Mental health apps

What do you do when you can’t afford therapy but are struggling to handle your mental illness alone? You could download an app. In recent years, there’s been a proliferation of mental health apps available to smartphone users. These reasonably-priced, or most often free, mental health apps offer a wealth of resources that make therapeutic techniques more accessible, portable, and cost-effective.

Within minutes, you can find and download a myriad of apps that incorporate proven techniques and address everything from depression to eating disorder recovery, anxiety, PTSD, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and more. While the vast majority of these apps do not have peer-reviewed research to support their claims, health experts predict they will play an important role in the future of mental health care by providing innovative solutions for the self-management of mental health disorders. Some researchers are working on guidelines for mental health apps.

Some professionals believe mental health apps have the potential to reach people who would otherwise not receive help by removing the barriers to treatment. Sadly, only a small percentage of people actively seek professional help for their mental health problems. This could be for any number of reasons. Another part of the appeal of smartphone-based apps is their anonymity. The apps also allow for privacy and confidentiality and can be a safe space for individuals who may be too ashamed to admit their mental health issues in person.

So, what kind of mental health app could be of real value to people struggling with mental health challenges? According to some professionals, the ideal app will have mental health practitioners on board, ready to answer questions, plus a 24/7 support hotline for more severe cases.

But other mental health professionals question the effectiveness of mental health apps when used in isolation. A psychologist who has used a variety of mental health apps with her patients, finds they’re an excellent way to help people stay connected outside of sessions to the work they are doing in therapy, but is critical of their use as an alternative or replacement for traditional treatment. These apps can be very useful, but they cannot take the place of engaging with someone who can offer individualized interpretations and insights.