Most of the clinics are focusing on mobile applications to aid a patient in overcoming mental illnesses like anxiety and depression. Mental health apps turn to be helpful for young adults and teenagers who have mental illness due to over thinking and lack of confidence.
In a recent study, there have been estimations that 29% of the people are going to experience a mental disorder in their entire lifetime. World health organization (WHO) says that amongst these numbers, 55% people in developed countries and 85% of the people in developing countries are not getting proper treatment they require. Mobile health apps can become vital in filling this gap.
Smartphones can incredibly help the hospitals specifically low income and rural regions, further putting a portable therapist in their pocket. People can fully concentrate on their work, as they will not suffer from mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety.
Top applications in this technology field
MoodTools
MoodToolsis a self-help app, useful in treating depression. The app provides psychoeducation regarding risk factors further giving psychosocial solutions to its treatment. The app also provides a suicide safety plan, a depression symptom questionnaire (PHQ-9) and videos related to meditation guides.
Audience: Teens, Adults, Men, Women, Veterans
Price: Free
iCBT App
iCBT is the most useful app in identifying negative thoughts, further providing evaluations and reevaluations to rate the negativity. The app turns out to be a self-help app that helps in checking your negative thoughts.
Audience: Teens, Adults, Men, Women, Veterans
Price:$5.00-$9.99
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MoodKit
MoodKit is the most terrific app, helpful for people suffering from anxiety disorders, depression and anger management issues. The app provides critical solutions in self-monitoring, changing unhealthy thought patterns and eliminating negative thoughts. Therapists are available to aid with the concepts of CBT.
Audience: Teens, parents, adults, men, women, veterans
Price: Under $4.99, no subscription fee
PE Coach
Department of Veterans Affairs’ National Center for PTSD developed a PTSD Coach App useful for military personnel, veteran, and civilians who experience symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. The app provides education about common reactions to trauma and treatment regarding the same. The user can contact the National Suicide Prevention Hotline in a case of emergency.
Audience: Teens, parents, adults, men, women, veterans
Price: Free
Role of AI in new apps against depression?
Researchers from Northwestern University have developed numerous apps that harness artificial intelligence and clinical psychology. They aim to improve user’s moods by using AI. The IntelliCre app suite is freely available for Android users, and the primary intention of this app is to identify common causes of depression and various other anxiety issues like social isolation, obsessive thinking, sleep problems and lack of activity.
Social force is another app that helps build your network by connecting you with your friends and family. User progress is tracked by this app, further offering encouragement in building their confidence.
Why is mental health a good field for mobile applications?
Dr. Alan Delahunty, who is a psychotherapist from Galway, Ireland, specializes in treating depression-using CBT. Maintaining a daily diary is essential to track the mood, energy levels, activities, and sleep. With the arrival of the mental health apps, Dr. Alan says that his young patients find those apps useful as it eases them in their daily homework. They can easily track their mood; sleep patterns, and energy level with the help of mental health apps. Users also get the option to print these patterns, which helps the therapists in understanding their mental health issues.
As per Dror Ben-Zeev, who directs mHealth for Mental Health Program at the Dartmouth Psychiatric Research Centre, located in Lebanon, New Hampshire, “We can now reach people that up until recently were completely unreachable to us.”
Can AI based mental health app become a substitute for a therapist?
As per one recent research, the counselors of the mental health industry are expected to grow 36% by 2020. Stats indicate an increasing demand for self-development coaching and psychotherapy linked to digital services. A masterpiece of Artificial Intelligence- Ellie is a machine that resides in the University of Southern California’s (USC) Institute for Creative Technologies. This virtual therapist operates automatically just like a human, giving patients a safe place to disclose their health conditions without any hesitation. People feel less judged as they have trust that Ellie will handle their info with care.
Tess is another psychological AI, developed by X2AI. It is responsible for holding patients’ conversations, further examining and providing psychoeducation, psychotherapy, and health related reminders. Tess works solely via existing technology-based communication such as Facebook messengers, WhatsApp or SMS. You are just a message away from this virtual therapist.
Babylon is an AI based app, developed by Ali Parsa-founder and CEO of this British app. The app acts as your “virtual doctor,” further, offering digitized consultations, patients instant and reminders to take medicine.
Woebot is a chatbot developed by AI experts and Stanford Psychologists. It can analyze the daily chat conversations, curated videos, and mood tracking. It will help people in managing their mental health. After testing the beta version, last year, Woebot Labs Inc is feeling proud to launch their full commercial product –a Chabot that will keep track on you once a day for which you just need to pay $39 per month.
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