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| Staying appy: mental health apps deliver mixed results | Staying appy: mental health apps deliver mixed results |
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| The number of apps geared towards improving wellbeing is increasing, but how helpful are they? | |
| Kim Thomas | |
| Tue 10 Oct 2017 10.54 BST | |
| Last modified on Tue 10 Oct 2017 12.16 BST | |
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| It doesn’t matter what the problem is, someone will have developed a app to deal with it – so it should come as no surprise that there are now thousands of apps that promise to improve your mental health and wellbeing. But do they work? | It doesn’t matter what the problem is, someone will have developed a app to deal with it – so it should come as no surprise that there are now thousands of apps that promise to improve your mental health and wellbeing. But do they work? |
| The mental health app marketplace is “very messy”, says André Tomlin, who runs the Mental Elf website that offers up-to-date information about mental health policy and research. | The mental health app marketplace is “very messy”, says André Tomlin, who runs the Mental Elf website that offers up-to-date information about mental health policy and research. |
| Most apps, says Tomlin, are targeted at common mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety, but increasingly there are apps for people with more serious conditions, such as bipolar disorder. Appropriate apps, he says, can be hard to find: “If you go to the App Store and browse in the health and wellbeing section, what you’ll get is a ton of yoga and sex apps.” | Most apps, says Tomlin, are targeted at common mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety, but increasingly there are apps for people with more serious conditions, such as bipolar disorder. Appropriate apps, he says, can be hard to find: “If you go to the App Store and browse in the health and wellbeing section, what you’ll get is a ton of yoga and sex apps.” |
| That is not to say that apps cannot be useful. Eve Critchley, head of digital at mental health charity Mind, says those offering access to online peer support are particularly valuable for anyone who feels daunted by the thought of picking up a phone or seeing a therapist: “For people who are socially isolated or less able to engage in face-to-face support, it may be preferable to use something that you can use privately or anonymously.” | That is not to say that apps cannot be useful. Eve Critchley, head of digital at mental health charity Mind, says those offering access to online peer support are particularly valuable for anyone who feels daunted by the thought of picking up a phone or seeing a therapist: “For people who are socially isolated or less able to engage in face-to-face support, it may be preferable to use something that you can use privately or anonymously.” |
| Mind has its own mental health app, Elefriends, with access to an online community of peer support. It has been downloaded more than 13,000 times. “We hear lots of people say that was their first experience of either seeing someone else talk frankly about mental health,” says Critchley, “or of being able to talk about mental health and feeling understood and accepted.” | Mind has its own mental health app, Elefriends, with access to an online community of peer support. It has been downloaded more than 13,000 times. “We hear lots of people say that was their first experience of either seeing someone else talk frankly about mental health,” says Critchley, “or of being able to talk about mental health and feeling understood and accepted.” |
| Other useful apps, she says, range from those that track a person’s mood or use techniques such as mindfulness, to apps such as Stay Alive that offer crisis support for people with suicidal feelings. Some people, Critchley adds, find it helpful to use a smartphone simply as a journal to record feelings. | Other useful apps, she says, range from those that track a person’s mood or use techniques such as mindfulness, to apps such as Stay Alive that offer crisis support for people with suicidal feelings. Some people, Critchley adds, find it helpful to use a smartphone simply as a journal to record feelings. |
| So how can you find the most helpful apps? The best, says Tomlin, are those that have involved both clinicians and people with the relevant mental health condition in development. In the UK there is no system of accreditation, although the NHS has launched a test library of apps for both mental and physical health, which are expected to go live in early 2018. The plan is that some of those apps will be certified as NHS-approved. To this end, the NHS has created a questionnaire for app developers that will help determine whether an app meets the criteria. | So how can you find the most helpful apps? The best, says Tomlin, are those that have involved both clinicians and people with the relevant mental health condition in development. In the UK there is no system of accreditation, although the NHS has launched a test library of apps for both mental and physical health, which are expected to go live in early 2018. The plan is that some of those apps will be certified as NHS-approved. To this end, the NHS has created a questionnaire for app developers that will help determine whether an app meets the criteria. |
| The biggest challenge is evaluating clinical effectiveness and NHS England has talked to patients and organisations, such as the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, to establish “what good looks like” before an app can be approved. It is a rigorous process, says Juliet Bauer, chief digital officer at NHS England: “If we want to recommend them to the public, we need to know that they’re safe and secure, and effective and easy to use.” | The biggest challenge is evaluating clinical effectiveness and NHS England has talked to patients and organisations, such as the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, to establish “what good looks like” before an app can be approved. It is a rigorous process, says Juliet Bauer, chief digital officer at NHS England: “If we want to recommend them to the public, we need to know that they’re safe and secure, and effective and easy to use.” |
| Five of the best mental health apps | Five of the best mental health apps |
| Catch It: helps you capture and understand your mood using a journal. Free on the App Store and Google Play. | Catch It: helps you capture and understand your mood using a journal. Free on the App Store and Google Play. |
| Chill Panda: helps you relax by measuring heart rate and suggesting breathing techniques and light exercises. Free on the App Store and Google Play. | Chill Panda: helps you relax by measuring heart rate and suggesting breathing techniques and light exercises. Free on the App Store and Google Play. |
| Cove: creates music that reflects your emotional state. Free on the App Store. | Cove: creates music that reflects your emotional state. Free on the App Store. |
| Elefriends: an online community from Mind. Free on the App Store and Google Play. | Elefriends: an online community from Mind. Free on the App Store and Google Play. |
| SilverCloud: an online course to help manage stress and depression. Available via NHS referral. | SilverCloud: an online course to help manage stress and depression. Available via NHS referral. |
| How to choose the right app | How to choose the right app |
| Look for apps with input from a mental health practitioner. | Look for apps with input from a mental health practitioner. |
| Check that your personal data is held in accordance with data protection laws. | Check that your personal data is held in accordance with data protection laws. |
| Ask if the app is approval by a regulatory body, for example, the US Food and Drug Administration. | Ask if the app is approval by a regulatory body, for example, the US Food and Drug Administration. |
| Ask whether the app has undergone any trials to demonstrate its clinical effectiveness. | Ask whether the app has undergone any trials to demonstrate its clinical effectiveness. |
| If the app is for an internet forum, check for moderators and posting guidelines. | If the app is for an internet forum, check for moderators and posting guidelines. |
| Join the Healthcare Professionals Network to read more pieces like this. And follow us on Twitter (@GdnHealthcare) to keep up with the latest healthcare news and views. | Join the Healthcare Professionals Network to read more pieces like this. And follow us on Twitter (@GdnHealthcare) to keep up with the latest healthcare news and views. |
| If you’re looking for a healthcare job or need to recruit staff, visit Guardian Jobs. | If you’re looking for a healthcare job or need to recruit staff, visit Guardian Jobs. |
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