-04383-3
- Buss, J.F., et al. Behav Ther. 2024;55(1):201-211. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.beth.2023.06.003
- Larsen, M.E., et al. NPJ Digit Med. 2019:2:18. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41746-019-0093-1
- Grundy, Q., et al. 2017. Finding Peace of Mind: Navigating the Marketplace of Mental Health Apps, Australian Communications Consumer Action Network, Sydney. Available from: https://accan.org.au/grants/completed-grants/1256-mental-health-apps
- Li, S.H., et al. the Cognitive Behaviour Therapist. 2022;(15):e13. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S1754470X22000095
- O’Dea B., et al. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2023;(62):10, S247. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaac.2023.09.288