Mass General Brigham investigators announced on Apr. 2 that a new smartphone app called HabitWorks has shown effectiveness in improving symptoms of anxiety and depression, according to results published in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology.
The development comes as access to evidence-based treatments for mental health remains difficult for many people due to provider shortages, high costs, and stigma. Digital tools like HabitWorks are seen as a way to address these challenges, though most available apps have not been rigorously studied.
HabitWorks is designed to help users manage interpretation bias—the tendency to jump to negative conclusions—by offering personalized exercises through a smartphone interface. In a randomized trial involving 340 adults from 44 states, participants were assigned either to use the app for four weeks or take part in self-assessment surveys tracking their symptoms.
Those who used HabitWorks reported greater improvements in interpretation bias, daily functioning, and overall mental health symptom severity after one month compared with those in the control group. The study also found strong retention rates: nearly 78 percent of participants continued using the app by week four, and over 84 percent completed post-intervention assessments.
"One thing that makes our approach unique in digital mental health is its focus on short, five-minute exercises," said lead author Alexandra Silverman, PhD. "Unlike traditional interventions that mimic long therapy sessions, HabitWorks aligns with how people use their phones in short bursts, creating an approach that fits into daily life."
