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5-Step App Evaluation Model
APP ADVISOR: American Psychiatric Association Initiative. Source: https://www.psychiatry.org/ psychiatrists/practice/mental-health-apps/the-appevaluation- model. Accessed Oct 2021.
- Apps offer interesting possibilities for mental health with the potential to help monitor symptoms and even deliver adjunctive treatments. For example, many apps offer to help track mood symptoms and access to therapy inspired exercises and lessons. Currently, there are apps targeting all major psychiatric illness and therapeutic modalities.
- The goal of APA App Advisor’s 5-step evaluation process is to employ a hierarchical rating system and embedded rubric so that APA members, patients, and other providers, become familiar with important information that should be considered when picking an app, and how this differs from choosing more traditional therapeutic interventions.
- In doing so, the psychiatrist and the patient gain sufficient information from which to make an informed decision that they deem correct for their own situation.
Two Available Online Resources
APA’s App Advisor
Main questions that are asked as part of the APA’s 5-step app evaluation model*:
M-Health Index and Navigation Database (MIND)
* Additional questions in each of the 5 steps are asked to elicit further details related to that area.
 https://www.psychiatry.org/psychiatrists/practice/mental-health-apps/evaluations APA’s App Advisor |  MindApps.org M-Health Index and Navigation Database (MIND) |
