A randomized controlled trial of an app-based cognitive behavioral therapy for international students
In brief
App-based CBT reduces depressive symptoms in international students within 30 days
In a randomized trial of 43 students in South Korea, those using the translated Mind Booster Green app showed greater declines in depression scores over a month compared with a wait-list group, while adaptation and positive thoughts did not change. The program was feasible without therapist guidance, suggesting a scalable option for student mental health, though broader outcomes remain untested.
- Journal
- Internet interventions (Q1)
- Published
- 3 August 2026
- Study design
- Randomized controlled trial
- Evidence level
- Level 1, High (CEBM 1b)
- Authors
- Min Hee Kim, Soyeong Choi, Yeon-Kug Moon, Kyong-Mee Chung
- PMID
- 42597997
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.invent.2026.100984
Why clinicians should know about it
- Picked for Psychiatry and Mental Health (paper of the day, 15 August 2026): RCT of app‑based CBT for depressive symptoms
Abstract
This study evaluated the effectiveness and usability of an app-based CBT program for international students in South Korea. Mind Booster Green, originally developed for Korean college students, was translated and modified for international students. In a randomized controlled trial, 43 eligible participants were assigned to either the intervention group (n = 23) or waitlist control group (n = 20), with online assessments at baseline, post-intervention, and 2-month follow-up. Participants in the intervention group were instructed to complete the CBT sessions independently over 30 days, with adherence monitoring and technical support but no therapeutic guidance, while the waitlist control group maintained their usual routines without access to the intervention. Of the randomized participants, 19 of 23 (82.61%) in the intervention group and all 20 (100%) in the waitlist control group completed assessments at all three time points. Depressive symptoms were specified as the primary outcome, and college life adaptation, negative automatic thoughts, and positive automatic thoughts were examined as secondary outcomes. Generalized estimating equations indicated significant Group × Time interactions for depressive symptoms and negative automatic thoughts, with greater reductions in the intervention group. No significant interactions were found for college life adaptation or positive automatic thoughts. These findings suggest that app-based CBT may provide a feasible approach to delivering evidence-based treatment for depressive symptoms among international students in South Korea.
Abstract as published, via PubMed.
For healthcare professionals. The summary is generated by AI from the published abstract, and the evidence level is assigned automatically from the study design on the Oxford CEBM hierarchy. Neither is medical advice. Read the full paper before changing practice.