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Best Mental Health Apps

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Mental health apps? Just when you thought you’d seen an app for just about anything, now we have apps for mental health for both the Android and the iPhone.

Mental health apps can be very effective in making therapy portable, accessible, and efficient. What do “mental health” apps do, exactly? In short, they help you better manage your mental health by offering you reminders, tracking, remote counseling, etc.

If you’ve never used a mental health app, you may not know what kind of helpful resource you’re missing out on. Below are a few that have undergone independent review by Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA) members unaffiliated with the apps’ development and promotion.


Live OCD Free
(Adults, teens, children)

Imagine a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy treatment of OCD that can help both children and adults. Live OCD Free features a cognitive toolkit, pre-programmed as well as exposures you can design yourself, entirely behavioral exposure response prevention (ERP) exercises, and an ERP guide offering preset and customized ERPs.

Another feature users enjoy is the support of direct as well as loop tape exposure via microphone. The duration of ERP exercises is defined by time-lapsed, rather than a decrease in your anxiety level.


Breathe2Relax
(Adults, veterans, teens)

 

Are you familiar with panic attacks? Hyperventilation?

This mobile application was designed by the National Center for Telehealth & Technology (NCTT), and functions as an intuitive, simple, and aesthetically pleasing interface to help you manage your stress and learn breathing techniques.

Personalize Breathe2Relax to whatever non-intrusive pace you prefer. The app includes reading materials, a video demo, charts to track your progress — includes a video demo, reading materials, and graphs to track your personal progress. Whether you’re a self-starter or are already working with a therapist regarding an anxiety disorder, stress, and/or PTSD, you will benefit radically from the app’s consistent use.

MoodTools (Adults, veterans, teens)

 

MoodTools was specially created to help you cope with feelings of depression. It helps you get educated about risk factors and psychosocial approaches to treatment. The app also features a depression symptom questionnaire (PHQ-9), a suicide safety plan, a thought diary, and videos including meditation guides.

Talkspace (Adults, teens)

 

Talkspace offers counseling and therapy on the go to help you connect with an affordable, convenient, and confidential resource to help you deal with stress, depression, anxiety, chronic illness, and relationship issues.

Meet privately whenever you need to with your therapist when you upgrade, to get whatever you need to off of your chest. Pricing plans are as low as 20 percent of what traditional office visits would be.


SuperBetter

 

SuperBetter is a game that rewards you for increasing your resilience and the ability to remain focused, optimistic, and motivated when confronted with challenges. The app will help you to improve your skills, strengthen relationships, implement new habits, and pursue and complete meaningful projects.

In case you needed an excuse to try it out, a University of Pennsylvania study indicated that 30 days of playing SuperBetter reduced symptoms of anxiety and depression, improved users’ mood, and boosted their self-confidence in regard to achieving goals.

So, there you have it. Portable help for you to manage your mental health more effectively, at the tip of your fingers. Did we forget one of your favorite mental health management apps? We’d love to hear about it!


Are you feeling overwhelmed by issues arising from a mental illness? If you or someone close to you need to talk to someone about managing mental health issues, we can help. Consider reaching out to our expert team at
 Solara Mental Health at 844-600-9747.