Smartphone-Delivered Attentional Bias Modification Training for Mental Health: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Area of Science:

• Digital Mental Health
• Behavioral Psychology
• Clinical Psychology

Background:

• Smartphone-delivered attentional bias modification training (ABMT) is a popular remote intervention for mental health issues.
• Existing research on smartphone ABMT yields mixed results regarding efficacy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review and meta-analyze the impact of smartphone-delivered ABMT on attentional bias and mental health symptoms.
• To examine how design approaches, administration methods, gamification, and stimulus types influence intervention outcomes for anxiety and depression.

Main Methods:

• A systematic search of 4 databases (MEDLINE, PsycINFO, PubMed, Scopus) from 2014-2023.
• Study selection, data extraction, and appraisal followed PRISMA guidelines.
• Meta-analysis using standardized mean differences and moderator analyses (sensitivity, subgroup, meta-regression).

Main Results:

• Included 12 papers (24,503 participants); meta-analysis on 20 study samples from 11 papers.
• Active ABMT significantly reduced mental health symptoms (Hedges g = -0.18, P=.03) and attentional bias (Hedges g = -0.17, P=.004).
• Placebo ABMT significantly reduced mental health symptoms (Hedges g = -0.38, P=.008) but not attentional bias (Hedges g = -0.04, P=.66).

Conclusions:

• Both active and placebo smartphone-delivered ABMT interventions hold value in mental health care.
• Tailoring interventions to specific threat stimuli and optimizing exposure duration are key for efficacy.
• Personalized approaches are essential for effectively reducing attentional bias and mental health symptoms.