What do you do when you can’t afford therapy but are struggling to handle your mental illness alone? You could download an app. In recent years, there’s been an increase of mental health apps available to smartphone users. These reasonably-priced, or most often free, mental health apps offer a wealth of resources that make therapeutic techniques more accessible, portable, and cost-effective.
HappifyNeed a Happify fix? With its psychologist-approved mood-training program, the Happify app is your fast-track to a good mood. Try engaging games, activity suggestions, gratitude prompts and more to train your brain as if it were a muscle, to overcome negative thoughts. The best part? Its free! (Free; iOS and Android) |
CALMNamed by Apple as the 2017 iPhone App of the Year, Calm is quickly becoming regarded as one of the best mental health apps available. Calm provides people experiencing stress with guided meditations, sleep stories, breathing programs, and relaxing music. ($12.99/Month; iOS and Android) |
HEADSPACEThe Headspace app makes meditation simple. Learn the skills of mindfulness and meditation by using this app for just a few minutes per day. You gain access to hundreds of meditations on everything from stress and anxiety to sleep and focus. The app also has a reminder to encourage you to keep practicing each day. ($12.99/Month or 9.99/Year for students; iOS and Android) |
notoknotOK is a free app developed by a struggling teenager (and her teen brother) for teenagers. The app features a large, red button that can be activated to let close friends, family and their support network know help is needed. Users can add up to five trusted contacts as part of their support group so when they hit the digital panic button, a message along with their current GPS location is sent to their contacts. (Free; iOS and Android) |
Mood KitMoodKit uses the foundation of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and provides users with over 200 different mood improvement activities. Developed by two clinical psychologists, MoodKit helps you learn how to change how you think, and develop self-awareness and healthy attitudes. The journal feature is a great way to practice self-care by reflecting on the day, noting any distressing thoughts, and documenting how you overcame them. ($4.99; iOS) |
twenty-four hours a dayBased on the best-selling book of the same name, Twenty-Four Hours a Day offers 366 meditations from the book, making it easier for people in recovery from
addiction to focus on sobriety wherever they are. In addition to a thought, meditation, and prayer for each day of the year, this app
also contains the Serenity Prayer, the Twelve Steps, and the Twelve Traditions of
Alcoholics Anonymous. |
quit that!Quit That! is a completely free app that helps users beat their habits or addictions. Whether
you’re looking to stop drinking alcohol, quit smoking, or stop taking drugs, it’s
the perfect recovery tool to track and monitor your progress. Track as many vices
as you want and find out how many minutes, hours, days, weeks, or years it’s been
since you quit.(Free; iOS) |
mind shiftMind Shift is one of the best mental health apps designed specifically for teens and young adults with anxiety. Rather than trying to avoid anxious feelings, Mind Shift stresses the importance of changing how you think about anxiety. Think of this app as the cheerleader in your pocket, encouraging you to take charge of your life, ride out intense emotions, and face challenging situations. (Free; iOS and Android) |
self-help for anxietySAM might be perfect for you if you’re interested in self-help, but meditation isn’t your thing. Users are prompted to build their own 24-hour anxiety toolkit that allows you to track anxious thoughts and behavior over time, and learn 25 different self-help techniques. You can also use SAM’s “Social Cloud” feature to confidentially connect with other users. (Free; iOS and Android) |
cbt thought record diaryThe centerpiece of cognitive-behavioral therapy is changing your emotions by identifying negative and distorted thinking patterns. You can use CBT Thought Record Diary to document negative emotions, analyze flaws in your thinking, and reevaluate your thoughts. (Free; iOS and Android) |
imoodPart personal journal and part mood tracker, IMoodJournal can be used to record everything from mood and symptoms, to sleep, medications, and energy cycles. By tracking these various factors, you’re able to analyze your daily feelings through summary charts that indicate where your stress levels rise and fall. ($2.99; iOS and Android) |
emoodsEMoods is a mood tracking app designed specifically for people with bipolar disorder. Throughout the day, users can track depressive and psychotic symptoms, elevated mood, and irritability. Users can see their mood changes on a color-coded monthly calendar and even export a monthly summary report to identify specific triggers. (Free; iOS and Android) |
talkspaceCan’t afford to visit a therapist but still wish you had one to talk to? Talkspace makes that possible. Starting at $65 per week, you can text a trained professional and receive responses daily. They also offer services for individuals and couples, so your significant other can to learn how to support you. (Various plans available; iOS and Android) |
moodtoolsMoodTools aims to support people with clinical depression by aiding the path to recovery. Discover helpful videos that can improve your mood and behavior, log and analyze your thoughts using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) principles, develop a suicide safety plan and more with this free app. (Free; iOS and Android) |
recovery recordsRecovery Record is a great app for anyone recovering from an eating disorder and wanting to develop a more positive body image. Keep a record of your meals and how they make you feel using the app and complete questionnaires that’ll help you track your progress over time. (Free; iOS and Android) |
rise up + recoverRise Up + Recover is a unique app as it not only allows you to track your meals and how you feel when you eat them, but you can also transcribe your progress into a PDF printout. Pull up the Rise + Recover app on your mobile when you feel the urge to binge or skip a meal, and need quick coping strategies. (Free; iOS and Android) |
nocdnOCD was designed with the help of OCD specialists and patients to incorporate two treatments: mindfulness and Exposure Response Prevention Treatment. You can receive clinically-supported guidance when an OCD episode strikes and have motivational support along the way. (Free; iOS) |
worrywatchOne of the most frustrating parts of living with OCD can be dealing with intense anxiety
despite the fact you know your worries are irrational. Worry Watch aims to help users identify their trigger points for anxiety, note their feelings,
reflect on when the outcomes were harmless, and change their thinking patterns. |
ggocGGOC aims to improve OCD symptoms by increasing the user’s awareness of negative thoughts
and training the brain to push those aside to embrace a more positive outset. The
app takes the users through various levels, each consisting of short games around
a specific theme. |
ptsd coachCreated by the VA’s National Center for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), PTSD Coach offers everything from a self-assessment for PTSD, to opportunities to find support, positive self-talk, and anger management. You can customize tools based on your own needs and preferences, and integrate your own contacts, photos, and music. (Free; iOS and Android) |
breathe2relaxSometimes you just need to breathe and remind yourself you are okay. Breathe2Relax is made for just that. Created by the National Center for Telehealth and Technology, this app is a portable stress management tool that teaches users a skill called diaphragmatic breathing. Breathe2Relax now uses HealthKit and your Apple Watch device to measure your heart rate throughout your breathing exercise to help you learn to relax. (Free; iOS and Android) |
Ten Percent HappierWant to sleep better, find relaxation, be more mindful and, well, ten percent happier?
Ten Percent Happier has a library of 500+ guided meditations on topics ranging from anxiety and stress
to parenting and sleep, as well as videos, stories, and inspiration you can listen
to on the go. New content is added weekly. ($12.99/Month; iOS and Android) |
primeThe PRIME app, created by psychiatry professor Danielle Shlosser, connects people with schizophrenia to their peers through a social network style interface. It also lets users track “challenge goals,” things they’d like to accomplish or improve about themselves.(Free; iOS and Android) |
lifesumLifesum allows you to set goals, from eating healthier, to building more muscle and getting in more daily steps. You can also let Lifesum generate a “Life Score” to get a roadmap to better health. With reminders to drink water and eat throughout the day, Lifesum is a great option for anyone trying to live healthier. (Free; iOS and Android) |
Insight TimerInsight Timer is the number 1 free meditation app. Guided meditations and talks led by the world's top meditation and mindfulness experts, neuroscientists, psychologists and teachers from Stanford, Harvard, the University of Oxford and more. Music tracks from world-renowned artists. Join millions learning to meditate on Insight Timer to help calm the mind, reduce anxiety, manage stress, sleep deeply and improve happiness. (Free IOS, Android) |
NODThe Nod app gives college students ideas for growing and maintaining strong social lives while away from campus. Nod uses evidence-based practices including principles of positive psychology, cognitive behavioral therapy, motivational interviewing, and mindfulness-based self-compassion. Nod reminds us of the small things we can do to create positive moments for ourselves and the people we care about. ( Free IOS, Android) |