Reviewing the data security and privacy policies of mobile apps for depression

Background Mobile apps have become popular resources for mental health support. Availability of information about developers' data security procedures for health apps, specifically those targeting mental health, has not been thoroughly investigated. If people are to use and trust these tools for their mental health, it is crucial we evaluate the transparency and quality around the data practices of these apps. The present study reviewed data security and privacy policies of mobile apps for depression. Methods We reviewed mobile apps retrieved from iTunes and Google Play stores in October 2017, using the term “depression”, and evaluated the transparency of data handling procedures of those apps. Results We identified 116 eligible mobile phone apps. Of those, 4% (5/116) received a transparency score of acceptable, 28% (32/116) questionable, and 68% (79/116) unacceptable. Only a minority of the apps (49%) had a privacy policy. The availability of policies differed significantly by platform, with apps from iTunes more likely to have a policy than from the Google Play store. Mobile apps collecting identifiable information were significantly more likely to have a privacy policy (79%) compared to those collecting only non-identifiable information (34%). Conclusion The majority of apps reviewed were not sufficiently transparent with information regarding data security. Apps have great potential to scale mental health resources, providing resources to people unable or reluctant to access traditional face-to-face care, or as an adjunct to treatment. However, if they are to be a reasonable resource, they must be safe, secure, and responsible.

[1]  D. Bates,et al.  In search of a few good apps. , 2014, JAMA.

[2]  Agusti Solanas,et al.  Security and Privacy Analysis of Mobile Health Applications: The Alarming State of Practice , 2018, IEEE Access.

[3]  Terry K Koo,et al.  A Guideline of Selecting and Reporting Intraclass Correlation Coefficients for Reliability Research. , 2016, Journal Chiropractic Medicine.

[4]  Lyndal J. Trevena,et al.  Depression screening via a smartphone app: cross-country user characteristics and feasibility , 2015, J. Am. Medical Informatics Assoc..

[5]  Gavin Doherty,et al.  Functionality of Top-Rated Mobile Apps for Depression: Systematic Search and Evaluation , 2019, JMIR mental health.

[6]  John Torous,et al.  Needed Innovation in Digital Health and Smartphone Applications for Mental Health: Transparency and Trust. , 2017, JAMA psychiatry.

[7]  Nicholas David Bowman,et al.  Choosing the right app: An exploratory perspective on heuristic decision processes for smartphone app selection , 2015 .

[8]  J. Torous,et al.  A Hierarchical Framework for Evaluation and Informed Decision Making Regarding Smartphone Apps for Clinical Care. , 2018, Psychiatric services.

[9]  Stephen M. Schueller,et al.  Exploring mental health providers' interest in using web and mobile-based tools in their practices , 2016, Internet interventions.

[10]  Amit Baumel,et al.  Enlight: A Comprehensive Quality and Therapeutic Potential Evaluation Tool for Mobile and Web-Based eHealth Interventions , 2017, Journal of medical Internet research.

[11]  Matthew J. Bietz,et al.  Privacy Policies for Apps Targeted Toward Youth: Descriptive Analysis of Readability , 2018, JMIR mHealth and uHealth.

[12]  Frederick Muench,et al.  There's an App for That: Information Technology Applications for Cognitive Behavioral Practitioners. , 2012, The Behavior therapist.

[13]  Stephen M Schueller,et al.  Discovery of and Interest in Health Apps Among Those With Mental Health Needs: Survey and Focus Group Study , 2018, Journal of medical Internet research.

[14]  Ali Sunyaev,et al.  Availability and quality of mobile health app privacy policies , 2015, J. Am. Medical Informatics Assoc..

[15]  N. Jacobson,et al.  Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy in the Digital Age: Presidential Address. , 2020, Behavior therapy.

[16]  G. Parker,et al.  Community Attitudes to the Appropriation of Mobile Phones for Monitoring and Managing Depression, Anxiety, and Stress , 2010, Journal of medical Internet research.

[17]  Lyndal Trevena,et al.  There’s an App for That: A Guide for Healthcare Practitioners and Researchers on Smartphone Technology , 2015, Online journal of public health informatics.

[18]  Lyndal Trevena,et al.  Health-related smartphone apps: regulations, safety, privacy and quality , 2015, BMJ Innovations.

[19]  Harald Baumeister,et al.  ‘Help for trauma from the app stores?’ A systematic review and standardised rating of apps for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) , 2020, European journal of psychotraumatology.

[20]  David R Williams,et al.  Depression care in the United States: too little for too few. , 2010, Archives of general psychiatry.

[21]  M. Keshavan,et al.  Smartphone Ownership and Interest in Mobile Applications to Monitor Symptoms of Mental Health Conditions , 2014, JMIR mHealth and uHealth.

[22]  Lori Wozney,et al.  A Systematic Review of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Behavioral Activation Apps for Depression , 2016, PloS one.

[23]  Stephen M Schueller,et al.  State of the Field of Mental Health Apps. , 2018, Cognitive and behavioral practice.

[24]  D. Brody,et al.  Prevalence of Depression Among Adults Aged 20 and Over: United States, 2013-2016. , 2018, NCHS data brief.

[25]  C. Granell,et al.  Smartphone Apps for the Treatment of Mental Disorders: Systematic Review , 2019, JMIR mHealth and uHealth.

[26]  J. L. Bender,et al.  Finding a Depression App: A Review and Content Analysis of the Depression App Marketplace , 2015, JMIR mHealth and uHealth.

[27]  J. Geddes,et al.  Smartphones in mental health: a critical review of background issues, current status and future concerns , 2020, International Journal of Bipolar Disorders.

[28]  John Torous,et al.  Data Security and Privacy in Apps for Dementia: An Analysis of Existing Privacy Policies. , 2017, The American journal of geriatric psychiatry : official journal of the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry.