Mobile Therapy for Depression and Anxiety Among University Students: The Anti-DA App
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.32890/jcisc2025.4.4Keywords:
Depression, Anxiety, Gamification, Mobile Application, Mental HealthAbstract
Depression and anxiety are critical mental health challenges among university students, often stemming from academic stress, social transitions, and personal uncertainties. Traditional counselling services, while beneficial, remain underutilized due to stigma, financial cost, and limited accessibility. This creates an urgent need for innovative and student-centered interventions that can provide immediate, engaging, and stigma-free support. Mobile health applications have shown promise in this regard, yet many lack features that sustain user motivation and active participation. Addressing this gap, the present study introduces and evaluates ANTI-DA, a gamified mobile therapy app specifically designed to help university students manage depression and anxiety. A quantitative pre–post research design was employed with thirty student participants, who completed standardized assessments of depression, anxiety, usability, and intrinsic motivation before and after using the app. Findings demonstrated significant reductions in depression and anxiety levels, alongside high usability ratings, immersive gameplay experiences, and strong intrinsic motivation. The study contributes to students, higher education stakeholders, and the broader community by offering both a practical intervention for future digital mental health solutions. Importantly, aligns with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 3 (Good Health and Well-being), advancing efforts to promote accessible mental health support for university students.
References
Amir Hamzah, N. S., Nik Farid, N. D., Yahya, A., Chin, C., Su, T. T., Rampal, S. R. L., & Dahlui, M. (2019). The prevalence and associated factors of depression, anxiety and stress of first year undergraduate students in a public higher learning institution in Malaysia. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 28(12), 3545-3557. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-019-01537-y
Azlan, S. M., Mohamad, F., Dahlan, R., Ismail, I. Z., Kadir, H., Kamaruddin, K. N., Shibraumalisi, N.A., Syed Mohamad, S.N., & Shamsuddin, N. H. (2024). Self-system and mental health status among Malaysian youth attending higher educational institutions: A nationwide cross-sectional study. Malaysian Family Physician, 19, 1-10. https://doi.org/10.51866/oa.341
Al Fatta, H., Maksom, Z., & Zakaria, M. H. (2018). Game-based learning and gamification: Searching for definitions. International Journal of Simulation: Systems, Science and Technology, 19(6), 41.1–41.5. https://doi.org/10.5013/IJSSST.a.19.06.41 Bartova, L., Dold, M., Volz, H. P., Seifritz, E., Möller, H. J., & Kasper, S. (2023). Beneficial effects of Silexan on co-occurring depressive symptoms in patients with subthreshold anxiety and anxiety disorders: Randomized, placebo-controlled trials revisited. European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience, 273(1), 51–63. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00406-022-01390-z
Beck, A. T., Rush, A. J., Shaw, B. F., Emery, G., DeRubeis, R. J., & Hollon, S. D. (2024). Cognitive therapy of depression. Guilford Publications.
Boon, J. S. T., & Fung, D. S. S. (2014). Serious games and the gamification of mental health interventions. In Serious Games (pp. 89–110). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-4560-26-9_6
Cheng, V. W. S., Davenport, T., Johnson, D., Vella, K., & Hickie, I. B. (2019). Gamification in apps and technologies for improving mental health and well-being: Systematic review. JMIR Mental Health, 6(6), e13717. https://doi.org/10.2196/13717
Christians, G. (2018). The origins and future of gamification. Scholar Commons, 21(2), 127–148. https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/senior_theses/254
Del Vecchio, S., Mammarella, S., Giusti, L., Casacchia, M., & Roncone, R. (2024). ‘I Can’t Get No Satisfaction’… Experience in the treatment, satisfaction, and professional support of young depressed people using SPARX. Rivista di psichiatria, 59(4), 139-146.
Deterding, S., Dixon, D., Khaled, R., & Nacke, L. (2011). From game design elements to gamefulness: Defining “gamification.” In Proceedings of the 15th International Academic MindTrek Conference: Envisioning Future Media Environments (pp. 9–15). ACM. https://doi.org/10.1145/2181037.2181040
Erkkilä, J., Punkanen, M., Fachner, J., Ala-Ruona, E., Pöntiö, I., Tervaniemi, M., Vanhala, M., & Gold, C. (2011). Individual music therapy for depression: Randomised controlled trial. British Journal of Psychiatry, 199(2), 132–139. https://doi.org/10.1192/bjp.bp.110.085431
Farič, N., Potts, H. W., Rowe, S., Beaty, T., Hon, A., & Fisher, A. (2021). Running app “Zombies, Run!” users' engagement with physical activity: A qualitative study. Games for Health Journal, 10(6), 420-429.
Firth, J., Torous, J., Nicholas, J., Carney, R., Rosenbaum, S., & Sarris, J. (2017). Can smartphone mental health interventions reduce symptoms of anxiety? A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Journal of Affective Disorders, 218, 15–22. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2017.04.
Fleming, T. M., Bavin, L., Stasiak, K., Hermansson-Webb, E., Merry, S. N., Cheek, C., Lucassen, M., Lau, H. M., Pollmuller, B., & Hetrick, S. (2017). Serious games and gamification for mental health: Current status and promising directions. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 7, 215. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2016.00215
Haikalis, M., Doucette, H., Meisel, M. K., Birch, K., & Barnett, N. P. (2022). Changes in university student anxiety and depression from pre-to during-COVID-19: Perceived stress, academic challenges, loneliness, and positive perceptions. Emerging Adulthood, 10(2), 534–545. https://doi.org/10.1177/21676968211058516
Homm, B. (2021). Gamification for mental health: Designing a supportive treatment concept for depression in young adults (Doctoral dissertation, Technische Hochschule Ingolstadt).
Hunter, D., & Werbach, K. (2012). For the win (Vol. 2). Wharton Digital Press.
Ibrahim, E. N. M., Jamali, N., & Suhaimi, A. I. H. (2021). Exploring gamification design elements for mental health support. International Journal of Advanced Technology and Engineering Exploration, 8(74), 114–125. https://doi.org/10.19101/IJATEE.2020.S1762123
Jing, Z., Gangshan, F., Xin, Z., & Haizhong, Z. (2019). Gamification in the field of educational technology: A learning catalyst of beyond gaming. E-Education Research, 40(3), 20–26. https://doi.org/10.13811/j.cnki.eer.2019.03.003
Josephine, K., Josefine, L., Philipp, D., David, E., & Harald, B. (2017). Internet- and mobile-based depression interventions for people with diagnosed depression: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Affective Disorders, 223, 28–40. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2017.07.021
Kalogiannakis, M., Papadakis, S., & Zourmpakis, A. I. (2021). Gamification in science education: A systematic review of the literature. Education Sciences, 11(1), 22. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci11010022
Kupcova, I., Danisovic, L., Klein, M., & Harsanyi, S. (2023). Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health, anxiety, and depression. BMC Psychology, 11(1), 108. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-023-01130-5
Mekler, E. D., Brühlmann, F., Opwis, K., & Tuch, A. N. (2013). Do points, levels and leaderboards harm intrinsic motivation? An empirical analysis of common gamification elements. Proceedings of the First International Conference on Gameful Design, Research, and Applications, 66–73. https://doi.org/10.1145/2583008.2583017
Mekler, E. D., Brühlmann, F., Tuch, A. N., & Opwis, K. (2017). Towards understanding the effects of individual gamification elements on intrinsic motivation and performance. Computers in Human Behavior, 71, 525–534. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2015.08.
Ozturk, F. O., & Tekkas-Kerman, K. (2022). The effect of online laughter therapy on depression, anxiety, stress, and loneliness among nursing students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Archives of Psychiatric Nursing, 41, 271–276. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apnu.2022.09.006
Rodrigues, I., Lopes, J. M., Borges, A., Oliveira, J., & Oliveira, M. (2021). How can Gamified applications drive engagement and brand attitude? The case of Nike run club application. Administrative Sciences, 11(3), 92.
Report Linker. (2022, April 4). Global mental health apps market size, share & industry trends analysis report by application, by platform type, by regional outlook and forecast, 2021–2027. https://finance.yahoo.com/news/global-mental-health-apps-market-095700210.html
Sardi, L., Idri, A., & Fernández-Alemán, J. L. (2017). A systematic review of gamification in e-Health. Journal of Biomedical Informatics, 71, 31–48. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbi.2017.05.011
Sauro, J. (2010). A practical guide to measuring usability. Measuring Usability LLC, Denver, 12, 124.
Shek, D. T., Zhu, X., & Dou, D. (2023). A mental health survey and the promotion of psychological well-being in university students under COVID-19. Journal of Alternative Medicine Research, 15(1), 9–173.
Tian, M., Yan, S., & Wang, N. (2018). Evaluating the effectiveness of Snyder's theory-based group hope therapy to improve self-efficacy of university students in finance. NeuroQuantology, 16(6), 118-124.
Tiller, J. W. G. (2012). Depression and anxiety. Medical Journal of Australia, 1(October), 28–32. https://doi.org/10.5694/mja12.10628
Wong, S. S., Wong, C. C., Ng, K. W., Bostanudin, M. F., & Tan, S. F. (2023). Depression, anxiety, and stress among university students in Selangor, Malaysia during COVID-19 pandemics and their associated factors. PloS one, 18(1), e0280680.
Xie, H. (2022). A scoping review of gamification for mental health in children: Uncovering its key features and impact. Archives of Psychiatric Nursing, 41(1), 132–143. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apnu.2022.07.003
Yang, C., Ye, H. J., & Feng, Y. (2021). Using gamification elements for competitive crowdsourcing: Exploring the underlying mechanism. Behaviour & Information Technology, 40(9), 837–854. https://doi.org/10.1080/0144929x.2020.1733088
Zailani, A. U., Ahmad, W. N. W., Tuah, N. M., & Tze, N. P. T. P. P. (2025). Designing a Culturally Adaptive Information Framework for Anxiety Disorders: A Mixed-Methods Thematic Analysis in Malaysia. Journal of Applied Data Sciences, 6(3), 1904-1920. https://doi.org/10.47738/jads.v6i3.771
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Journal of Creative Industry and Sustainable Culture
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
How to Cite
Research impact
Harvested 2026-09-08Counts differ between services because each indexes a different body of literature. None of them is the whole picture.
