DIGITAL APPLICATIONS IN COGNITIVE-BEHAVIORAL THERAPY FOR COPING WITH ANXIETY: A SCOPING REVIEW
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.63330/aurumpub.068-032Keywords:
Anxiety, Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, Digital applications, Scope reviewAbstract
The increasing prevalence of anxiety disorders and limitations in access to specialized mental health services highlight the need for innovative and scalable care strategies. In this context, digital interventions based on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), offered through mobile applications, emerge as promising alternatives for expanding access to treatment. This study aimed to map and systematize the available scientific evidence on digital applications based on CBT aimed at coping with anxiety. This is a scoping review conducted in the PubMed (MEDLINE) database, considering studies published between July 2015 and July 2025, in English, Portuguese, and Spanish. Clinical trials, randomized studies, and intervention studies involving mobile applications or digital CBT platforms for anxiety were included. The initial search identified 112 studies, of which 15 comprised the final sample. The results showed a predominance of research conducted in high-income countries and indicated a significant reduction in anxiety symptoms in most of the interventions analyzed, especially those with some level of professional support. However, recurring methodological limitations were observed, such as small sample sizes and short follow-up periods. It is concluded that digital applications based on CBT show potential as a complementary strategy in mental health care, although more robust and contextualized studies are needed for public health systems, such as the SUS (Brazilian Unified Health System).
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