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Review
. 2025 Jun 13;12(6):770.
doi: 10.3390/children12060770.

Digital Mental Health Interventions for Adolescents: An Integrative Review Based on the Behavior Change Approach

Sun Hwa Hong  1 , Tae Kyung Chun  1 , You Jin Nam  1 , Tae Wi Kim  1 , Yong Hyuk Cho  1 , Sang Joon Son  1 , Hyun Woong Roh  1 , Chang Hyung Hong  1
Affiliations
Review

Digital Mental Health Interventions for Adolescents: An Integrative Review Based on the Behavior Change Approach

Sun Hwa Hong et al. Children (Basel). .

Abstract

Background: Adolescents are at a critical developmental stage marked by rapid cognitive, emotional, and social changes, making them highly susceptible to mental health issues. Recently, digital health interventions (DHIs) have emerged as innovative and scalable tools for promoting mental well-being in this population. Methods: This integrative review was conducted based on comprehensive literature searches of major academic databases, including PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and PsycINFO. Studies published between January 2010 and December 2024 were identified using keywords such as "adolescent mental health," "digital health intervention," "behavior change model," "e-health," "mobile mental health," and "digital therapeutics." The inclusion criteria comprised peer-reviewed studies on digital mental health interventions for adolescents that applied, fully or partially, a behavior change approach. Studies targeting adults, interventions without digital technology, the gray literature, and duplicate publications were excluded. Results: We examined intervention strategies based on developmental stage prevention, early intervention, and recovery and highlighted key digital components such as accessibility, anonymity, personalization, and continuous monitoring. Furthermore, we analyzed case studies from various countries, including Korea, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Japan, to identify best practices and contextual challenges. Conclusions: DHIs rooted in sound psychological theory and ethical design can complement school- and community-based interventions by offering effective personalized support. The practical implications and future directions are discussed.

Keywords: adolescent mental health; behavior change model; digital health intervention; digital therapeutics; e-health; mobile mental health; prevention; youth resilience.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest. The funders had no role in the study design; collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; writing of the manuscript; or decision to publish the results.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Application of integrated behavior change (IBC) model to digital adolescent mental health interventions.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Key components and strategies for digital youth mental health interventions.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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