A Call For Responsible Innovation In Mobile Mental Health: Content Analysis Of The Depression App Marketplace

Mobile mental health presents many ethical challenges in the wild. These ethical issues were explored through a content analysis of the depression app marketplace. App search in Google Play Store (UK) and Apple App Store (UK) found 353 unique apps for depression. Analysis uncovered a range of ethical issues and highlighted the limited presence of ethical values. Our findings suggest a need for designers to adopt a responsible innovation approach to creating mental health technologies that meet these ethical demands.