With so many apps on the market, it’s hard to know which are useful.
Many are designed by software developers instead of psychologists, without scientific testing. They range from beneficial, to harmless but useless, to bordering on fraudulent.
The apps selected for this list make no hucksterish claims and are based on established treatments. Progressive Muscle Relaxation, for example, has been used for a century and is likely just as effective in this new medium. Knowledge from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Dialectical Behavior Therapy enrich two apps on this list. Others mix solid information with ingenuity.
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Site last updated: 22 May 2013
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Why are all the good apps for the iPhone?
What about the rest of us?
I agree with Ttrei. .. Why are these all Iphone apps? I personally use a Droid after getting sick over the Iphone craze, sold it and bought something more usefull for a lot less $$. I would welcome any advice in sorting out the myriad of apps, especially the FREE apps (in which there are many out there, unlike apple store). I am not saying that I would not pay for the right app, I just would like any unbiased suggestions. Thanks
My New Head is an excellent new online tool that should most definitely be included. My New Head is an exciting initiative brought to you by the Canadian Mental Health Association and Healthy Minds Canada. My New Head encourages Canadians to own their mental fitness by learning new skills and creating positive changes in thinking and behavior.
I also use “Mindfulness Bell” which is just a bell that you can set to go off to remind you to breathe and stay in the present moment. Another one is “TracknShare” which I use to track my moods, sleep, and many other things, it is fully customizable. The last one I wanted to mention is “MoodKit” it also has a mood tracker but in addition to that it has activities to help improve your mental health and there’s a thought checker to see possible thought distortions, and a journal you can use. I just thought I’d share.:)
Thanks for the recommendations, Leanne and Casey!
As for Android apps, there are none on the list for the simple reason I don’t own an Android phone. Perhaps a better title for the list should have been Top 10 Mental Health iPhone Apps. Sorry if you feel left out. It’s true the market does favour Apple.
One app available in both Android and iPhone that looks good is Mood Sentry. It’s designed by a person living with depression.
http://www.moodsentry.com/
To find other self-help Android apps, browse the category.
https://play.google.com/store/search?q=self+help&so=1&c=apps
Love Headspace for mindfulness & iMoodjournal for monitoring mood and recognising triggers & patterns.
As a Graduate Counseling Student I found the Questions App to be great when working with individuals or groups. It opens up dialogue and increases insight on areas people may not think about when talking about relations. “The Things to Know Before you Say Go,” cards which is the Kinesthetic form of the Questions App, is also a great tool for developing private counseling practices. Instead of lecturing to community groups about what you can offer, you can use the cards to show them your counseling skills. I highly recommend the Questions App and the “Things to Know Before you Say Go” cards for any counseling professional looking at starting a private practice.
Can you be more specific about the Questions app? Is it an iOS app? What is it called? Thx!
My current favorite is Complete Relaxation, which is a free app for the iphone and ipad https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/id552797883/
I’ve also tried the Andrew Johnson app mentioned above, its also very good.
As for Android, you’re right, there are much less available. I’ve just bought a tablet and was surprised how few there are.
Hope this helps
Laura
wondering how many of these are accessible to the blind… oh and how many are free?
CA I have low vision so I sort of understand it can be frustrating. I haven’t found any apps specifically with large print or text to speech. I user an app Talk to cover my text I copy to speak. I wonder if the audition for the blind has any information.
I use several great apps. The veterans affairs has ptsd coach. I use Relax completely by Darren Marks.beach relaxing sounds
There are audiocasts with instruction for guided visual imagery, meditation, and relaxation on my website- dawnbuse.com. They can be downloaded or played directly from the site (the process varies slightly with different browsers). An app will be coming soon. I will also be recording new meditations over time with different settings and topics. Currently they focus on general relaxation and pain/headache management but can also be helpful for anxiety, insomnia, and living with chronic conditions.
Be well.
Dawn Buse, PhD