The Use of Smartphone Apps for Treatment Management of Substance Abuse: A Narrative Review
Abstract
Mohamad Jebraeily and Borhan Badali
Aim: Smartphone apps can be a valuable tool in substance abuse treatments and supportive services. This study aimed to review the use of smartphone apps in the substance abuse treatment management.
Method: Resources were searched on three bibliographic databases, including PubMed, Scopus, and Google scholar, investigated from 2002 through 2022, using key terms, such as smartphone apps, mobile health, substance abuse, drug and alcohol abuse, self- care, and self- management. Selecting articles were based on the PRISMA flow diagram.
Results: The results are reported based on the usage of smartphone apps in substance abuse management into nine main categories: supportive counseling, motivational interviewing, educational messages, links to resources, peer group supports, audio-guided relaxation acceptance and commitment therapy, relapse prevention, and self-monitoring.
Conclusion: APP can be a useful and feasible tool to assist effective preventive intervention programs, as it was originally developed for such purposes as well. There is great potential for apps to support individuals with substance abuse. However, the efficacy or effectiveness of these apps, or apps in general, is not well understood because the research has yet to catch up to the ever-evolving and expanding mHealth landscape.