5 Mental Health Apps and the Services They Provide

A wide range of mental health apps is now available to download to your Android or iOS phone. They offer various services ranging from access to health care professionals to simple meditation. Most of these apps are free downloads. However, many have additional features that can only be unlocked through a nominal subscription fee. This article will take a closer look at five of the top mental health apps currently available and outline their features and services.

More on mental health apps

The researchers at Geode Health in Westmont, Illinois, have found that in 2019, approximately 51.5 million American adults had a mental health condition. Of those, close to 13.1 million of them are serious. And these numbers have indeed increased since the pandemic. The top three mental health conditions are anxiety, depression, and PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder). Further data shows that mood disorders are the most common reason American adults under 45 years are hospitalized.

Apps that center on mental health do so by helping users become aware of their current mental/emotional wellness states or by actively helping users improve their mental health and well-being. Their methods include meditation, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), hypnosis, and supplying a network of supporters. As helpful as these apps are, they are not substitutes for professional mental health care, an important caveat to keep in mind. Nevertheless, they are accommodating.

Below is a list of the top five mental health apps. There are hundreds of them, with new ones arriving daily. Before downloading mental health apps, clearly define why you need them and what you expect them to do for you. Assess apps from those perspectives, and you’ll find many to try out before settling on one to use.

1 – Calm

The name of this mental health app puts you in the right frame of mind. It was named App of the Year in 2017 by Apple and focuses on reducing anxiety, helping with sleep issues, and assisting mindfulness. Calm is not just a phone app, either. It works on desktop computers in addition to iOS and Android devices. A free trial period leads to a subscription that starts at $69.99 per year. You’ll also get an option for a lifetime subscription at $399.99. The app gives you access to such things as masterclasses with mindfulness experts and meditation sessions, breathing programs, calming nature sounds, and music designed to help improve sleep and promote relaxation.

2 – SuperBetter

This app is an entirely free game without a subscription. The purpose of SuperBetter is to help users better deal with life challenges. You have options to choose from for the session you want to launch. One example is related to condition-specific goals. In the game that follows that choice, the user learns how to deal with anxiety, chronic pain, or depression by introducing coping tools. Part of the app framework is a list of daily tasks that help the user to focus on their mental/emotional well-being and includes reminders to go for a walk, drink water to stay hydrated, and other self-care tips. The app is available for iOS and Android devices and is aimed primarily at young people, but older adults can also benefit from it.

3 – Moodnotes

If journaling is your thing, you will like this thought journal and mood diary. Users record and track their feelings in Moodnotes, enabling you to improve your thinking habits after observing through Moodnotes’ tracking methods the thinking/feeling patterns you typically fall into. Available on iOS, the app’s monthly subscription of $9.99 goes down to $29.99 for an annual subscription. However, free memberships provide access to many valuable tools built into this app, including automatic face scanning, a library of self-awareness articles, mood tracking, and cause identity. You can upload and save both photos and videos.

4 – Sanvello

This mental health app provides users access to various resources through four different paths. Each path leads to information related to the path topics, which include self-care, peer support, coaching, and therapy. The app is available on iOS and Android; however, the subscription rates depend on the path a user chooses to follow. A basic subscription is $3.99 per month, but the self-care subscription is $8.99 monthly or $53.99 per year. The coaching subscription is higher, and the therapy rates are based on appointments. The upside is that partnerships with several insurance companies and employers cover many of these apps’ resources.

5 – Happify

Happify uses games and activities to help users create new and better habits. Using mindfulness, positive psychology, and CBT, this app assists users in breaking habits that have negative impacts and offers tools to create positive interactions. A happiness score is a scale to measure progress, and users are encouraged to improve that number through participation in games and activities. The iOS and Android apps have several free features that are fully functional. The paid subscription starts at $14.99 monthly and unlocks different games and activities. This app can assist if you need to alter harmful habits.

Final thoughts

New technology has changed how we access entertainment, food, socializing, and medical care. And it’s revolutionized how we seek mental health services—now, we have tools in the palms of our hands. Although nothing can completely replace a medical professional and a face-to-face appointment, it is nice to know that something is available to tide you over between appointments to help you improve your mental health.