Digital tools show promise in treating obesity by targeting mental health
A major review of digital mental health programs finds they can help obesity patients lose weight while improving mood and behavior—but effectiveness varies widely by delivery method. For health insurers and clinic operators, the findings suggest digital tools could expand treatment access, though more rigorous research is needed to identify which approaches work best for different patient groups.
Originaltitel: Digital Mental Health Interventions in Obesity Management: A Systematic Review and Evidence-Based Recommendations.
Digitala psykologiska interventioner (DMHI) visar effekt mot viktökning genom att adressera beteende- och psykologiska faktorer parallellt med vikt. En systematisk genomgång av 38 randomiserade studier från Catholic University of Milan, Linköping University och Karolinska Institutet identifierade att ingen enskild leveransform (app, chatt, video) är universellt överlägsen — olika plattformar tjänar skilda terapeutiska syften. Interventioner med mänsklig vägledning visade bättre resultat, men resultatet tolkas försiktigt på grund av metodisk heterogenitet. För regionvården innebär detta att val av DMHI-format bör baseras på patientgrupp och terapeutiskt behov snarare än teknik. Implementering inom stegvis behandling rekommenderas för att maximera tillgänglighet och personalisering. Regulatoriska aktörer noterar att psykologisk förbättring ofta infaller oberoende av viktminskning — en parameter som påverkar kvalitetsmål och ersättningsmodeller inom överviktsbehandling.
BACKGROUND: Obesity is a complex condition encompassing behavioral, psychological, and physiological factors, frequently associated with elevated mental health burden. Digital Mental Health Interventions (DMHIs) have emerged as promising tools to enhance accessibility, personalization, and scalability of psychological care in obesity management. However, evidence on their effectiveness across delivery modalities and outcomes remains fragmented. OBJECTIVE: This systematic review aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of DMHIs on obesity-related clinical, behavioral, and psychological outcomes; examine whether specific delivery modalities are differentially associated with particular outcomes; and identify methodological gaps to guide future research and implementation. METHODS: A systematic search was conducted in PubMed, Scopus, PsycINFO, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. The review followed PRISMA guidelines, applying rigorous inclusion criteria and independent screening by two reviewers. Quality appraisal was performed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool (RoB 2.0), and studies rated as high risk of bias were excluded. Due to heterogeneity in study design and outcomes, data were synthesized narratively, and no claims of statistical superiority between modalities were made. RESULTS: Thirty-eight randomized controlled trials were included. DMHIs effectively targeted behavioral and psychological aspects of obesity when based on evidence-based psychotherapeutic frameworks - often independently of weight-related improvements. No single delivery format emerged as universally superior; rather, each modality appeared to serve distinct therapeutic purposes. Outcomes were more favorable in interventions that incorporated human guidance, although this finding should be interpreted cautiously because of heterogeneity and the absence of meta-analytic comparisons. CONCLUSIONS: Digital mental health approaches-particularly when integrated into stepped-care or hybrid models-represent scalable, person-centered strategies to improve both physical and emotional well-being in adults with obesity.