Clinical apps and public service settings: Innovations, diverse applications, and limits

Abstract

Smartphone applications are rapidly increasing. Their range of uses is also expanding. "Clinical apps," those used with psychological and behavioral problems, are also growing. The research literature on clinical apps has not kept pace with innovation. There is a need to understand the current state of clinical apps, particularly their relevance for public service settings. This article introduces the special issue regarding clinical apps for use in public service (and other) settings. Each of the 15 articles in this special issue, which covers topics including apps reviews, empirical data on test equivalence, culture and ethics challenges, and apps for specific clinical problems such as hazardous drinking and autism spectrum disorders, are described.