Accessible any time of day from any location, mental health apps have made mental health services increasingly available to those seeking support, reports the National Institute of Mental Health. Technology-based well-being apps come with a variety of benefits. Among them include convenience, anonymity, affordability, a wider reach, and more. Additionally, mental health apps can serve as a more comfortable jumping-off point for people who may have been hesitant to seek in-person treatment.
Different mental health apps offer different kinds of services. Some may center around stress management, while others may focus on providing real-time support from peers or mental health professionals (via the National Institute of Mental Health). To figure out which mental health app readers of Health Digest were most inclined to use, we asked 583 participants their preferred app for emotional well-being between six possible answer choices. In particular, we focused on whether Headspace or Calm was more popular amongst respondents.
The last selected answer — accounting for less than 4% of answers — was Moodkit with 22 votes. Using cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) techniques, this app helps users cope with feelings of anxiety, depression, and anger, according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America.
Calm proved to be the most popular app
In second-to-last place was BetterHelp with 42 votes. As the world’s largest online therapy resource, this app provides therapist support for individuals, adolescents, and couples, as per its website. Next, with 49 votes was Happify, which provides games and activities to help curb negative thinking patterns. Talkspace accounted for a little over 10% of responses. Similar to BetterHelp, Talkspace is an app that connects users to licensed mental health professionals via video, direct messaging, or telephone. It also offers psychiatric support for medication management.
Between Headspace and Calm, however, Calm came in first place — it made up nearly half of participant responses with 274 votes. Votes for Headspace tallied at 137 — the app that offers meditations, breathing exercises, self-care techniques, and tips for bettering one’s quality of sleep. At the end of the day, though, respondents seemed most drawn to the offerings of the Calm app. These include meditations, tactics for enhancing focus, self-improvement strategies, and methods for stress reduction, per its website.
If you or someone you know needs help with mental health, please contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741, call the National Alliance on Mental Illness helpline at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), or visit the National Institute of Mental Health website.
