Mental health apps to

boost your mood in 2021

2020 will go down in the annals of history as one of the most stressful years the world has ever known. And with good reason. The COVID-19 pandemic and the ensuing economic crisis – which led to dramatic changes in people’s personal and professional circumstances – have dealt a crushing blow to mental health.

In the United States, the American Psychiatric Association(APA) found that majority (59%) of adult Americans feel the coronavirus is having a serious impact on their day-to-day lives, with many of them worried about the pandemic’s long-term financial effects on their finances and the country’s economy.

Such concern has become universal. In the Middle East, for example, a survey of more than 100 communication professionals by the Middle East Public Relations Association (MEPRA) revealed that the number of “very stressed” respondents tripled since the lockdown, with 45% of them saying mental health issues had interfered with their ability to complete work-related tasks.

“The stress and anxiety caused by the pandemic can and is having an effect on people’s physical and mental health. During this time, it is important to do what we can to maintain self-care and manage the stress,” Dr. Bruce Schwartz, president of APA, said during the announcement of their survey results.

Therapist in your pocket

As we start a new year and with the COVID-19 vaccine rollout yielding glimmers of hope, we now have more reason to focus on looking after our emotional and mental well-being, and finding positive meaning in the wake of this global pandemic.

This is made easier by technology, which has opened new ways to support people with mental health issues, including making therapies accessible and affordable to them, connecting them to therapists, monitoring their progress, and enhancing data collection so as to help clinicians assess their conditions more accurately.

The mental health apps market is a rapidly growing industry valued at nearly USD 588 million in 2018, and poised to generate a revenue of more than USD 3.9 billion by 2027. At the moment, there are more than 20,000 apps dedicated to mental health on various mobile app stores, according to APA.

However, some researchers point out that many of these apps do not have scientific evidence or peer-reviewed studies to back up their promises. Also, as reality of the coronavirus pandemic reared its ugly head and the cases of people in the US with mental health concerns escalate, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) relaxed the vetting process for mental health apps. This has spurred a boom in mental health applications, but also opened the floodgates for app developers that promote misleading claims.

Science-backed apps

To help you navigate the myriad of mental health apps in the market, we’ve collated five apps that have published evidence of efficacy, according to the Journal of Medical Internet Research(JMIR) and Psyberguide, a non-profit portal that ranks therapy apps based on credibility, user experience, and transparency. All these apps are available to download from the App Store and Google Play.

· Happify– In need of a good-mood fix? Happify offers a mood-training programme developed by scientists and experts in the fields of positive psychology, mindfulness, and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). Happify’s technique is presented in games, meditations, activities, and gratitude prompts to train the brain to overcome negative thoughts.

· Headspace – This app offers a series of guided mindfulness meditationsto help reduce stress and anxiety, promote better sleep, and increase productivity. Its approach has been published in 25 studies, validating its impact on stress, focus, and compassion. It also features articles with topics ranging from “Why am I always tired?” and “Power napping 101” to “How to create a mindful home office”.

· MoodMission – An evidence-based app, MoodMissionis designed for people dealing with stress, anxiety and depression. It provides different activities or “missions” – which can be behaviour-, physical-, or thought-based – depending on how the user is feeling. Based on the user’s responses, five missions are suggested, with objectives and explanation as to why such activity may help.

· Sanvello – Designed for people struggling with anxiety, stress, and depression, Sanvello offers clinically proven therapies using CBT and mindfulness meditation techniques. It has a ‘Daily Mood Tracking’ feature, which assesses the user’s mood, identifies patterns, and tracks sleep and exercise routine. It also offers tools to help users meditate, calm their mind, redirect negative thoughts, and feel more hopeful.

· SuperBetter– Tested in two clinical trials before being released to the public, SuperBetter uses simple tasks transformed into a gameplay to help users overcome anxiety, deal with chronic pain, or recover from post-traumatic stress. By using game science, developers of this app hopes to build resilience and improve mental health among its users.