In recent years, it’s become vital more than ever to be educated about mental health issues. As a result, mental illness diagnosis and treatment have become more comprehensive.
This has allowed society to be more informed about issues surrounding mental health.
Being more informed and breaking down stigma surrounding mental illnesses have expanded mental health treatment and diagnosis into the world of technology. Namely, the relevant technology used to deal with mental health heavily often involves mobile apps and smartphones.
What are the benefits of using mobile apps to monitor mental health?
The expansion of mental health treatment into the world of mobile apps has made treatment and monitoring methods more available.
Key driving factors behind this expansion are convenience, ease of use, and financial accessibility. Anyone can download a mobile app onto their phone and use it within minutes, and mobile apps are often free or available at a very low cost.
The wide availability of smartphones has also ensured that apps are designed to be easy to use and understand. Easy user interface is important, especially for apps meant to track and monitor health issues.
The widespread use of mobile apps for mental health certainly provides benefits, but it also presents concerns regarding privacy and regulation.
What are some concerns surrounding the wide availability of mental health mobile apps?
Data privacy is an ongoing concern that prevails whenever mobile apps are involved. In this case, it is particularly important since most mobile apps ask for sensitive and private information regarding people’s medical history and mental health symptoms.
It is easy to trust any app and enter personal information without giving it much thought. However, it is important to take a second look or read any app reviews to ensure that it is trusted.
Another valid concern is that anyone nowadays with the skills and time can develop an app. The lack of mental health app regulation means that not all apps are designed or approved by mental health specialists.
Mental health app developers might only be interested in the success of their app or brand. App developers may instead choose to focus on the color or design of their app to make it more appealing instead of researching and employing effective monitoring methods, which is what really counts.
Thus, not all apps are equipped to properly deal with or monitor mental health issues.
It is easy to get caught up with any app download, especially with the wide availability and convenience of mobile phones. However, when it comes to mental health, it is vital to stick to trusted apps and methods.
