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This post is sponsored by SheMedia and Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, Inc. I have been compensated for my time, but the experiences and opinions expressed here are my own.
Finding the right mental health app in a sea of 10,000 rated health and wellness apps (yes, there are actually many) can bring its own challenges. Moreover, in my opinion, it is the wild west of applications freely available online. This is because anyone can create an app and say it’s good for mental health with limited evidence to support that claim. So how do you find the right mental health app for you? at recent days BlogHer Health panel sponsored by Otsukawe got 411 in some things to consider.
Consider what you need from a mental health app
Wellness apps aim to promote healthy lifestyle choices through things like teaching meditation skills, helping people stick to healthy habits, and providing general information and advice on how to live a healthy life. If this sounds like what you are looking for, this wellness app might be for you.
However, wellness apps are not considered treatments for a specific condition. Mental illnesses require treatment from professionals. With that said, some mental health apps may be a good companion to formal therapy.
There are tools being created that may provide support in addition to traditional medicines. Digital therapies are unique from other apps in that they prevent, manage or treat a medical disorder or disease, often under the supervision of a physician, meet certain standards regarding user privacy and security, and provide clinical evidence that they work. These apps can fit into your everyday life – they can be used at home, on the go, or wherever you are most comfortable, which may reduce some of the challenges or limitations you may have with other forms of treatment.
Believe it or not, there are also apps that are prescribed by doctors and created to treat a medical condition. They can only be prescribed, like conventional medications, undergo clinical trials for safety and efficacy, and are eventually approved by the Food and Drug Administration.
Questions to think about when considering a mental health app
The applications are not “one size fits all”, and to make an informed and informed decision as to what might work for you, you will then need to look at:
- What science is this app based on?
- Are there any studies that support the benefit of the app?
- What are the ratings for this particular app?
- What are the privacy policies for the health app? Do you protect your privacy?
- What is the security in the application? Is any data you enter into the app kept securely?
At the end of the day, you should always look forward to talking with your healthcare provider about what might be right for you, but it’s exciting to see the progress made.
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October 2022 01US22EUC0113
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