The Framework for Developing Mental Health Apps: Contributions (or Not) of the “Psychosocial Rehab App”

Developing mental health apps is a complex task that requires co-design, creativity, and reconciliation between clinical and technological priorities, while facing barriers related to ethics, privacy, costs, and team limitations. This work proposes a structured framework derived from the authors’ experience in developing the webapp “Psychosocial Rehab App”, created and validated by specialists, with high usability, and led by mental health professionals. This is a critical-reflective experience report based on SQUIRE, referring to a doctoral project initiated in 2023, with partial completion in 2025 and final implementation expected in 2027. The accumulated know-how enabled the construction of the Framework for the Development of the webapp “Psychosocial Rehab App”: Actions and Recommendations, composed of: Planning, Requirements Gathering, Prototyping, Prototype, Development with Alpha Validation, Beta Validation, Implementation, and Gold Validation. Thus, this work consolidates a methodological and practical trajectory that can guide professionals and researchers in creating robust, safe, and effective clinical technologies, contributing to the advancement of digital mental health.