Designing for all youth: a scoping review of equity and participation in mental health apps

Mental health apps are effective for young people, but uptake remains low, especially for minoritized youth. This scoping review of 114 studies examines youth and stakeholders’ participation and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) considerations in publications on smartphone applications for youth (10 to 25 years) for depression, anxiety, and/or suicidal ideation. Our narrative synthesis reveals limited youth participation: more than half of the studies do not include youth in app development, with limited details about the extent of involvement. DEI considerations remain overlooked: factors such as cultural adaptation, literacy, disability, internet access, and privacy are each reported by less than 20% of studies. Reporting on ethnic/racial and sociodemographic characteristics was inconsistent, with an overrepresentation of university populations. Considering participation and DEI factors when designing, testing, and implementing youth mental health apps is crucial to enhance their relevance, reach, and adoption. We provide recommendations for equitable youth-tailored mental health app development and implementation.