NIH Grant to Fund Study on mHealth App for Anxiety, Depression

To manage the adverse effects of COVID-19 on mental health, researchers Michael Businelle, PhD, and Michael J. Zvolensky, PhD, created a mobile app called Easing Anxiety Sensitivity for Everyone (EASE), which provides various tracking and monitoring capabilities alongside patient education.

Businelle and Zvolensky won a $2.7 million grant from the National Institute of Mental Health, part of the National Institutes of Health, to study the impact of the app on people suffering from anxiety and depression. Businelle is a professor in family and preventive medicine at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, while Zvolensky is the Hugh Roy and Lillie Cranz Cullen Distinguished University Professor of psychology at the University of Houston.

The creation of EASE was also inspired by the sharp increase in cases relating to depression and anxiety that took place during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the percentage of adults who reported symptoms of anxiety or depression increased from 36.4 to 41.5 percent between August 2020 and February 2021.

The EASE study will involve 800 people, of whom 200 will be Black, 200 Latinx, 200 American Indian, and 200 non-Latino White. Initially taking place in Oklahoma and Texas, the study will be expanded to other states.

“Black, Latinx, and American Indian people have experienced greater COVID-19–related burden due to disparities in access to care and job security," Businelle said. "They also had higher infection rates and deaths due to COVID-19 and experienced collective trauma due to racial justice issues.”

Lancer Stephens, PhD, associate dean for sovereignty, equity, diversity, and inclusion and associate professor for the Hudson College of Public Health at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, and co-investigator in the study, helped recruit American Indian participants in the study.

“Massive death from previously unknown diseases brought by settlers, theft of land, boarding schools, the Indian Removal Act and forced assimilation of American Indians to White culture, and continued racism have contributed to a loss of identity that still impacts our Tribal Nations today,” Stephens said in the press release.

The app provides education on how the pandemic affects stress, offers strategies for coping with high anxiety levels using cognitive and behavioral therapeutic strategies, and extends tracking services. The app enables users to log stressors. Those who do will receive an automated alert when they are subject to a physical stress response, reminding them about the coping strategies.

According to the creators of the app, the system allows for personalized treatment. They also state that EASE could improve healthcare accessibility by removing barriers, therefore improving mental health.

The use of apps to deliver healthcare services is becoming increasingly common. These technologies can be used to treat various conditions.

In April, the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio provided people battling substance use disorders access to the WEconnect Recovery app. The app offers various services, including behavioral healthcare, emotional support, peer support, and community meetings.

Also, previous research has focused on the use of smartphone apps during the COVID-19 pandemic, detailing their strengths and areas for improvement.

In June, Nature Biotechnology published a review of smartphone app use during the pandemic. The study acknowledged the benefits of these apps, including their efficacy in disseminating epidemiologic data and enabling individual screening. However, it also provided recommendations for how they can reduce disparities.