Mental health and mindfulness apps are trending, but should you be adding them to your phone? Bonnie Vaughan asks an expert what you need to know, and which are the best apps on the market.
Like Uber and emojis, apps are a way of life right now. You use them to do your banking, track your fitness, tweak your selfies,order your coffee, switch on your lights… the list goes on. So it’s hardly surprising that more and more people are going digital to deal with stress, anxiety, depression and other mental health issues – in fact, Apple identified mental health and mindfulness apps as one of the breakout app trends of 2017.
With options increasing to meet demand, and literally thousands of apps to choose from, how do you know which one is best for you?
A study led by Australian researchers last year found that smartphone apps can be an effective treatment option for depression; but of course you need to be far more strategic when choosing an app for your mental health than, say, picking one to help you find killer retail bargains.
“Out of the 10,000 mental health apps that are available out there, only around one percent have been professionally evaluated,” points out Professor Helen Christensen, director and chief scientist at the Black Dog Institute, who participated in the study.
“Often, people don’t know what they’re signing up for. You have to remember this technology is still very new.”
To help you navigate the maze, we asked Helen to break down the steps you should take when choosing which mental health app may be right for you.
CHECK THE PRIVACY POLICY
Denne historien er fra April 2018-utgaven av Good Health Choices.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra April 2018-utgaven av Good Health Choices.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Strong On The Inside
OSTEOPOROSIS AFFECTS HALF OF KIWI WOMEN OVER 60. AFTER THE AGE OF 35, BONE LOSS INCREASES AS A NATURAL PART OF THE AGEING PROCESS, BUT DID YOU KNOW IT’S POSSIBLE TO BOOST YOUR BONE STRENGTH? DEBBIE DUNCAN EXPLAINS HOW...
The Joy Of Un-Dieting
NUTRITIONIST JESSICA SEPEL WANTS US TO SPEAK TO OURSELVES WITH MORE KINDNESS AND CHANGE OUR MIND-SET ABOUT HEALTHY EATING
Shifting Focus
DO YOU DREAD THOSE LAST FEW WEEKS AT WORK PRIOR TO THE SUMMER BREAK BECAUSE TIME SEEMS TO BE DRAGGING? WHAT YOU MIGHT BE IN NEED OF IS A VOORPRET MIND-SET
Only The Lonely
FOR SOME OF US CHRISTMAS ISN’T ALWAYS JOLLY AND, IF YOU’RE FEELING ISOLATED, YOU’RE NOT ON YOUR OWN. SARAH MARINOS LOOKS AT THE IMPACT OF A GROWING HEALTH EPIDEMIC AND HOW BEST TO COMBAT IT
Out Of Office... (Sort Of)
DO YOU STRUGGLE TO DISCONNECT FROM WORK WHILE ON HOLIDAY? LEARN HOW TO LET GO OF ‘VACATION SABOTAGE’ AND GET THE MOST FROM YOUR TIME OFF
Fountain Of Youth
IT TURNS OUT THE SECRET TO BEING YOUNGER, IS TO BELIEVE YOU ARE! WE LOOK AT HOW YOUR MIND-SET AND OUTLOOK ON LIFE ARE TWO OF THE MAIN DETERMINING FACTORS WHEN IT COMES TO YOUR HEALTH AND HAPPINESS IN YOUR LATER YEARS
Finding Strength
JENNY-MAY CLARKSON OPENS UP TO ERIN FISHER ABOUT HEALING AFTER LOSS, BODY CONFIDENCE, AND HOW HER CONNECTION TO THE COMMUNITY AND MĀORI CULTURE SHAPES EVERYTHING SHE DOES
Can You Think Yourself Slim?
‘A new mind-based technique is achieving radical results when it comes to quashing craving
TAKE A BREATH
CONTROLLING ASTHMA CAN BE CHALLENGING, BUT EMERGING RESEARCH COULD BE A GAME-CHANGER FOR THOSE LIVING WITH THIS CHRONIC DISEASE, SAYS TRUDIE MCCONNOCHIE
KEEPING ON TRACK
RADIO PERSONALITY JAY-JAY FEENEY OPENS UP TO ERIN FISHER ABOUT HER SOLO TRAVEL ADVENTURES, BODY IMAGE AND MENTAL HEALTH STRUGGLES, AND LEARNING TO BE COMFORTABLE WITH HER OWN COMPANY
