Our Top Picks for the Best Mental Health Apps
What Are Mental Health Apps?
There are a variety of mental health apps on the market.
Some apps help users relax, sleep better, or improve memory.
You can assign a feeling to your journal entry to help you keep track of your moods.
Others help users connect to a peer counselor or a healthcare professional.
Apps like BetterHelp and Brightside are intended for use with a therapy or psychiatry subscription.
Weve spent many hours carrying out in-depth research on the mental health apps market.
The app allows you to attend weekly therapy sessions using live chat, video, or audio only.
The apps journal feature lets you keep track of your thoughts and goals.
For therapy with a journaling option, BetterHelp is our top pick.
With your subscription, youre allowed to join one group.
OnGoogle Play, it gets 4.6 out of 5 stars from over 36,000 ratings.
Positive reviews mention the convenience of the app for live therapy sessions, group sessions, and journaling.
Negative reviews mention that the app can be slow and crash at times.
Brightside is in-connection with Cigna, Aetna, and United Healthcare.
It’s also in-data pipe with certain regional insurance carriers.
you’re able to use itsinsurance checker toolto see whether it is in-connection with your insurance.
Brightside accepts HSA/FSA dollars.
In our survey of Brightside users, 56 percent said they used HSA/FSA dollars to pay for services.
Brightside App Reviews
TheApp Storegives Brightside Health 4.6 out of 5 stars, from about 50 ratings.
Positive reviews mentioned the ease of booking sessions and the ability to chat with a therapist.
Negative reviews mention the app not functioning properly.
The app is not yet available on Google Play.
Talkspace: Self-Guided is available on theApp StoreandGoogle Play.
While most classes are geared toward individuals, there are also classes for couples and families.
For live sessions, you join the workshop through Zoom.
At the end of the session, they bring up the class up for discussion.
Talkspace: Self-Guided costs $29.99 per month.
It offers three therapy plans and one psychiatry plan, which includes medication management with a licensed psychiatrist.
Costs are as follows:
Your exact cost may vary and depends on your geographic location.
Talkspaceaccepts insurance, but you may want to compare the cost of therapy with insurance versus without insurance.
Additionally, 49 percent of respondents said they used FSA or HSA dollars to help cover therapy through Talkspace.
OnGoogle Play, it gets 4.4 out of 5 stars from approximately 165 ratings.
Positive reviews praise the app as a lower-cost alternative to therapy.
Negative reviews mention being charged after the free trial despite canceling.
Some reviewers thought that the courses were too text-heavy for an app.
Headspace has more than 500 meditations, including three-minute mini meditations, walking meditations, and advanced meditations.
Headspace is available on theApp StoreandGoogle Play.
Headspace costs $12.99 per month or $69.99 per year.
For a family plan supporting up to six accounts, it costs $99.99 per year.
OnGoogle Play, it gets 4.4 out of 5 stars from more than 292,000 ratings.
Reviewers mention that they find the app useful but that it doesnt always work as it should.
They also mention difficulty navigating the app interface after recent updates.
Is a Mental Health App Right for Me?
Mental health apps offer convenient support for those with barriers to in-person resources.
According to the NIMH, mental health apps can offer introductory or supplemental care alongside traditional therapy.
Read more about how we researched andtested online therapy platformsthat offer mental health apps in ouronline therapy review methodology.
For therapy with journaling, our reviews team recommendsBetterHelp.
In case of an emergency, call 911.
That includes plans to harm yourself or others.
If youre having suicidal thoughts, you could call the988 Suicide and Crisis Lifelineby dialing 988.
Help is available 24/7.
you’ve got the option to also send a text message to the Crisis Text Line at 741741.
A crisis counselor will respond via text to help you stay calm and verify youre safe.
One of those apps was Headspace.
While there are nofree therapyapps, there are free apps that can help you with your mental health.
TheHealthy Minds Programis a free, evidence-based mental health app that teaches mindfulness and meditation skills.
It is available onGoogle Playand theApp Store.
Mental health apps are worth considering if they suit your needs and are evidence-based.
Consider a free trial before purchasing any apps to gauge whether you find them useful.
