Best practices in the design and use of mobile applications: a systemic constructivist approach based on the overall mental health of adolescents
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.20453/rph.v18i2.7652Keywords:
adolescence, digital technologies, mobile applications, global psychology, systemic constructivismAbstract
This article analyzes recent findings on the use of mobile applications (apps) for mental health in adolescents from a systemic constructivist approach. Evidence regarding their
usefulness, limitations, and quality criteria is synthesized, emphasizing the need to establish best-practice principles that integrate clinical efficacy, safety, credibility, usability, co-design with young users, and ethical-cultural considerations. The analysis reveals a widespread absence of empirical validation in many available apps and proposes guidelines aimed at strengthening their role as a complement to traditional mental-health care strategies, framed within a global perspective and the paradigm of complexity.
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