![]() Observational data collected in this study show a global interest in MoodTools, including in low- and middle-income countries and countries where English is not the primary language. Self-guided mHealth apps could be one approach (among the many needed) to reduce the burden of depression. On average, users completed and reviewed the results of the PHQ-9 for 49 seconds and 53 seconds, respectively, and spent 3 minutes and 5 seconds on Thought Diary. The most frequently visited tools were Test and Thought Diary (n=393,549, 24.32%). The typical person used the app for 3 sessions for a total of 12 minutes over 90 days. ![]() After the initial download, 51.14% (n=81,277) of users returned to the app after the initial download, and retention rates decreased with each subsequent app session. MoodTools was used by 158,930 people from 198 countries, including countries where English was not the primary language and in low- and middle-income countries. Google’s software development kit was used to securely capture data about the number of downloads, location of downloads, number of app sessions, frequency and duration of app sessions, time between app sessions, and user retention, allowing for examination of which app’s tools were viewed and for how long, including Information (psychoeducation), Test (self-monitoring using the Patient Health Questionnaire ), Thought Diary (targeting negative cognitions), Activities (behavioral activation), Videos (curated from YouTube), and Safety Plan (safety plan development and links to quickly access crisis management resources). All information was stored in aggregated, anonymized data files on Google Analytics’ storage database. Due to the deidentification and data aggregation process, no demographic or personal identifying information was tied to individual user data. Mobile analytics data were collected from all unique downloads of the Android version of MoodTools between March 1, 2016, and February 28, 2018. ![]() The purpose of this study is to examine the naturalistic user behavior of MoodTools, a publicly available, free-to-use, self-guided mHealth app designed to improve symptoms of depression, in a global community sample. These gaps in our knowledge must be addressed to bring the promise of mHealth apps for reducing the global burden of depression closer to reality. However, there is little research on self-guided mHealth apps in a global sample or on how they are used in the real world. Self-guided mobile health (mHealth) apps are one approach to address this problem. Reducing the burden of depression is a global health concern.
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