The intersection of tech and mental health has led to some of the most innovative app ideas in recent years. This comes as no surprise. On the one hand, mental health disorders are on the rise globally, many of them exacerbated due to the pandemic. On the other hand, mental health technology is becoming more powerful, allowing users to address mental health problems in ways that would have been unimaginable just a few years ago.
Part of the success of this phenomenon can be attributed to mental health apps. They can help users treat mental illness without having to consult a mental health professional directly. Although these apps are no substitute for proper treatment, they can help patients with specific issues.
This post discusses some of the ways in which tech and mental health have paired up to produce impactful results that are making different forms of mental health treatment more accessible to everyone.
The Union of Tech and Mental Health
Individuals experiencing some sort of mental illness usually have to visit mental health professionals. This makes sense, as mental health is a very delicate subject that requires professional assessment. However, from a user perspective, this can sometimes be problematic. Not everyone has the ability to access mental health treatment on a regular basis. Our lives are sometimes hectic, and almost any mental health treatment requires a considerable amount of time and money.
That is why it matters that solutions that combine tech and mental health are helping address some of these problems. Through custom web and mobile apps, mental health professionals and companies are developing new and innovative ways to tackle specific mental health issues, making users’ lives easier.
Mental Health Journeys
Different forms of mental health treatment harness the power of mental health apps and other forms of mental health technology to improve user journeys. This helps tear down barriers that make it difficult to access mental health support.
By implementing a human-centered approach, mental health care apps can tackle specific problems. This helps users focus on specific needs when they need them and how they need them.
For a user, having a mental health tool in the palm of their hands is very convenient. They can easily use a mental health app whenever they feel like, accommodating the therapy session to their busy schedule rather than the other way around. With these tools, there is no excuse to avoid receiving mental health treatment.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
When it comes to mental illness, certain conditions can be addressed by changing behavioral patterns. This is one of the principles under which Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) works. This practice can be integrated into apps, finding the right balance between tech and mental health.
Mental health apps can provide a powerful User Experience to help implement CBT to change behaviors, improving the mental health conditions of patients who suffer from anxiety disorders, substance abuse, and other forms of mental illness.
Challenges in Mental Health Care
Although there are still several challenges to be overcome, new forms of mental health treatment can deliver significant results that will improve mental health care.
One of the most critical challenges is changing people’s perspectives on mental health itself. If mental health technologies are able to do this, they would have already contributed significantly to improving mental health care.
When it comes to mental health services, some of the challenges that technology can help address include:
- The general perception of mental health issues
- Availability of mental health professionals
- Treating anxiety disorders promptly
- Flexibility to accommodate users’ schedules
- Keeping mental health records in a database
Benefits of Mental Health Support Using Tech
Among the most crucial pain points addressed by digital mental health tools we find:
- Accessibility
- Costs
- Empowerment
Accessibility
Traditional mental health services pose some accessibility issues. Not everyone has the same capabilities to see a mental health professional. Treating mental health conditions is expensive, requires time, and is sometimes considered taboo talk.
Luckily, mental health tech is changing all of these as it helps solve specific accessibility issues, democratizing mental health care for everyone. Anyone with mental health concerns can now use mental health apps to address particular mental problems from the comfort of their house at a lower cost and in a confidential manner.
Costs
We’ve already talked about how the cost of mental health care can be very inconvenient in terms of accessibility for many who need treatment. However, this is such an important issue that it requires mentioning it on its own.
Mental health technology has the potential to massify treatments so that high prices are no longer an impediment. Thanks to the tech and mental health solutions being developed, treating mental illness does not have to be a luxury.
Empowerment
Talking about mental illness is hard. Mental health apps have the potential to empower users so that they have greater control of their mental health care.
Although technology will not replace the proper care given by a mental health professional, it can help address specific mental health problems, strengthening users’ capabilities to confront some of the difficulties they face.
Mental Health Apps
Apps can help provide many mental health services. One of the best models to do so is the SaaS (Software as a Service) model. By using a professional Software as a Service development service, your app can provide users with different solutions to treat mental health problems.
When building a mental health MedTech app, make sure to work with an experienced app development company. They will help you figure out how to create the right app for your users, making their health a top priority by finding the sweet spot between tech and mental health.
