The pandemic has put a lot of strain on people’s mental health. While an easy solution would be to see a therapist, the stigma on mental health hasn’t completely gone. For this reason, many people are reluctant to seek help for their problems. Fortunately, remote therapy is now available.

Remote therapy can help people dealing with issues to seek help in a manner that makes them feel more secure. However, not all types of remote assistance for mental health are efficient. For instance, mental health apps which have risen in popularity might not be as helpful as people think

The study might not be accurate.

Researchers looked at 50,000 people in a randomized controlled study on mental health apps. Their results showed that these apps did not significantly impact the mental health illnesses they claimed to treat, such as depression and anxiety.

Despite the negative results, other experts argue they might not be accurate. The reason is that researchers grouped all the interventions. However, not all these interventions claimed to treat the same thing, neither were all of them ineffective.

Moreover, others have pointed out that believing in treatment is often enough for it to work. For example, researchers compared a popular meditation app with another fake one. They found that respondents would report positive results with either of the apps suggesting that it wasn’t the app that made them better but their attitude toward it.

Researchers acknowledge that there is little research in mental health apps. While many agree that they might not cure significant mental health problems like depression, they could still benefit people who use them.

Mental health food cannot replace therapy

While many people might decide to use mental health apps, they need to be careful. One reason is that more than half of these apps don’t have a privacy policy. As a result, the information you share on the app might not be secure.

In addition, people with mental health issues often need therapy to help them navigate their illness. A mental health app will not work in this case as it can’t provide a diagnosis, treatment, or a human connection. However, these apps can be an excellent supplement to more effective mental health treatments.