Choosing The Right Mental Health App: Experts Highlight Risks and Recommendations

The World Health Organization emphasizes the widespread impact of mental health conditions, affecting approximately one in eight individuals globally. Anxiety and depressive disorders are identified as the most common among both males and females, with suicide presenting a significant global concern, especially among young people, with a striking ratio of 20 attempts for every death.

Recent studies highlight additional factors influencing mental health, including a CDC study revealing increased feelings of depression among individuals living alone and research from Drexel University suggesting a correlation between worsening climate change and heightened mental distress among U.S. teenagers.

Are Mental Health Apps Safe?

In response to escalating mental health challenges, some turn to technology, but concerns about choosing the right mental health app persist reportedly. Classifying these apps as wellness tools instead of therapeutic interventions raises questions about regulation and potential harm, particularly in monitoring user behaviors.

According to The Conversation, many mental health apps lack human involvement, operating without the standards of registered professionals. Some claim to use artificial intelligence (AI) for personalized recommendations, resembling algorithms like Netflix's. Apps like Wysa and Youper utilize AI-driven chatbots, often without revealing algorithmic specifics.

The use of rules-based systems in AI chatbots may prevent unexpected outputs, but risks include biased or inappropriate information, with inadequate investigation into these concerns. Notably, TechTimes reported a study highlighting the potential dangers of trusting apps to which users provide sensitive health information.

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How To Choose The Right Mental Health App

A Psychology Today article stated that nearly 50% of patients have experimented with mental health apps, with 75 percent expressing interest. However, success hinges on therapists recommending suitable options. In light of this matter, John Torous, MD, MBI, Director of the Digital Psychiatry Division at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, provides insights on choosing the right mental health app.

Popular Does Not Always Mean Effective

Torous warns against relying on paid databases or websites claiming to identify the “best” app and advocates exercising caution towards websites claiming to rank apps. Given the abundance of mental health apps available, he recommends that it's crucial to consider desired features using platforms like mindapps.org that can help identify suitable apps.

Believing that popularity metrics will determine the best app can be misleading. Torous emphasizes educating mental health patients about app landscapes and demonstrating the limitations of popularity metrics. He pointed out doing interactive exercises with mindapps.org “to see which have optimal privacy, cost, and evidence features.”

Engagement with Clinicians Remains Crucial

Recognizing that even well-designed apps face challenges in user engagement, Torous advises not to expect immediate results. Thus, clinicians are encouraged to follow up on recommended mental health apps during subsequent visits, fostering engagement and success of the treatment for the patient's mental health condition.

In a broader context, some experts advocate app stores like Google Play and Apple's App Store are urged to adopt rules governing health app marketing. By clarifying criteria and establishing guidelines, users can have increased confidence in choosing the right mental health app.

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