BY THE DIGITAL HEALTH LEADERS FOR THE DIGITAL HEALTH COMMUNITY
BY THE DIGITAL HEALTH LEADERS 
By Rhea Doshi, Co-founder & CEO, Happetive
Meet Priya, 32-year-old graphic designer juggling deadlines, client meetings, and her personal life. For months, Priya has struggled with a constant sense of dread. Her chest tightens at the thought of unresolved tasks, and she often finds herself unable to sleep at night, her mind racing with “what-ifs.” Her anxiety has started to impact her work and relationships. Hearing about mental health apps that promise to help manage stress and anxiety, Priya wonders: Can these tools genuinely offer relief or are they just another fad?
Priya’s situation is not unique. With mental health awareness on the rise, mental health apps have emerged as a popular solution. These apps claim to offer everything from guided meditations and mood tracking to self-guided therapy and digital CBT interventions. The question, however, remains: Do these apps truly work?
A study published in PLOS Digital Health explored the effectiveness of mental health apps, particularly those focused on anxiety and depression. The study revealed that these apps showed a modest positive impact on users’ mental health outcomes, especially for individuals experiencing mild to moderate symptoms. The digital tools were most effective when users actively engaged with the app’s features, such as journaling prompts, mindfulness exercises, or CBT-based modules.
However, the study also highlighted some limitations:
The effectiveness of these apps often relies on user consistency, which tends to drop over time.
The impact was more significant for people with manageable mental health challenges, while those with severe or complex conditions did not benefit as much.
Many apps lacked personalization, which reduced their relevance and effectiveness for diverse users.
The research suggests that while these apps hold potential, their role is supplementary rather than primary in addressing mental health issues.
The findings point to an essential nuance: mental health apps are tools, not treatments. For someone like Priya, an app could provide short-term relief by helping her practice mindfulness or track her emotions. However, long-term healing, particularly for deep-seated anxiety, requires a more comprehensive approach involving human intervention and tailored strategies.
Mental health apps do offer several advantages, which make them appealing to a broad audience:
Accessibility: These apps are often affordable or free and are available 24/7, making them a convenient option for individuals who might not have access to traditional therapy.
Convenience: Users can engage with tools like breathing exercises, journaling, or meditations from the comfort of their homes, on their own schedule.
Anonymity: For those hesitant to seek therapy due to stigma, apps provide a private way to explore mental health support.
Despite these benefits, mental health apps have several shortcomings:
Over-reliance on Screens: Excessive screen time has been widely recognized as a growing contributor to mental health challenges, including increased stress, anxiety, and disrupted sleep patterns. Adding a mental health app to a user’s daily routine, though intended to provide support, can inadvertently exacerbate digital fatigue—the physical and mental exhaustion caused by prolonged exposure to screens.
Prolonged exposure to screens, particularly at night, can disrupt circadian rhythms and negatively affect sleep quality. Many individuals already struggle to unplug before bed, and relying on an app for relaxation or mental health support may inadvertently worsen this cycle.
Information Overload: While mental health apps are designed to support users in managing their well-being, many inadvertently contribute to one of the very issues they aim to resolve information overload. These apps often rely on frequent notifications, reminders, and advice to encourage user engagement. While well-intentioned, this constant influx of prompts can quickly become overwhelming, particularly for individuals already feeling emotionally burdened.
For someone struggling with mental health, the bombardment of notifications can feel like an additional source of pressure. Instead of alleviating stress, these prompts may create a sense of obligation or guilt for not keeping up with the app’s recommendations, such as completing exercises, logging moods, or engaging in suggested activities. This can amplify feelings of inadequacy or failure, counteracting the app’s purpose.
The sheer volume of content within these apps can also contribute to overload. Many include multiple features, such as guided meditations, CBT tools, journaling prompts, and self-help articles, all competing for the user’s attention. For individuals seeking clarity and relief, navigating through this dense array of options can feel more like a task than a therapeutic experience.
Privacy Concerns: One of the significant drawbacks of mental health apps is the potential risk to user privacy. These apps often require users to share sensitive information, such as their emotional state, mental health history, personal habits, and even location data. While this data is essential for creating personalized experiences and improving app functionality, it raises serious ethical questions about how this information is stored, shared, and used.
Many mental health apps operate with limited transparency about their data policies, leaving users unaware of how their information might be monetized or accessed by third parties. Instances of inadequate data encryption, breaches, or sharing of anonymized user data with advertisers and research institutions are not uncommon. For individuals already dealing with mental health challenges, the idea of their private struggles becoming vulnerable to exploitation can add to their stress rather than alleviate it.
To mitigate these concerns, users should critically evaluate apps for robust data protection policies, certifications like HIPAA compliance (in regions where applicable), and clear terms of service. Additionally, app developers must adopt ethical practices that ensure user data is securely stored, anonymized when necessary, and not shared without explicit consent. Safeguarding user privacy is not just a legal obligation but a foundational principle in building trust with individuals seeking mental health support through digital means.
AI vs. Human Connection: While mental health apps provide convenience and accessibility, they cannot replicate the depth, empathy, and understanding that human counsellors or therapists offer. A human connection fosters trust, validation, and a personalized response to emotions—qualities that algorithms cannot fully achieve. Engaging in human-centered activities like art therapy, in-person group meditations, or drumming circles also plays a significant role in mental well-being. These activities provide a shared experience and a sense of belonging, which contribute to emotional healing and resilience in ways that app-based activities cannot. The collective energy of a group or the tactile, creative process of art therapy adds dimensions to mental health care that digital tools cannot replicate. Combining human interaction with app-based tools ensures a more holistic approach to mental well-being.
Screen Time and Information Overload
Happetive views excessive screen time as both a cause and a contributor to mental health struggles. While apps may provide temporary relief, adding yet another screen-based solution could perpetuate the very problems they aim to solve. Additionally, mental health journeys are deeply personal, and the one-size-fits-all approach of many apps risks providing users with irrelevant or poorly timed advice.
The Human vs. AI Touch
One of the critical limitations of mental health apps is their lack of a human element. Apps rely on algorithms and pre-programmed responses that, while functional, cannot replicate the warmth, empathy, and nuanced understanding of a human therapist. The absence of human interaction may limit their impact, particularly for individuals who need emotional connection and personalized support.
Apps have their place, but they are not a substitute for human intervention, particularly in cases of severe mental health challenges. Individuals dealing with complex trauma, severe depression, or suicidal thoughts require the guidance of a trained professional. In these cases, apps may complement therapy but cannot replace the depth and expertise of human support.
For someone like Priya, mental health apps can play a role in her overall well-being plan. She might use a mindfulness app to calm her nerves before a big presentation or a journaling tool to process her emotions. However, the long-term resolution of her anxiety would benefit from therapy, lifestyle adjustments, and building a support network.
Mental health apps offer significant benefits, particularly in terms of accessibility and convenience. For individuals with mild to moderate mental health challenges, they can be valuable tools for managing symptoms and building healthy habits. However, their limitations—lack of human connection, potential for digital fatigue, and generic approaches—underscore the need for a balanced strategy.
As Happetive suggests, the right content must reach the right person at the right time, and human connection should remain at the heart of mental health care. Apps can be helpful companions on the journey to mental wellness but should never replace the human touch. For those navigating challenges like Priya, finding a combination of app-based tools, professional support, and personal growth strategies is key to achieving sustainable mental well-being.
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