Smartphone Apps for College Mental Health: A Concern for Privacy and Quality of Current Offerings

Objective: The expanding need for mental health services on college campuses has increased interest in smartphone apps for mental health. Although apps can be effective toots, they can also present risks regarding privacy and lack of efficacy, and little is known about the nature or quality of mental health apps that colleges are recommending to students. This study sought to fill that knowledge gap. Methods: Sixty college counseling center Web sites were examined for suggested mobile apps offered as resources for students. The features of each app were assessed, including date of last update, privacy policy, and whether any research had been published in peer-reviewed journals. Results: Twenty-six college counseling centers suggested a total of 218 unique apps. Of these, 28% were no longer available for download. Of the 158 remaining apps, only 44% had been updated in the past 6 months, and 39% had no privacy policy. Of the 97 existing apps with privacy policies, 88% collected user's data and 49% shared users' data with third parties. Efficacy studies had been published in peer-reviewed journals for only 16% of existing apps. Conclusions: College counseling centers are not suggesting safe or up-to-date mobile apps. There is an urgent need to help centers identify, curate, and recommend more appropriate apps. The authors suggest that centers use the American Psychiatric Association's app evaluation framework; develop an app review process, with input from clinicians and students; or employ a digital navigator to select apps and help connect students to the appropriate app.