Impact of mobile health interventions for mental health literacy: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
- 1DEPtH Lab, School of Health Studies, Faculty of Health Sciences, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
- 2Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
- 3Children’s Health Research Institute, Lawson Health Research Institute, London, Ontario, Canada
Abstract
Mental health literacy (MHL) – the ability to recognize, manage, and prevent mental health problems – is a key determinant of mental health. Mobile health (mHealth) interventions, delivered via portable digital devices such as smartphones, offer scalable, interactive, and user-tailored approaches to improve MHL. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of mHealth interventions on MHL outcomes, compared to control conditions (non-mHealth interventions, waitlist, or no intervention). This systematic review and meta-analysis searched five databases for randomized controlled trials published between January 1, 2010, and April 18, 2025. Eligible studies enrolled participants aged 12 and older and compared mHealth interventions to control groups. Two reviewers independently screened articles, extracted data, and assessed risk of bias using the Cochrane RoB 2 tool. The primary outcome was MHL, assessed using standardized mean differences (SMD) for overall MHL and its components: knowledge, help-seeking, and stigma. A random-effects meta-analysis was conducted. Out of 5,043 records identified, 14 RCTs met all inclusion criteria, encompassing 4,314 participants. mHealth interventions showed higher overall MHL (SMD = 0.13, 95% CI: 0.03–0.23), knowledge (SMD = 0.23, 95% CI: 0.09–0.37), and help-seeking (SMD = 0.26, 95% CI: 0.04–0.47; p = 0.019), compared to controls. High heterogeneity was detected (I² = 93.6%; τ² = 0.03; p < 0.001). Two studies were rated at high risk of bias; the remainder had at least some concerns. mHealth interventions modestly improved MHL outcomes, particularly knowledge and help-seeking. Although the effect sizes were small and heterogeneity was high, these interventions may offer meaningful public health value when delivered at scale. Author summary: Mental health literacy (MHL) – the ability to recognize, manage, and prevent mental health problems – is a key determinant of mental health. Mobile health interventions, delivered via smartphones and other portable devices, offer scalable and tailored approaches to improve MHL. This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated randomized controlled trials comparing mHealth interventions to control conditions among participants aged 12 and older from January 2010 to April 2025. Fourteen studies (n = 4,314 participants) met the inclusion criteria. Mobile health interventions were associated with significantly higher overall MHL, knowledge, and help-seeking compared to controls. Two studies were deemed to have a high risk of bias, while others had some concerns. Despite small effect sizes and heterogeneity, mobile health interventions may provide meaningful public health benefits if delivered at scale. However, the modest effect sizes highlight the need for further improvement in the design of mHealth interventions. As the evidence base grows, meta-regression could not only help better understand between-study variability but also clarify the conditions under which mHealth interventions are most effective to inform widespread implementation.
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BibTeX
@article{patel2026impact,
title = {{Impact of mobile health interventions for mental health literacy: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials}},
author = {Jamin Patel and Sheriff Ibrahim and Tarun Reddy Katapally},
journal = {PLOS Digital Health},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.1371/journal.pdig.0001688},
url = {https://journals.plos.org/digitalhealth/article?id=10.1371/journal.pdig.0001688},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Impact of mobile health interventions for mental health literacy: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
AU - Jamin Patel
AU - Sheriff Ibrahim
AU - Tarun Reddy Katapally
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/11
JO - PLOS Digital Health
DO - 10.1371/journal.pdig.0001688
UR - https://journals.plos.org/digitalhealth/article?id=10.1371/journal.pdig.0001688
AB - Mental health literacy (MHL) – the ability to recognize, manage, and prevent mental health problems – is a key determinant of mental health. Mobile health (mHealth) interventions, delivered via portable digital devices such as smartphones, offer scalable, interactive, and user-tailored approaches to improve MHL. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of mHealth interventions on MHL outcomes, compared to control conditions (non-mHealth interventions, waitlist, or no intervention). This systematic review and meta-analysis searched five databases for randomized controlled trials published between January 1, 2010, and April 18, 2025. Eligible studies enrolled participants aged 12 and older and compared mHealth interventions to control groups. Two reviewers independently screened articles, extracted data, and assessed risk of bias using the Cochrane RoB 2 tool. The primary outcome was MHL, assessed using standardized mean differences (SMD) for overall MHL and its components: knowledge, help-seeking, and stigma. A random-effects meta-analysis was conducted. Out of 5,043 records identified, 14 RCTs met all inclusion criteria, encompassing 4,314 participants. mHealth interventions showed higher overall MHL (SMD = 0.13, 95% CI: 0.03–0.23), knowledge (SMD = 0.23, 95% CI: 0.09–0.37), and help-seeking (SMD = 0.26, 95% CI: 0.04–0.47; p = 0.019), compared to controls. High heterogeneity was detected (I² = 93.6%; τ² = 0.03; p < 0.001). Two studies were rated at high risk of bias; the remainder had at least some concerns. mHealth interventions modestly improved MHL outcomes, particularly knowledge and help-seeking. Although the effect sizes were small and heterogeneity was high, these interventions may offer meaningful public health value when delivered at scale. Author summary: Mental health literacy (MHL) – the ability to recognize, manage, and prevent mental health problems – is a key determinant of mental health. Mobile health interventions, delivered via smartphones and other portable devices, offer scalable and tailored approaches to improve MHL. This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated randomized controlled trials comparing mHealth interventions to control conditions among participants aged 12 and older from January 2010 to April 2025. Fourteen studies (n = 4,314 participants) met the inclusion criteria. Mobile health interventions were associated with significantly higher overall MHL, knowledge, and help-seeking compared to controls. Two studies were deemed to have a high risk of bias, while others had some concerns. Despite small effect sizes and heterogeneity, mobile health interventions may provide meaningful public health benefits if delivered at scale. However, the modest effect sizes highlight the need for further improvement in the design of mHealth interventions. As the evidence base grows, meta-regression could not only help better understand between-study variability but also clarify the conditions under which mHealth interventions are most effective to inform widespread implementation.
SN - 2767-3170
ER -