Feasibility of mHealth interventions for depressive symptoms in Latin America: a systematic review

Depression is a prevalent disorder and leading cause of disability in Latin America, where the mental health treatment gap is still above 50%. We sought to synthesise and assess the quality of the evidence on the feasibility of mHealth-based interventions for depression in Latin America. We conducte...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International review of psychiatry (Abingdon, England) England), 2021-04, Vol.33 (3), p.300-311
Main Authors: Escobar-Viera, César G., Cernuzzi, Luca C., Miller, Rebekah S., Rodríguez-Marín, Hugo J., Vieta, Eduard, González Toñánez, Magalí, Marsch, Lisa A., Hidalgo-Mazzei, Diego
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Behavior change
Clinical research
Clinical trials
Evidence-based medicine
Extraction
Feasibility
Health promotion
Intervention
Latin America
m-health
Mental depression
Mental health
Mental health services
mobile
Population characteristics
Primary care
Psychoeducational treatment
smartphones
Symptoms
Systematic review
Telemedicine
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Summary:Depression is a prevalent disorder and leading cause of disability in Latin America, where the mental health treatment gap is still above 50%. We sought to synthesise and assess the quality of the evidence on the feasibility of mHealth-based interventions for depression in Latin America. We conducted a literature search of studies published in 2007 and after using four electronic databases. We included peer-reviewed articles, in English, Spanish or Portuguese, that evaluated interventions for depressive symptoms. Two authors independently extracted data using forms developed a priori. We assessed appropriateness of reporting utilising the CONSORT checklist for feasibility trials. Eight manuscripts were included for full data extraction. Appropriate reporting varied greatly. Most (n = 6, 75%) of studies were conducted in primary care settings and sought to deliver psychoeducation or behaviour change interventions for depressive symptoms. We found great heterogeneity in the assessment of feasibility. Two studies used comparator conditions. mHealth research for depression in Latin America is scarce. Included studies showed some feasibility despite methodological inconsistencies. Given the dire need for evidence-based mental health interventions in this region, governments and stakeholders must continue promoting and funding research tailored to cultural and population characteristics with subsequent pragmatic clinical trials.
ISSN:0954-0261
1369-1627
DOI:10.1080/09540261.2021.1887822