1Department of Public Health, Doctoral Student Public Health Faculty, Hasanuddin University, Makassar, Indonesia
2Department of Environmental Health, Public Health Faculty, Hasanuddin University, Makassar, Indonesia
3Department of Psychiatry, Medical Faculty, Hasanuddin University, Makassar, Indonesia
4Department of Nutrition, Public Health Faculty, Hasanuddin University, Makassar, Indonesia
5Department of Occupational Safety and Health, Public Health Faculty, Hasanuddin University, Makassar, Indonesia
6Department of Health Administration and Policy, Public Health Faculty, Hasanuddin University, Makassar, Indonesia
Copyright © 2024 The Korean Society for Preventive Medicine
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Conflict of Interest
The authors have no conflicts of interest associated with the material presented in this paper.
Funding
None.
Author Contributions
Conceptualization: Syarif I. Data curation: Amqam H. Formal analysis: Syamsuddin S. Funding acquisition: None. Methodology: Amqam H. Project administration: Russeng S. Visualization: Amir Y. Writing – original draft: Syarif I. Writing – review & editing: Syarif I, Amqam H, Syamsuddin S, Hadju V, Russeng S, Amir Y.
Country | Population sample | Method | Measured variable | Results | Reference |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
USA | Patients with schizophrenia in 10 locations in the USA, in an outpatient setting between Feb 26, 2013, and Apr 17, 2015 | Quasi-experiment | Technology to prevent recurrence | Over a 6-mo follow-up period, 43% of control participants and 24% of intervention participants required hospitalization (χ2 = 11.76, p<0.001); The no. of inpatient days decreased by a mean of 5 (β = -4.58; 95% CI, -9.03, -0.13; p = 0.044) in the intervention condition compared to the control | [32] |
USA | Synthesized evidence from 23 published trials of digital interventions for schizophrenia from Jan 2020 until Jun 2023 | Narrative study | Digital intervention | Recent findings: 23 studies were identified, covering smartphone apps and web-based platforms to reduce symptom severity, prevent relapse, and promote physical health; The main findings to date are a decrease in the symptom burden, improved medication adherence, and increased engagement in physical activity | [33] |
UK | People with schizophrenia | Descriptive study | e-Prevention | Technologies offered through e-Prevention include: (1) long-term continuous recording of biometrics and behavioral indices through a smartwatch; (2) video recording of patients when interviewed by a clinician, using a tablet; (3) automatic and systematic storage of data on a dedicated cloud server; and (4) the ability to detect and predict relapse; The results were significant, suggesting the eventual feasibility of predicting psychopathology and preventing relapse | [34] |
UK | Service users aged >16 y who have schizophrenia spectrum disorder with evidence of relapse within 2 y | A multicenter, 2-arm, parallel-group cluster randomized controlled trial involving 8 community mental health services, with follow-up for 12 mo | “Early signs monitoring to prevent relapse in psychosis and promote Well-being, engagement, and recovery” (EMPOWER) smartphone app | Eight of 33 patients (24%) in the EMPOWER group experienced relapse compared to 13 of the 28 (46%) in the conventional care group; Fewer participants in the EMPOWER group experienced relapse (RR, 0.50; 95% CI, 0.26, 0.98), and their time to first relapse was longer (HR, 0.32; 95% CI, 0.14, 0.74), compared to the usual treatment group at month 12; EMPOWER participants displayed lower fear of relapse compared to those in the conventional care group (mean difference, -4.29; 95% CI, -7.29, -1.28); Piloting digital technology to monitor early warning signs, in conjunction with peer support and clinical triage to detect and preventive relapse, is worthwhile | [35] |
UK | 18- to 60-y-olds with a diagnosis of schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder | Randomized controlled trial | ITAPERS (Information Technology Aided Relapse Prevention Program in Schizophrenia) (mobile app and mobile web) | No difference was observed between groups in the survival rate without hospitalization; However, 33% of all alerts were associated with no increase in antipsychotic dose; In the Cox multivariate proportional risk model, of the 13 potential predictors, only variables associated with ITAREPS (no. of alerts without pharmacological intervention [HR, 1.38; p = 0.042] and patient non-adherence to ITAREPS [HR, 1.08; p = 0.009]) | [36] |
India | The intervention group consisted of 23 caregivers (families), while the control group included 25 participants who had family members with schizophrenia | Quantitative; experimental study with control group | Yoga therapy with audio-visual components | Self-directed audio-visual yoga therapy affected caregivers’ ability to care for people with schizophrenia, but no significant difference was found between the intervention and control groups | [37] |
USA | This study included 51 participants (age range: 18 to 47 y) | Experimental design | Virtual reality | The use of virtual reality technology can increase empathy for people with schizophrenia; This study found that 2-dimensional videos, if realistic, can also potentially increase empathy | [38] |
Japan | Respondents included 20 caregivers, over 18 y old, who were caring for patients with schizophrenia; Participants needed to be able to use the internet in English and to have internet access at home | Mixed- methods research design using Medical Research Council complex interventions | E-health psychoeducation therapy | Psychoeducation therapy provided through electronic media impacted the caregiver’s ability to recognize the patient’s illness and problem-solving strategies | [39] |
China | Age 18-60 y medical diagnosis: schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder | Randomized controlled trial | LEAN (Lay health supporter, E- Platform, Award System, Integration) (mobile apps and mobile web) | Engages lay health supporters (LHS), who are family members or volunteers who assist the patient in facilitating medication adherence, who monitor for early signs of relapse and medication side effects, and who work with staff for the treatment program; E-Platform, which consists of E-reminder (reminder to take medicine) E-monitor (monitoring early signs of relapse and drug side effects); E-educator (sends periodic SMS messages to patients, LHS, and health workers about schizophrenia symptoms, treatment, adherence strategies, rehabilitation, and social resources) | [40] |
USA | Age, 18-70 y | Randomized controlled trial | Internet cognitive behavioral skills (mobile web) | Features cognitive behavioral therapy consisting of 10 modules to treat auditory hallucinations | [41] |
Medical diagnosis: schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, or psychosis score of 4 on the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale | |||||
UK | Age, 18-35 y | Mixed-methods design | TechCare (mobile apps) | Delusion assessment features based on the PANSS; mood assessment features based on the Calgary Depression Scale; Features of cognitive behavior-based interventions: therapy to improve thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, stress models, techniques to regulate mood, especially designed media such as music, pictures, and videos | [42] |
Score of 3 or more on each item of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) | |||||
Score of at least 1 on the Calgary Depression Scale | |||||
Sweden | Age above 18 y; caregiver of mentally ill patient | Randomized controlled trial | Web-based mindfulness intervention (mobile web) | The program can be accessed through a smartphone, tablet, or computer with an internet connection; Features include: assessment of caregiver stress and burden in caring for patient; mindfulness exercises with audio/video files (960 min) and accompanied by on-screen captions; descriptive text and daily mindfulness practice instructions, including self-compassion exercises, time logs, and personal diaries; basic mindfulness exercises consisting of breathing exercises, body scanning, yoga, mindfulness of experience through the senses, and meditation | [43] |
USA | Age 60 y or older; living in the community; medical diagnosis of schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, bipolar disorder or depression; history of physical illness | Pre/post pilot study | Peer TECH (Peer-Delivered and Technology) (mobile apps) | Peer TECH e-modules consisting of video and text on psychoeducation and coping skills; access to self-support management; intervention components that match the patient's needs and goals; reminders to take medication/treatments; HIPAA-compliant chat features | [44] |
Denmark | 250 patients diagnosed with schizophrenia and receiving intervention | Randomized clinical trial | Mobile phone application (mobile apps) | Features of early warning sign assessment on to assess recurrence in patients receiving 1 y of therapeutic dose reduction antipsychotics | [45] |
Canada | 38 schizophrenia respondents | Pre-post design | App4Independence (Android or iPhone mobile apps) | Real-time features such as news feeds; offline features such as settings and voice detection; assessments of signs and symptoms and patient needs; medication reminders | [46] |
Intervention features: how to overcome social isolation; relevant resources to cope with symptoms, peer engagement platform to facilitate anonymous strategy/tip sharing between fellow A4i users; health checks and goal-setting to inform content delivery and highlight mental health; integration with health information systems, allowing staff to remotely monitor patients | |||||
UK | 60 patients with schizophrenia | Single-arm open-label trial | Digital medicine system (mobile app) | Tablet sensor: pharmacologic oral coencapsulation (CoE) with the patient’s antipsychotic; Proteus patch: a transmission is sent to a patch attached to the patient’s skin when the patient takes medication, and a smartphone analyzes the received transmission; The processed data are transferred through a smartphone app and sent to the patient, family, and officers through a web portal or mobile app. | [47] |
Australia | 170 respondents who were diagnosed with schizophrenia using certain criteria on the PANSS scores and the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale | Randomized controlled trial | HORYZONS (Online Social Therapy) (mobile apps and mobile web) | Interactive online therapy features (understanding psychosis, identifying and practicing personal strengths, promoting positive relationships with others, fostering positive emotions, early warning signs and prevention of relapse, managing stress, anxiety, and depression, and vocational skills) | [48] |
Spain, Hungary, and Israel | Age 18-45 y Medical diagnosis of schizophrenia; meets criteria for treatment-resistant schizophrenia (TRS) | Prospective multicenter feasibility study | m-RESIST (mobile therapeutic attention for TRS) | Wearable: a smartwatch that will collect data from patient and send it to a smartphone wirelessly (activity level, heart rate, sleep patterns, and steps); Smartphone: the basis of the m-RESIST application; Patients can access educational content about TRS; track early warning signs of relapse, symptoms, and biological variables; request help with questionnaires; and use CBT-based coping strategies; Web-based platform: a tool used by providers of health services to collect patient data and communicate and coordinate with patients and other health workers | [49] |
Country | Population sample | Method | Measured variable | Results | Reference |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
USA | Patients with schizophrenia in 10 locations in the USA, in an outpatient setting between Feb 26, 2013, and Apr 17, 2015 | Quasi-experiment | Technology to prevent recurrence | Over a 6-mo follow-up period, 43% of control participants and 24% of intervention participants required hospitalization (χ2 = 11.76, p<0.001); The no. of inpatient days decreased by a mean of 5 (β = -4.58; 95% CI, -9.03, -0.13; p = 0.044) in the intervention condition compared to the control | [32] |
USA | Synthesized evidence from 23 published trials of digital interventions for schizophrenia from Jan 2020 until Jun 2023 | Narrative study | Digital intervention | Recent findings: 23 studies were identified, covering smartphone apps and web-based platforms to reduce symptom severity, prevent relapse, and promote physical health; The main findings to date are a decrease in the symptom burden, improved medication adherence, and increased engagement in physical activity | [33] |
UK | People with schizophrenia | Descriptive study | e-Prevention | Technologies offered through e-Prevention include: (1) long-term continuous recording of biometrics and behavioral indices through a smartwatch; (2) video recording of patients when interviewed by a clinician, using a tablet; (3) automatic and systematic storage of data on a dedicated cloud server; and (4) the ability to detect and predict relapse; The results were significant, suggesting the eventual feasibility of predicting psychopathology and preventing relapse | [34] |
UK | Service users aged >16 y who have schizophrenia spectrum disorder with evidence of relapse within 2 y | A multicenter, 2-arm, parallel-group cluster randomized controlled trial involving 8 community mental health services, with follow-up for 12 mo | “Early signs monitoring to prevent relapse in psychosis and promote Well-being, engagement, and recovery” (EMPOWER) smartphone app | Eight of 33 patients (24%) in the EMPOWER group experienced relapse compared to 13 of the 28 (46%) in the conventional care group; Fewer participants in the EMPOWER group experienced relapse (RR, 0.50; 95% CI, 0.26, 0.98), and their time to first relapse was longer (HR, 0.32; 95% CI, 0.14, 0.74), compared to the usual treatment group at month 12; EMPOWER participants displayed lower fear of relapse compared to those in the conventional care group (mean difference, -4.29; 95% CI, -7.29, -1.28); Piloting digital technology to monitor early warning signs, in conjunction with peer support and clinical triage to detect and preventive relapse, is worthwhile | [35] |
UK | 18- to 60-y-olds with a diagnosis of schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder | Randomized controlled trial | ITAPERS (Information Technology Aided Relapse Prevention Program in Schizophrenia) (mobile app and mobile web) | No difference was observed between groups in the survival rate without hospitalization; However, 33% of all alerts were associated with no increase in antipsychotic dose; In the Cox multivariate proportional risk model, of the 13 potential predictors, only variables associated with ITAREPS (no. of alerts without pharmacological intervention [HR, 1.38; p = 0.042] and patient non-adherence to ITAREPS [HR, 1.08; p = 0.009]) | [36] |
India | The intervention group consisted of 23 caregivers (families), while the control group included 25 participants who had family members with schizophrenia | Quantitative; experimental study with control group | Yoga therapy with audio-visual components | Self-directed audio-visual yoga therapy affected caregivers’ ability to care for people with schizophrenia, but no significant difference was found between the intervention and control groups | [37] |
USA | This study included 51 participants (age range: 18 to 47 y) | Experimental design | Virtual reality | The use of virtual reality technology can increase empathy for people with schizophrenia; This study found that 2-dimensional videos, if realistic, can also potentially increase empathy | [38] |
Japan | Respondents included 20 caregivers, over 18 y old, who were caring for patients with schizophrenia; Participants needed to be able to use the internet in English and to have internet access at home | Mixed- methods research design using Medical Research Council complex interventions | E-health psychoeducation therapy | Psychoeducation therapy provided through electronic media impacted the caregiver’s ability to recognize the patient’s illness and problem-solving strategies | [39] |
China | Age 18-60 y medical diagnosis: schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder | Randomized controlled trial | LEAN (Lay health supporter, E- Platform, Award System, Integration) (mobile apps and mobile web) | Engages lay health supporters (LHS), who are family members or volunteers who assist the patient in facilitating medication adherence, who monitor for early signs of relapse and medication side effects, and who work with staff for the treatment program; E-Platform, which consists of E-reminder (reminder to take medicine) E-monitor (monitoring early signs of relapse and drug side effects); E-educator (sends periodic SMS messages to patients, LHS, and health workers about schizophrenia symptoms, treatment, adherence strategies, rehabilitation, and social resources) | [40] |
USA | Age, 18-70 y | Randomized controlled trial | Internet cognitive behavioral skills (mobile web) | Features cognitive behavioral therapy consisting of 10 modules to treat auditory hallucinations | [41] |
Medical diagnosis: schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, or psychosis score of 4 on the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale | |||||
UK | Age, 18-35 y | Mixed-methods design | TechCare (mobile apps) | Delusion assessment features based on the PANSS; mood assessment features based on the Calgary Depression Scale; Features of cognitive behavior-based interventions: therapy to improve thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, stress models, techniques to regulate mood, especially designed media such as music, pictures, and videos | [42] |
Score of 3 or more on each item of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) | |||||
Score of at least 1 on the Calgary Depression Scale | |||||
Sweden | Age above 18 y; caregiver of mentally ill patient | Randomized controlled trial | Web-based mindfulness intervention (mobile web) | The program can be accessed through a smartphone, tablet, or computer with an internet connection; Features include: assessment of caregiver stress and burden in caring for patient; mindfulness exercises with audio/video files (960 min) and accompanied by on-screen captions; descriptive text and daily mindfulness practice instructions, including self-compassion exercises, time logs, and personal diaries; basic mindfulness exercises consisting of breathing exercises, body scanning, yoga, mindfulness of experience through the senses, and meditation | [43] |
USA | Age 60 y or older; living in the community; medical diagnosis of schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, bipolar disorder or depression; history of physical illness | Pre/post pilot study | Peer TECH (Peer-Delivered and Technology) (mobile apps) | Peer TECH e-modules consisting of video and text on psychoeducation and coping skills; access to self-support management; intervention components that match the patient's needs and goals; reminders to take medication/treatments; HIPAA-compliant chat features | [44] |
Denmark | 250 patients diagnosed with schizophrenia and receiving intervention | Randomized clinical trial | Mobile phone application (mobile apps) | Features of early warning sign assessment on to assess recurrence in patients receiving 1 y of therapeutic dose reduction antipsychotics | [45] |
Canada | 38 schizophrenia respondents | Pre-post design | App4Independence (Android or iPhone mobile apps) | Real-time features such as news feeds; offline features such as settings and voice detection; assessments of signs and symptoms and patient needs; medication reminders | [46] |
Intervention features: how to overcome social isolation; relevant resources to cope with symptoms, peer engagement platform to facilitate anonymous strategy/tip sharing between fellow A4i users; health checks and goal-setting to inform content delivery and highlight mental health; integration with health information systems, allowing staff to remotely monitor patients | |||||
UK | 60 patients with schizophrenia | Single-arm open-label trial | Digital medicine system (mobile app) | Tablet sensor: pharmacologic oral coencapsulation (CoE) with the patient’s antipsychotic; Proteus patch: a transmission is sent to a patch attached to the patient’s skin when the patient takes medication, and a smartphone analyzes the received transmission; The processed data are transferred through a smartphone app and sent to the patient, family, and officers through a web portal or mobile app. | [47] |
Australia | 170 respondents who were diagnosed with schizophrenia using certain criteria on the PANSS scores and the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale | Randomized controlled trial | HORYZONS (Online Social Therapy) (mobile apps and mobile web) | Interactive online therapy features (understanding psychosis, identifying and practicing personal strengths, promoting positive relationships with others, fostering positive emotions, early warning signs and prevention of relapse, managing stress, anxiety, and depression, and vocational skills) | [48] |
Spain, Hungary, and Israel | Age 18-45 y Medical diagnosis of schizophrenia; meets criteria for treatment-resistant schizophrenia (TRS) | Prospective multicenter feasibility study | m-RESIST (mobile therapeutic attention for TRS) | Wearable: a smartwatch that will collect data from patient and send it to a smartphone wirelessly (activity level, heart rate, sleep patterns, and steps); Smartphone: the basis of the m-RESIST application; Patients can access educational content about TRS; track early warning signs of relapse, symptoms, and biological variables; request help with questionnaires; and use CBT-based coping strategies; Web-based platform: a tool used by providers of health services to collect patient data and communicate and coordinate with patients and other health workers | [49] |
RR, relative risk; HR, hazard ratio; CI, confidence interval; SMS, short message service; HPAA, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act; CBT, cognitif behavioral therapy.