You might remember that two weeks ago we explored the evidence for the effectiveness of mental health apps to support people with the mental health and overall wellbeing. What we discovered was that there have been many studies conducted on app effectiveness and that the general consensus is that for subclinical or mild difficulties they are an affordable, accessible and fun way to improve your health. For people with moderate to severe difficulties or for people with more than one diagnosis, the evidence suggested that apps alone are unlikely to generate much change but, are a great way to support your treatment with a mental health specialist. Today we’re going to explore six mental health apps that have been marketed as apps for people with anxiety.
ReachOut WorryTime is an app that has been developed between ReachOut and The Centre for Clinical Interventions. The app has been designed to support people who are experiencing significant worries or carrying a lot of stress. Based on the principles of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, Reach Out WorryTime supports you to document your worries within the app and to select a time, place and length of time each day to deal with your worries, so as to help minimise rumination and obsessive thinking. ReachOut WorryTime is a free app and available via the Apple app store or Google Play.
Unwinding Anxiety is an app created by psychiatrist and neuroscientist Dr Jud Brewer for people with anxiety. The app features daily exercises that the user can implement across the day to help them manage their anxiety more effectively. Unwinding Anxiety isn’t free and you will be required to take out a subscription to utilise the app. Vic Health and Deakin University’s research (2019) rated this app 4 out of 5 on measures of both functionality and capacity to generate behaviour change.
Calm is a meditation and mindfulness app designed to support users of all ages to better manage anxiety, stress, sleep difficulties and attention and concentration. They also market the app to users interested in general self-improvement. The app features a wide variety of meditation and mindfulness exercises as well as podcasts and sleep stories to listen to. The app is expensive if you want to unlock all of its programs, but a free version is available with access to a good range of their programs. Vic Health and Deakin University rated Calm 3 out of 5, with a rating of 4 out of 5 for functionality but only 2 out of 5 for capacity to generate behaviour change.
Smiling Mind is an Australian meditation and mindfulness app for users of all ages. The app is designed for users struggling with a range of mental health difficulties that would benefit from the support of meditation and mindfulness, which is why it is useful for those with anxiety. The app offers meditation sessions based on a range of factors such as age and the challenge the user is experiencing (such as sleep difficulties, high levels of stress, difficulties with eating or even with sport performance). They also have programs for the classroom and the workplace. The Smiling Mind app is free and was scored as 3 out of 5 by Vic Health and Deakin University; 3.5 for functionality and 2.5 for behaviour change.
ReachOut Breathe is another app by ReachOut, this time designed specifically to support users to manage the physiological symptoms of anxiety and stress. The app uses the camera on the user’s phone to measure heart rate (users place their finger directly on the camera and flash) and then they are provided with prompts to follow, designed to bring about feelings of calm in the body. The app is simple to use, and like ReachOut WorryTime, is available in the Apple app store or via Google Play.
Stop, Breathe and Think Kids is a user friendly app designed for children aged 5 years and up struggling with anxiety. The app provides video meditations in varying lengths, that guide children through exercises for relaxing their body and calming their mind. Kids also have the option to rate their feeling state before and after the meditation and to track their progress over time and can earn stickers as rewards as they move through the programs. A range of free meditations are available with the option to purchase additional meditations within the app. Vic Health and Deakin University rated this app 3 out of 5; 4 out of 5 for functionality and 2.5 out of 5 for behaviour change.
These six apps are but a tiny selection of apps available to explore. If you haven’t already explored apps for mental health, or are after some new apps to try, these six might be a good place to start. Like anything, what works for you is going to come down to not just what the app offers, but your personal circumstances and preferences for apps and mental health support more generally. Don’t forget to consider visiting Vic Health if you would like to see the review for an app you are considering; the link is below. And finally, should you wish to explore alternative apps for your mental health, the Federal Government has launched Head to Health, a website designed to help you navigate digital resources for your health and wellbeing. Visit headtohealth.gov.au
For support with your anxiety, The Melbourne Wellbeing Group is here to help. Please feel free to give our administration team a call on 9882 8874 or visit our website at melbournewellbeinggroup.com.au.
Vic Health and Deakin University app reviews:
https://www.vichealth.vic.gov.au/media-and-resources/vichealth-apps
This blog was written and prepared by Dr Victoria Miller - Clinical Psychologist at MWG.