(Press-News.org) Kyoto, Japan -- Smartphones may often feel like a source of stress, feeding us an endless stream of bad news and social comparison. But what if they could also be the solution?
A team of researchers from Kyoto University believes they can be. The team has developed a smartphone app that delivers core techniques of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)—a proven treatment for depression and anxiety—straight into the hands of users, and tested it in the largest-ever individually randomized trial of its kind.
Their resilience training app, called RESiLIENT, was tested on nearly 4,000 adults across Japan experiencing subthreshold depression—a form of low-level but persistent depressive symptoms that doesn’t meet criteria for major depressive disorder but can still be debilitating. This condition affects an estimated 11% of people worldwide and often goes untreated.
“CBT is highly effective, but delivering it at scale has always been a challenge,” says lead author Prof. Toshiaki Furukawa. “Our goal was to make these skills available to anyone, anywhere.”
The app teaches five fundamental CBT skills: behavioral activation, cognitive restructuring, problem solving, assertion training, and techniques for managing insomnia. Participants used the app over six weeks and were followed for six months. The study included three control groups, one of which used a health information app, another a self-check app, and the third no treatment at all (waiting list).
Statistical analysis indicated that six weeks of learning was effective for up to 26 weeks, and in treating not only subthreshold depression but also anxiety and insomnia. The effect of the app compared favorably to the effect of antidepressants. Importantly, use of the app did not result in any serious adverse effects.
"We can use this knowledge to personalize and optimize which skills to administer for each individual to match their needs and characteristics," says Furukawa. "This opens the door to optimized, long-term support."
The research team is now preparing a platform to administer the best interventions for each individual over the course of 12 months, which they hope will continue to provide the necessary skills to minimize the total burden of depression.
As the world continues to grapple with a mental health crisis, this study offers hope that the very devices often blamed for contributing to emotional distress might also become powerful tools for healing.
###
The paper "Cognitive behavioral therapy skills via a smartphone app for subthreshold depression among adults in the community" appeared on 23 April 2025 in Nature Medicine, with doi: 10.1038/s41591-025-03639-1
About Kyoto University
Kyoto University is one of Japan and Asia's premier research institutions, founded in 1897 and responsible for producing numerous Nobel laureates and winners of other prestigious international prizes. A broad curriculum across the arts and sciences at undergraduate and graduate levels complements several research centers, facilities, and offices around Japan and the world. For more information, please see: http://www.kyoto-u.ac.jp/en
END
Therapist in your pocket
How a smartphone app could transform mental health care
2025-04-23
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
The antisemitic wave is calming – yet levels remained significantly higher than before the war
2025-04-23
The Report: Contrary to common perceptions, the peak in global anti-Jewish hatred was immediately after the October 7 attack, and not as the war progressed.
A particularly alarming rise was recorded in Australia. Increases were also observed in the United States, Italy, Spain, Canada, Argentina, and Brazil.
According to the Report, only a negligible percentage of complaints regarding antisemitic hate crimes have led to arrests and indictments; “Education and legislation without enforcement are meaningless”.
On the eve of Holocaust Remembrance Day, the Center for the Study of Contemporary European Jewry and the Irwin Cotler Institute for Democracy, Human Rights ...
Current AI risks more alarming than apocalyptic future scenarios
2025-04-23
Current AI Risks More Alarming than Apocalyptic Future Scenarios
Most people generally are more concerned about the immediate risks of artificial intelligence than they are about a theoretical future in which AI threatens humanity. A new study by the University of Zurich reveals that respondents draw clear distinctions between abstract scenarios and specific tangible problems and particularly take the latter very seriously.
There is a broad consensus that artificial intelligence is associated with risks, but ...
Generative AI masters the art of scent creation
2025-04-23
Addressing the challenges of fragrance design, researchers at Institute of Science Tokyo (Science Tokyo) have developed an AI model that can automate the creation of new fragrances based on user-defined scent descriptors. The model uses mass spectrometry profiles of essential oils and corresponding odor descriptors to generate essential oil blends for new scents. This breakthrough is a game-changer for the fragrance industry, moving beyond trial-and-error, enabling rapid and scalable fragrance production.
Designing new fragrances is crucial ...
Empathy might be retained in Alzheimer’s disease
2025-04-23
People with Alzheimer’s disease may retain their ability to empathise, despite declines in other social abilities, finds a new study led by University College London (UCL) researchers.
The researchers found that people with Alzheimer’s disease scored slightly higher on a measure of empathy than peers of the same age with mild cognitive impairment, despite scoring worse on other measures of social cognition such as recognising facial emotions and understanding the thoughts of others.
The authors of the study, published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia ...
New research from Child Development shows fostering a warm home environment leads to young people’s beliefs that the world is safe
2025-04-23
Primal world beliefs (“primals”) capture understanding of general characteristics of the world, such as whether the world is “Good,” “Safe,” and “Enticing.” In a new study, researchers analyzed responses from children, mothers, fathers and then later, young adults in Colombia, Italy, Jordan, Kenya, Philippines, Sweden, Thailand, and the United States to learn about their world beliefs.
Through a larger project called Parenting Across Cultures, children ages 8-16 years old (50% female) and their mothers and fathers, reported responses about neighborhood danger, socioeconomic status, parental ...
How do parental leave policies affect mothers’ decisions to become entrepreneurs?
2025-04-23
Research published in the Journal of Management Studies provides new insights on how parental leave policies, involving their time and money components, might affect whether mothers start a new business.
Contrary to the common belief that generous parental leave discourages entrepreneurship, the study finds that offering more time off through parental leave can promote mothers’ entrepreneurship.
In two complementary studies, the researchers found that the duration of parental leave—yet not the amount of money paid—seems to shape mothers’ entrepreneurial activity. ...
Researchers identify a key biological mechanism that promotes healthy aging
2025-04-23
A study published in Aging Cell has identified immune resilience as a key driver of salutogenesis—the active process of promoting health and well-being.
By analyzing data from 17,500 individuals across various life stages, investigators uncovered the importance of immune resilience involving TCF7, a gene essential for maintaining immune cell regenerative potential, in fostering healthy aging and longevity.
The research indicates that immune resilience counters three major factors of aging and mortality: chronic inflammation, immune ...
Which patient characteristics might contribute to poor recovery after hip replacement surgery?
2025-04-23
Hip replacement surgery, or total hip arthroplasty (THA), can lessen pain and improve function in individuals with hip osteoarthritis, but some patients continue to experience long-term physical deficits—including muscle weakness, decreased functional mobility, and increased fall risk—after the procedure. New research published in the Journal of Orthopaedic Research reveals that a patient’s muscle quality before THA may predict their risk of such suboptimal recovery after surgery.
In the study, 10 people undergoing THA underwent imaging tests before surgery. Patients whose imaging results indicated poor muscle quality were more likely to ...
Do traumatic events predict eating disorders among Palestinians?
2025-04-23
Results from a study published in Brain and Behavior suggest that traumatic events may contribute to the development of eating disorders among Palestinians. Also, certain sociodemographic factors—such as educational level, gender, region, and age—were linked to a greater likelihood of experiencing eating disorders.
In the study of 580 adults, including 320 males and 260 females, who were recruited online, individuals who reported living through traumatic events were more likely to experience restraint eating, eating concern, weight ...
Does anemia during pregnancy affect newborns’ risk of heart defects?
2025-04-23
New research published in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology found that mothers who are anemic in early pregnancy face a higher likelihood of giving birth to a child with a heart defect.
The study assessed the health records of 2,776 women with a child diagnosed with congenital heart disease who were matched to 13,880 women whose children did not have this condition.
Investigators found that 4.4% of children with congenital heart disease and 2.8% of children with normal heart function had anemia. After adjusting for potential influencing factors, the odds of giving birth to a child with congenital heart disease was 47% higher among anemic mothers.
“We ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
Physical activity + organized sports participation may ward off childhood mental ill health
Long working hours may alter brain structure, preliminary findings suggest
Lower taxes on Heated Tobacco Products are subsidizing tobacco industry – new research
Recognition from colleagues helps employees cope with bad work experiences
First-in-human study of once-daily oral treatment for obesity that mimics metabolic effects of gastric bypass without surgery
Rural preschoolers more likely to be living with overweight and abdominal obesity, and spend more time on screens, than their urban counterparts
Half of popular TikToks about “food noise” mention medications, mainly weight-loss drugs, to manage intrusive thoughts about food
Global survey reveals high disconnect between perceptions of obesity among people living with the disease and their doctors
Study reveals distinct mechanisms of action of tirzepatide and semaglutide
Mount Sinai Health System to honor Dennis S. Charney, MD, Dean of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, for 18 years of leadership and service at annual Crystal Party
Mapping a new brain network for naming
Healthcare company Watkins-Conti announces publication of positive clinical trial results for FDA-cleared Yōni.Fit bladder support
Prominent chatbots routinely exaggerate science findings, study shows
First-ever long read datasets added to two Kids First studies
Dual-laser technique lowers Brillouin sensing frequency to 200 MHz
Zhaoqi Yan named a 2025 Warren Alpert Distinguished Scholar
Editorial for the special issue on subwavelength optics
Oyster fossils shatter myth of weak seasonality in greenhouse climate
Researchers demonstrate 3-D printing technology to improve comfort, durability of ‘smart wearables’
USPSTF recommendation on screening for syphilis infection during pregnancy
Butterflies hover differently from other flying organisms, thanks to body pitch
New approach to treating aggressive breast cancers shows significant improvement in survival
African genetic ancestry, structural and social determinants of health, and mortality in Black adults
Stigmatizing and positive language in birth clinical notes associated with race and ethnicity
Analysis of the disease spectrum characteristics of inherited metabolic liver diseases in two hepatology specialist hospitals in Beijing over the past 20 years
New insights into x-ray sterilization: Dose rate matters
Prioritized multi-task motion coordination of physically constrained quadruped manipulators
JMIR mental health invites submissions for a theme issue on AI-powered therapy bots and virtual companions
Researchers identify texture patterns associated with breast cancer risk
Expert view: AI meets the conditions for having free will – we need to give it a moral compass
[Press-News.org] Therapist in your pocketHow a smartphone app could transform mental health care