Are mental wellbeing apps worth the hype? Last year The Guardian reported that there was some evidence to suggest that mental health and wellbeing apps could improve your mood. We took to Facebook and asked KU students:
Would you use a mental health app to track your mood?
48% of you answered maybe. So for all you sceptical students out there we downloaded 3 apps and tested them out and here is what we found out...
What's Up?
Is it free? Yes
Where is it available? iOS and Android
What does it offer?
What's Up? is a mental wellbeing app that aims to "cheer you up a little". There are four tabs on the home screen and each tab features lots of different exercises for you to complete. Some to help you in a moment of anxiety and stress and others for you to work on over time to help you develop positive thinking patterns and manage your worries.
The Help Right Now tab provides you with breathing exercises, games to ground you in the moment, a catastrophe scale to encourage you to put your worries into perspective as well as uplifting quotes and positive affirmations to lift you up when you're feeling down.
The Coping Strategies tab features long-term exercises to help you identify your negative thinking patterns and replace them with positive thoughts instead. This includes metaphors to help you understand your thoughts, tips on managing your worries and advice on how you can make small positive steps in your life.
On the Information tab you can find everything you need to know about anger, anxiety, depression, self-esteem and stress to help you understand what you're feeling and how it can affect you mentally and physically.
The Personal tab is a place to jot down your thoughts and keep track of your positive and negative habits.
Rating? We think this app ticks all the boxes so we're giving it... 5/5
Well Mind
Is it free? Yes
Where is it available? iOS and Android
What does it offer? Well Mind, developed by Dudley & Walsall Mental Health NHS, provides help with stress, anxiety and depression.
Under each of the tabs you will find information and advice on how to manage what you are feeling as well as a body map to show you how your body may be reacting to your mental state and the reasons behind it.
You can track your mood on the My Wellbeing tab and record your daily achievements.
If you need to take your mind off something click the Play The Game tab and relive your Nokia 3310 days with a game of snake. Or, listen to one of the relaxation audio guides to help you unwind after a long, stressful day. Rating?
This app is great if you need some quick tips to destress but it doesn't offer any long-term advice and for that reason we are giving it... 3/5
SAM
Is it free? Yes
Where is it available? iOS and Android
What does it offer? SAM is an app created by the University of the West of England to help you manage your worries.
In a moment of panic or stress click on the Help For Anxiety NOW section and complete the five minute breathing exercises, the picture activities and the Change The Focus challenge to help bring you back to the present moment.
The anxiety tracker allows you to manage your worries and over time will help you understand what is causing your anxiety.
The Self-help With SAM provides you with information on anxiety, physical and mental relaxation exercises and tips on the small steps you can take to overcome what it is that is worrying you.
The Anxiety Toolkit is a place for you to store the self-help tools that work best for you. So, on a bad day you can remind yourself of the progress you have made and what you can do to make yourself feel better.
Rating
This app is great for tracking and managing anxiety but because of the lack of focus on how anxiety can affect your mood we are giving it... 4/5