Telehealth, Mental Health Apps Help Fill In the Gaps
Even with stay-at-home orders lifting to various degrees around the country, the continued presence of the coronavirus has made possibilities of in-person mental health treatment few and far between.
In order to increase accessibility and availability, many treatment organizations have been turning to telehealth and using mobile apps to fill in care gaps.
This week’s Wellness Wednesday episode on MPR News with Angela Davis featured mental health professionals who shared mobile apps they recommend and how people can search for trustworthy resources on their own.
Julie Erickson is a psychologist and the Associate Clinical Director of Integrated Behavioral Health at Children’s Minnesota. She says for people coping with serious mental illnesses, these mobile apps aren’t meant to be a substitute for ongoing therapeutic work, but rather a supplement.
“For my patients who oftentimes are struggling with anxiety or depression and come to see me or talk with me for an hour a week in therapy, we really want to have some ways to generalize the skills that we're working on,” Erickson said. “Using technology and apps can be a really great way to bring that into their day-to-day world.”
The children’s hospital in St. Paul recently released an online resource called Behavior Checker, which provides more than 150 common behaviors in adolescents with evidence-based strategies to help parents and caregivers address them. Among the searchable behaviors, in English and Spanish, are traits like not sharing, fighting about everything and timidness.
“It gives centering information and guidance for parents about really checking in with themselves, of being able to create some empathy, taking a step back before they engage in or respond to the behavior or behavior problem,” Erickson said.
Melissa Kjolsing is the CEO and co-founder of Recovree, which provides peer support, guided journaling and reflection, and education for people recovering from substance abuse disorder all in one free app. The app was inspired by real-life experience with Kjolsing’s brother, who is in long-term recovery, and his struggle to find substantial support after being discharged from an in-patient program. Kjolsing says Recovree is all about extending the reach of an individual by connecting them with peers who have already been in long-term recovery themselves.
“Peer recovery support specialists are working with the individual to determine what's the best pathway forward for them,” she said. “Whether it's a 12-step program, whether it's a spiritual program, or maybe the person really, you know, enjoys nature, cooking or yoga - the peer specialists will really hone in on those things to make sure that the person feels aligned and supported within their own pathway of recovery.”
Kjolsing says the increased availability of mobile mental health apps can help empower people to ask for help, and even push people to take greater steps toward recovery.
Julie Erickson with Children’s Minnesota says mindfulness and meditation apps help people to train their bodies to slow down and relax. That way, when they are under high-anxiety or stressful situations and mindsets, they have created space for more calm, rational thinking and less reactivity.
Suggested apps named during the Wellness Wednesday episode? Headspace, Smiling Mind, and MyLife -- all available on both Google Play and the Apple App Store.
The Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA) has a list of apps pre-approved by registered ADAA mental health professionals not involved in the process of creation or marketing. Psyberguide is another non-profit organization that rates mental health apps for credibility, transparency, and user-experience. If you are in need of immediate mental health help, check out these resources.