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. 2015 Mar 31;2(1):e10.
doi: 10.2196/mental.3954. eCollection 2015 Jan-Mar.

Mental Health Mobile Apps: From Infusion to Diffusion in the Mental Health Social System

Marlene Lynette East  1 , Byron C Havard  2
Affiliations

Mental Health Mobile Apps: From Infusion to Diffusion in the Mental Health Social System

Marlene Lynette East et al. JMIR Ment Health. .

Abstract

The roles of mental health educators and professionals in the diffusion of mental health mobile apps are addressed in this viewpoint article. Mental health mobile apps are emerging technologies that fit under the broad heading of mobile health (mHealth). mHealth, encompassed within electronic health (eHealth), reflects the use of mobile devices for the practice of public health. Well-designed mental health mobile apps that present content in interactive, engaging, and stimulating ways can promote cognitive learning, personal growth, and mental health enhancement. As key influencers in the mental health social system, counselor educators and professional associations may either help or hinder diffusion of beneficial mHealth technologies. As mental health mobile apps move towards ubiquity, research will continue to be conducted. The studies published thus far, combined with the potential of mental health mobile apps for learning and personal growth, offer enough evidence to compel mental health professionals to infuse these technologies into education and practice. Counselor educators and professional associations must use their influential leadership roles to train students and practitioners in how to research, evaluate, and integrate mental health mobile apps into practice. The objectives of this article are to (1) increase awareness of mHealth and mental health mobile apps, (2) demonstrate the potential for continued growth in mental health mobile apps based on technology use and acceptance theory, mHealth organizational initiatives, and evidence about how humans learn, (3) discuss evidence-based benefits of mental health mobile apps, (4) examine the current state of mHealth diffusion in the mental health profession, and (5) offer solutions for impelling innovation diffusion by infusing mental health mobile apps into education, training, and clinical settings. This discussion has implications for counselor educators, mental health practitioners, associations, continuing education providers, and app developers.

Keywords: clinical efficacy; counselors; ethical codes; innovation diffusion; instructional technology; mHealth; mental health; mobile health; smartphone.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of Interest: None declared.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Digital technologies blazed the trail for the mHealth explosion.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Potential for diffusion of mental health mobile apps based on the unified theory of use & acceptance 2 (UTAUT2). © 2012, Regents of the University of Minnesota, used with permission.
Figure 3
Figure 3
National and global electronic and mobile health initiatives.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Six of Medina’s 12 Brain Rules that relate well to the potential of mental health mobile apps to enhance learning and personal growth. From Brain Rules, by John Medina. Copyright ©2008 by John Medina, used with permission.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Benefits and uses of mental health mobile apps.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Mental health professionals are to balance ethical concerns with the benefits of mental health mobile apps.
Figure 7
Figure 7
Abilities of technically literate health professionals. From Using Technology to Improve Counseling Practice, A Primer for the 21st Century [29].
Figure 8
Figure 8
Solutions for impelling diffusion of mental health mobile apps.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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