| Haller et al. [30] 2018 | Germany; Norway | 20 | Randomized Controlled Trial | Assess whether a monitored, personalized, web-based exercise intervention for patients with moderate to severe depression is feasible, acceptable and effective. | Online Platform | Patients with unipolar depression | Outcomes assessed after 6–12 days, 8 weeks, after another 8 weeks. After 8 weeks in IG: - intensity of the depression was significantly reduced - performance diagnostics showed a significant increase in maximum performance (in watts) - favorable effect on the SF-36 items „emotional well-being” and „social functioning”, as well as on GSE and HPA scores. | Limitations: small sample size, short duration of eight weeks, insufficient exercise time, lack of follow-up data, and unstudied long-term effects |
| 2 groups: IG, n=14 CG, n=6 |
| Resistance and strength training once a week for 8 weeks |
|
| Jo et al. [35] 2018 | Korea and Canada | 2 | Single-subject research design | Assess the effects of VRE via Nintendo Wii on the physical functioning of adults with schizophrenia living in a psychiatric hospital. | Virtual Reality | Particpants with schizophrenia | Positive changes in SFT upper body strength, upper/lower body flexibility, cardiovascular endurance, and agility/dynamic balance. | Limitations: generalization not possible as there were only two participants, limiting the view to a specific context. |
| Intervention using the Nintendo Wii-Fit during 18 weeks, consisted of 35-min sessions, 3 times per week. |
|
| Kiper et al. [33] 2022 | Poland | 60 | Randomized controlled trial | Assess the effectiveness of immersive virtual reality on both functional activity and depressive symptoms in stroke survivors during a 6-week period. | Virtual Reality | Participants with stroke and depression | Significant reduction in depressive symptoms in the IG compared with the CG. | Limitations: high percentage of patients dropped out; the study only included people who had depressive symptoms on the basis of the GDS scores, but did not have a diagnosis of major depressive disorder. |
| IG, n=30 CG, n=30 |
| Participants in the IG received treatment in an immersive VR therapeutic garden. The CG received SAT (psychotherapy and upper limb training). | VR therapy significantly increased self-efficacy and illness acceptance, but this effect was like the standard intervention. |
|
| Lambert et al. [29] 2018 | United Kingdom | 62 | Randomized controlled trial | Assess the feasibility and acceptability of delivering a Web-based intervention (eMotion) to people with symptoms of depression and to explore outcomes on depression and physical activity. | Online platform (eMotion) | Participants with elevated depressive symptoms | Modest reductions in depression and anxiety. Only half of the people who used eMotion were mostly or very satisfied with their experience. | Limitations: sample is not representative of the wider UK population due to a lack of diversity; possible bias since there was no blinding. |
| IG, n=32 CG, n=30 |
| eMotion - a weekly modular program (8 weeks) that helps people use key behavior change techniques to re-engage in routine, pleasurable, and necessary activities, with a focus on physical activities. |
|
| Lee et al. [25] 2022 | United States | 24 | Randomized controlled trial | Compare the effectiveness of a mobile application, PuzzleWalk, based on gamification and behavior change techniques, with Google Fit, in increasing PA and reducing sedentary time as an adjunct to anxiety. | Mobile application | Participants with ASD | Triaxial accelerometery and the Beck Anxiety Inventory. More steps with Puzzle-Walk. For both groups reduced anxiety from moderate to mild; sedentary time decreased, and PA increased over time. | Limitations: time spent using the application, potential underestimation of PA as accelerometry. |
| PuzzleWalk group, n=12 Google Fit group, n=12 |
| Intervention for 5 weeks |
|
| Macias et al. [28] 2015 | United States | 10 | Pilot study | Assess the acceptability and usability of a prototype app (WellWave). | Mobile application | Participants with schizophrenia spectrum disorder, bipolar disorder, or major depressive disorder | Satisfaction with the app; both feelings of well-being and practical benefits; moderate to high level of motivation to exercise; high daily usage rate. | Limitations: several technical problems were identified but were remedied early in the study. |
| Intervention with app WellWave designed to promote the physical well-being throughout the 4-week study. |
|
| Naslund et al. [24] 2016 | Lebanon | 11 | Exploratory study | Explore perspectives and assess the acceptability of the intervention. | Wearable devices and smartphones for activity tracking | Participants with schizophrenia spectrum disorders, mood disorders, and obesity | High level of satisfaction; motivation; sense of achievement; more awareness of being physically active; meeting daily step recommendations. | Limitations: malfunctioning, losing data because the battery did not last long enough or because participants forgot to put on the wearable device; digital iliteracy. |
| Intervention with Fitbit Zip wearable activity trackers for 6 months. |
|
| Naslund et al. [27] 2018 | United States; Lebanon | 25 | Exploratory study | Explore the relation with engagement in Facebook Group with weight loss. | Online Platform | Participants with schizophrenia spectrum disorders, mood disorders, and obesity | Those that reduced their cardiovascular risk, defined as ≥5% weight loss or improvement in fitness, appeared to interact more with the Facebook group than those that failed to reduce their risk. | Limitations: small sample; results may not be representative of people with severe mental illness who are not in treatment or other settings, as all participants received mental health services in community settings. |
| Intervention with a 6-month group lifestyle program in a Facebook group to support their weight loss and physical activity goals. |
|
| Okobi et al. [32] 2023 | United States; Dominica; Nigeria | 2,026 | Cross-sectional design study | Assess the relationship between WD use and PA levels among US adults with self-reported depression and anxiety. | Wearable Devices | Participants who self-reported depression and anxiety | Approximately 33% of adults with self-reported depression/anxiety reported using WD. Meeting recommended weekly levels of physical activity and resistance exercise was reported by 32.5% and 34.2% of the population, respectively. | Limitations: causal relationships between WD use and physical activity measures cannot be established, possibility of recall bias. |
| The outcomes were weekly PA levels and resistance strength training. |
|
| Saito et al. [36] 2022 | Japan | 4,612 | Observational study | Develop a predictive model of disease onset based on the objective monitoring of human daily life and health status. | Wearable Devices | Participants from the health database of society-managed health insurance in Japan The inputs to the predictive model were 3 month of continuous wearable data and medical examinations within and near that period; the output was the presence or absence of mental illness over the following month. | Use of the level of physical activity to predict mental illness onset. | Using wearable devices makes it possible to develop a machine learning model that forecasts the development of mental illness, and measurements like activity cycles could be helpful in forecasting the start of mental illness. |
|
| Son et al. [26] 2023 | United States | 24 | Pilot Quasi-Experimental study | To find out whether mobile health technology, combined with health coaching, could improve a user’s ability to self-manage their mental health. | Wearable Devices | Participants were college students with veteran status | Participants’ heart rates decreased significantly in the 6 minutes immediately following the breathing exercises; improvement in stress management skills; using a mobile device for health training was beneficial to the overall health. | Limitations: during the study period, the breathing exercises were not practiced consistently, mobile biofeedback app was only available to participants using iOS smartphones. |
| IG, n=10 CG, n=14 |
| Both groups were taught a deep breathing technique. The control group had to perform the breathing exercises alone, while the intervention group used the biofeedback app and smartwatch. |
