NAMI Ask the Expert: What to Know Before Using a Mental Health App OD052

An on-demand video and transcript of the presentation are available here [opens in new tab].

About The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)

The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) is the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness. They are an alliance of more than 650 local Affiliates and 49 State organizations who work in your community to raise awareness and provide support and education to people with mental illness and their loved ones. Through awareness, advocacy and education, NAMI is committed to building stronger communities and a better future for everyone affected by mental illness.

Course Summary

Practice Level: Beginner

This course reviews the clinical promise and practical limitations of mental health apps, with an emphasis on how these tools can support measurement-based care and strengthen clinical conversations when used in the context of a therapeutic relationship.It provides a structured approach to app selection using a risk-first framework that prioritizes privacy/security, evaluates clinical evidence behind app claims, considers usability and engagement, and clarifies how app data can be used meaningfully. The course also addresses common safety concerns in the digital health marketplace, including misleading claims, inadequate crisis resources, and variability in user adherence, and introduces practical tools to support informed decision-making.

The course, with an intended audience of social workers, psychologists, marriage and family therapists, and counselors, then focuses on evaluating app safety/privacy, evidence, engagement, and clinical integration directly supports ethical, evidence-informed digital practice and shared decision-making.

Course Format

This course contains a participant guide, practice test, and on-demand video. When you’re ready, purchase the course by clicking the “Add To Cart” or “Enroll” button. This will let you take the test, complete the course evaluation and receive your certificate for CE credits.

Learning Objectives

1. Identify key risks and safeguards to consider before using a mental health app.
2. Describe the core steps of the APA App Evaluation Model for selecting apps.
3. Compare mental health apps using a structured set of selection criteria aligned with user values and clinical goals.

Course Syllabus

• Clinical roles of mental health apps: monitoring, self-management supports, and measurement-based care.
• Risk-first evaluation: privacy/security, misleading claims, and safety considerations (including crisis information).
• Evidence and engagement: variability in outcomes, adherence challenges, and the role of peer support.
• Applying frameworks and tools: APA App Evaluation Model, app databases, and planning for meaningful data use.

Current References

Agarwal, S., Jalan, M., Hill, R., Pantalone, E., Thrul, J., Sharma, R., Wilcox, H. C., & Robinson, K. A. (2025). Framework to assist stakeholders in technology evaluation for recovery (FASTER) to mental health and wellness. BMC Health Services Research, 25, 623. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-025-12418-0[opens in new tab]

Almuqrin, A., Hammoud, R., Terbagou, I., Tognin, S., & Mechelli, A. (2025). Smartphone apps for mental health: Systematic review of the literature and five recommendations for clinical translation. BMJ Open, 15(2), e093932. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2024-093932[opens in new tab] 

Baumel, A., Muench, F., Edan, S., & Kane, J. M. (2019). Objective user engagement with mental health apps: Systematic search and panel-based usage analysis. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 21(9), e14567.https://doi.org/10.2196/14567[opens in new tab]

Bell, I. H., Linardon, J., Mangelsdorf, S. N., Alvarez-Jimenez, M., Valentine, L., Eisner, E., Reynolds, K. A., Torous, J., Myin-Germeys, I., Bucci, S., Mohr, D. C., Reininghaus, U., & Nicholas, J. (2026). Public availability of evidence-based mental health apps: A systematic review and meta-analysis of self-guided apps. npj Digital Medicine. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41746-026-03014-5[opens in new tab] 

Chong, M. K., Hickie, I. B., Ekambareshwar, M., Poulsen, A., McKenna, S., Hutcheon, A., Hockey, S. J., Scott, E. M., & Iorfino, F. (2025). Personalized and collaborative use of digital measurement-based care tools enhances engagement among young adults: A mixed-methods study. BMC Health Services Research, 25, 752.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-025-12889-1[opens in new tab] 

Huckvale, K., Torous, J., & Larsen, M. E. (2019). Assessment of the data sharing and privacy practices of smartphone apps for depression and smoking cessation. JAMA Network Open, 2(4), e192542. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2019.2542[opens in new tab]

Kulke, J. K., Fuhrmann, L. M., Berking, M., Ebert, D. D., Baumeister, H., Derfiora, A., Veldhouse, A., & Weisel, K. K. (2025). Efficacy of standalone smartphone apps for mental health: An updated systematic review and meta-analysis. The Lancet Digital Health, 7(11), 100923. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landig.2025.100923[opens in new tab]

Larsen, M. E., Huckvale, K., Nicholas, J., Torous, J., Birrell, L., Li, E., & Reda, B. (2019). Using science to sell apps: Evaluation of mental health app store quality claims. npj Digital Medicine, 2, 18.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41746-019-0093-1[opens in new tab]

Leistner, D., & Richlan, F. (2026). Supporting mental health with apps: A systematic review of potential and quality of implemented behavior change techniques in mobile health applications. European Journal of Investigation in Health, Psychology and Education, 16(1), 13.https://doi.org/10.3390/ejihpe16010013[opens in new tab] 

Machleid, F., Michnevich, T., Huang, L., Schröder-Frerkes, L., Wiegmann, C., Muffel, T., & Kaminski, J. (2026). Remote measurement-based care interventions for mental health: Systematic review and meta-analysis. JMIR Mental Health, 13, e63088. https://doi.org/10.2196/63088[opens in new tab]

Martinengo, L., Van Galen, L., Lum, E., Kowalski, M., Subramaniam, M., & Car, J. (2019). Suicide prevention and depression apps’ suicide risk assessment and management: A systematic assessment of adherence to clinical guidelines. BMC Medicine, 17, 231.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12916-019-1461-z[opens in new tab]

Shahsavar, Y., & Choudhury, A. (2025). Effectiveness of evidence based mental health apps on user health outcome: A systematic literature review. PLOS ONE, 20(3), e0319983.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0319983[opens in new tab]

Tandon, T., Biswas, R., Meteier, Q., Daher, K., Abou Khaled, O., Meyer, B., Berger, T., Gupta, R., & Soelch, C. M. (2026). Retention and engagement in culturally adapted digital mental health interventions: Systematic review of dropout, attrition, and adherence in non-WEIRD populations. JMIR Mental Health, 13, e80624.https://doi.org/10.2196/80624[opens in new tab]

Torous, J. B., Chan, S. R., Tan Gipson, S. Y.-M., Kim, J. W., Nguyen, T.-Q., Luo, J., & Wang, P. (2018). A hierarchical framework for evaluation and informed decision making regarding smartphone apps for clinical care. Psychiatric Services, 69(4), 498–500.https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ps.201700423[opens in new tab]

Valentino-DeVries, J., Singer, N., Keller, M. H., & Krolik, A. (2018, December 10). Your apps know where you were last night, and they’re not keeping it secret. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/12/10/business/location-data-privacy-apps.html[opens in new tab]

Whittaker, Z. (2020, March 9). Talkspace threatens to sue a researcher over bug report. TechCrunch.https://techcrunch.com/2020/03/09/talkspace-cease-desist/[opens in new tab]

Yuan, S., Davidson, G., Kurten, S., & Best, P. (2026). Effectiveness and experiences of online mental health peer support for young people: Systematic scoping review. JMIR Mental Health, 13, e83139. https://doi.org/10.2196/83139[opens in new tab]

Instructors

John Torous, MD

John Torous, MD, is Director of the Digital Psychiatry Division in the Department of Psychiatry at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, a Harvard Medical School-affiliated teaching hospital, where he also serves as a staff psychiatrist and academic faculty. He has a background in electrical engineering and computer sciences and received an undergraduate degree in the field from UC Berkeley before attending medical school at UC San Diego. He completed his psychiatry residency, fellowship in clinical informatics, and master’s degree in biomedical informatics at Harvard.

Dr. Torous is active in investigating the potential of mobile mental health technologies for psychiatry and has published over 100 peer-reviewed articles and five book chapters on the topic. His work focuses on developing free digital mental health tools and apps, teaching digital health literacy skills and using technology to predict and prevent relapse.

Dr. Torous serves as the SMI Technology Expert on the Core Clinical Team for the SAMHSA funded SMI Adviser project.

Nicole Errickson, LCSW

Nicole is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in the state of Georgia. She brings over 19 years experience in the social work field, primarily working in school systems as a school social worker and with the McKinney-Vento grant. Over her career, Nicole has had several opportunities to help develop and execute professional development events. Nicole has a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of South Alabama and a Masters in Social Work from the University of Alabama.

Accreditation Approval Statements

CE4Less.com is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. CE4Less.com maintains responsibility for this program and its content.

CE4Less.com, provider #1115, is approved as an ACE provider to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE provider approval period: 8/8/24-8/8/27.

Social workers completing this course receive 1 general continuing education credit.

We are committed to providing our learners with unbiased information. CE4Less never accepts commercial support and our authors have no significant financial or other conflicts of interest pertaining to the material.