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Abstract
Background
Mental health apps have the potential to decrease the burden of disease associated with mental illness. However, few apps have been evaluated for effectiveness.
Objective
The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the strengths‐focused My Coping Plan app in improving mental health and coping.
Methods
Participants were 56 Australian University students with self‐reported elevated levels of distress (K10 total ≥ 16). Participants were randomly allocated to the intervention (My Coping Plan) or waitlist control condition.
Results
At 1‐month follow‐up, participants in the intervention condition reported significantly lower psychological distress (d = 0.31), improved wellbeing (d = −0.42) and improved healthy coping strategies (d = 0.39) compared with the control condition. There was no significant difference between groups in reported unhealthy coping strategies. The majority of participants downloaded the app and made a coping plan. Just over half used their plan when they were distressed.
Conclusions
The My Coping Plan app can improve mental health and wellbeing in the short‐term, likely through increased self‐efficacy. Professional support may be necessary to support long‐term use of healthy coping strategies.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The author thanks Francesco Forgione for his assistance in data collection for this study.