Predictors of depression outcomes among university students following brief smartphone-based interventions
Smartphone-delivered interventions offer a scalable solution for university students experiencing depression, yet outcomes remain inconsistent. This study examined predictors of depression remission and response in the AI-enhanced Vibe Up adaptive trial of brief smartphone-based interventions in 1282 Australian university students (mean age 23.52 years; 78.39% women) with elevated distress (Kessler-10 ≥ 20). After a two-week monitoring period, participants were randomised to two-week self-guided smartphone-based interventions targeting sleep hygiene, mindfulness, physical activity, or an ecological momentary assessment control intervention. Predictors of depression remission (DASS-21 in normal range) and response (≥50% reduction) were examined using hierarchical logistic regression. At post-intervention, 40.87% achieved remission and 29.88% showed response. Baseline depression severity, quality of life, general practitioner visits, and pre-intervention credibility predicted remission and/or response across all intervention arms. Higher baseline anxiety specifically predicted poorer remission in the sleep hygiene arm. Individual factors modestly predicted outcomes. Trajectory-based predictors may be needed to improve outcome prediction.
Authors
- Henry Cutler (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6015-092X)
- Eileen Stech (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0151-9026)
- Kit Huckvale (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9088-6682)
- Stuart Cameron (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7862-3051)
- Akash Agarwal
- Julian Berk (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9001-1146)
- Rajesh Vasa (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4805-1467)
- Joanne R. Beames (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3630-0980)
- Jin Han (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7624-9468)
- Leonard Hoon (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0428-7240)
- Rena Logothetis
- Kon Mouzakis (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4447-5166)
- Svetha Venkatesh (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8675-6631)
- Joost Funke Kupper
- Joshua Asbury
- Artur Shvetcov (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0592-984X)
- Simon Rosenbaum (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8984-4941)
- Manisha Senadeera (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5923-6857)
- Aimy Slade (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5368-1792)
- Xuanchen Liu
- Helen Christensen
- Jill Newby
- Alexis E. Whitton
- Omar Dabash
- Aliza Werner-Seidler
- Andrew Mackinnon
- Stefanus Kurniawan
- Sunil Gupta
- WuYi Zheng
Institutions
- The University of Sydney (AU)
- Deakin University (AU)
- The University of Melbourne (AU)
- Black Dog Institute (AU)
- New York University Shanghai (CN)
- UNSW Sydney (AU)
- Westmead Institute for Medical Research (AU)
- Macquarie University (AU)
- KU Leuven (BE)
Publication Details
- Journal
- npj Mental Health Research
- Published
- 2026-04-17
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1038/s44184-026-00208-3
- Primary Topic
- Digital Mental Health Interventions
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- National Health and Medical Research Council
- Medical Research Future Fund