The Power of Mobile Technologies: Innovations in Mental Health

5 min to read

According to modern research, there are a lot of sustainable, effective psychological and pharm treatments for those who suffer from mental health problems. A huge number of them, especially teens, young adults don't seek professional help. It's caused by simple and obvious reasons, such as lack of knowledge that something is going wrong with my mental status, problems recognizing symptoms, remote areas, cost of treatment, and of course privacy.
However, mobile apps, social media, networks easily spread the info that engages younger in health and wellness activities, which helps prevent mental disorders. The mental health app it's a mobile tool for self-checking symptoms, behaviors and receiving feedback, online consultation, and specialist advice. Such apps are also used for education and training sessions, for standardization of assessments, and of course calculating scores to see real statistics. Based on the previous research mental health problems, such as stress, anxiety, smoking cessation can be under control and even reduced such conditions to the normal level while using specially designed apps.
These apps can be used as stand-alone self-help programs or in conjunction with guided programs offered via a website or through direct contact with a mental health professional. They can act as a bridge between therapy sessions and have the potential to improve adherence to treatment. Currently, the number of mental health apps for mobile devices is dramatically growing. The main feature is that they are youth-friendly, easily accessible, and flexible to use.
For example, Mobile Therapy is an app for monitoring users' current where mood at random times throughout the day, as well as recording energy levels, sleep patterns, activities, eating habits…The key feature of the app is that it offers therapeutic exercises ranging from breathing visualizations to progressive muscle relaxation, to useful ways to disengage from a stressful situation. The received data is visualized and can be easily analyzed. That helps evaluate the connection between mood and other factors in life. In the same sense, the CBT-based MyCompass is a self-guided psychological treatment delivered via mobile phone and computer, designed to reduce mild-to-moderate depression, anxiety, and stress, and improve work and social functioning. It encourages real-time self-monitoring of moods, mood triggers, and lifestyle behaviors using SMS text messaging and email prompts.
Other apps include ReliefLink, a mood-tracking tool that tweets users regular affirmations, helps them make a safety plan and puts them in touch with nearby resources if they're contemplating suicide and the Live Happy app that is based on positive psychology and provides a set of daily activities scientifically proven to boost both short and long term happiness.
If the incorporation of technology in mental health is relatively new, the idea of using games is really common.The number of mental health apps on the markets relived included different gamification mechanisms (using for more than entertainment purposes).If previously gamification treatment was focused on children, currently the technic used for adults (playing through phone).For example, Personal Zen is an app based on a cognitive treatment for anxiety called attention-bias modification training. With the help of a game, people can learn to ignore threatening stimuli and focus on the good, feeling that way less anxious in stressful situations.To sum up, the mental health company should include modern technologies, to reach more people and be useful.
The best formula is website + app + offline presence.
Stay healthy!