Best Mental Health Apps in 2022

Mental health has become a topic of grave concern around the world. And the events of the last two years have undoubtedly added stress to our lives. Although people are talking about mental health much more now, which is a positive trend, the consequences of untreated mental illness are still often underestimated.

A report by the Anxiety and Depression Association of America shows that 40 million adults in the US suffer from anxiety disorders. And almost 75% of people with mental illnesses are not treated. With all of this in mind, it’s no wonder that the market for mental health programs is growing from year to year. Demand for mental health programs increased by 566% between 2014 and 2018. The global mental health software market is expected to reach USD 9.9 billion in revenue by 2028.

There are more than 20,000 mental health apps on the market. They have become a real salvation for patients and medical professionals. Apps like Calm and Headspace help users develop positive thinking, relax and de-stress. Several other mental health apps add gamification to engage users and distract them from self-destructive thoughts. The combination of health-tech innovations and the powerful social trend of self-care is a reliable business direction. Mental health is no longer taboo, and this niche offers good potential for startups.

However, before we get to the most exciting app ideas, let’s look into the primary reasons for developing your mental health app.

Why Should You Build a Mental Health App?

Mental health programs benefit both patients and health care providers. Patients receive timely care in remote areas, and doctors and therapists can reach more patients in less time. In addition, mobile applications simplify data acquisition, accelerate decision-making, and allow physicians to get more patients in less time. We have listed several benefits of developing a mental health program:

• 24/7 psychiatric care: gone are the days of physically visiting clinics or offices to see a therapist or medical consultant. Mental health apps have replaced physical visits with digital ones. Patients can now easily search for therapists and schedule video or audio calls at their convenience. Therapists can also accept or reschedule appointments to suit their schedules.

• Less stress for employees: working professionals need mental health programs that address stress, anxiety, or depression. According to a Lyra Health report, a quarter of US workers say their mental health has worsened during Covid-19, and 40% are dealing with mental health conditions such as stress or anxiety. To reduce employee stress, many companies are turning to mental health programs and promoting the overall mental health of their employees.

• Aid in professional treatment: mental health programs are helpful for recording and monitoring data. Sometimes even doctors and psychotherapists advise patients to use such applications. Later, the medical staff can analyze the data and take the proper treatment measures.

• Timely help even in remote locations: by scheduling video calls with a therapist, most people in remote areas will receive timely support without traveling to clinics or hospitals. Additionally, users can receive important mental health tips and precautions via push notifications.

• Effective advertising: mental health programs can be used as an effective advertising tool. Integrating a push notification system allows you to inform patients about appointments and reports and share special offers and news. This way, you can turn a one-time user into a permanent one.

• Instant feedback: The patient can provide digital input according to the service provided with a mental health app. Once they have it, healthcare providers can start working on what can be done to improve services and create a better user experience.

Types of Mental Health Apps

The mental health app industry is quite diverse. Many apps are designed for different people with different problems and disorders. In this section, we will look at the most common types of mental health programs:

1. Anxiety, Stress, and Mood Management Programs: anxiety, depression, and mood swings are among the most common human health problems. These types of apps include self-assessment features such as questionnaires and journaling. It helps users understand their mental state and take immediate action. These apps also have video and audio calling features for communication between patients and therapists. These programs sometimes also have emergency lines for counseling and emergency help.

2. Mental Disorder Programs: these programs can help people deal with mental disorders such as bipolar disorder, OCD, schizophrenia, and others. While some apps are built around texting or calling doctors, others offer stand-alone mood coaching programs and gamification elements. These apps usually provide 24/7 specialized support from medical professionals, which brings maximum benefit to the users. Such apps also offer a platform to share feelings with people going through the same experience.

3. Self-Improvement Apps: self-improvement apps are designed for users who want to monitor mood swings, develop positive thinking, and break bad habits. Meditation is often at the heart of such programs.

Here are some popular mental health program ideas for your startup.

Real-World Examples of Best Mental Health Apps Worth Checking Out

When choosing the best mental health apps, we looked at the features available, whether they were evidence-based, the user experience, and the app's price. We also read dozens of customer reviews to determine what people value about mental health apps most.

Headspace

Founded by: Andy Puddicombe and Richard Pierson
Location: London, England

Year: 2010

Funding: $215.9 million

Cost for users: $12.99 per month or $69.99 per year

“Headspace” teaches mindfulness by giving users access to hundreds of meditations. After creating an account, a person comes to the homepage, where he is greeted by “Wake Up,” a short series of videos that explain concepts like letting go or stepping away from mental stressors (sometimes, there’s a celebrity leading the video). Headspace also has an array of courses for children to teach them about meditation early on in life. There are simple breathing exercises, relaxing mindful activities, and short lessons on the importance of kindness and generosity. The menu bar at the bottom of the screen has four categories: Meditate, Sleep, Move, and Focus. Today, this application reaches more than 65 million users in 190 countries.

“Headspace” operates a b2b business called “Headspace for Work,” which provides mindfulness products to more than 700 companies worldwide, from “Starbucks” to “Hyatt,” not to mention government agencies such as the State of New York and the NHS of Great Britain. What a nice promo for meditative practices!

Talkspace

Founded by: Oren and Roni Frank
Location: New York City, New York, U.S.

Year: 2012

Funding: $113.7 million

Cost for users: monthly subscription with plans starting at $69 per week

With “Talkspace,” a user can easily connect virtually with a licensed therapist. All it takes is a subscription, and you get private access to a therapist via text, audio, or video chat — even daily or multiple times a day.

It is one of the best-paid subscription models for mental health apps. Access to an actual therapist 24/7 is a rarity in the market. It’s no surprise that “Talkspace” has received global celebrity endorsements from Demi Lovato and Michael Phelps.

However, it is expensive; users also report that therapist evaluation surveys are somewhat underwhelming.

Calm

Founded by: Michael Acton Smith, Alex Tew
Location: San Francisco, California, U.S.

Year: 2012

Funding: $218 million

Cost for users: $14.99 per month or $69.99 per year

Welcome a “unicorn” startup to our club! To be more precise — the World’s First Mental Health Unicorn! “Calm” gained its first popularity thanks to a promotion from “Apple”: it was named the app of the year for iPhone in 2017. The most popular feature of “Calm” is a 10-minute meditation called “Daily Calm,” which explores a new topic and inspiring concept each day. It also features 250+ Sleep Stories (bedtime stories for all ages), sleep music, meditation lessons, nature sounds, workshops from world experts, etc.

“Calm” has proven that experimenting with different marketing strategies can be successful. The app sponsored CNN’s live coverage of the 2020 US presidential election. The “Calm” logo accompanied each critical notification. This helped the app climb 20 positions within the first day of airing to become #1 in the health and fitness category.

Wysa

Founded by: Jo Aggarwal, Ramakant Vempati
Location: Bengaluru, Karnataka, India

Year: 2016

Funding: $29,4 million

Cost for users: free version, or $29.99 for a premium version, which includes a personal coach-psychologist

“Wysa” is a safe space with AI, where instead of talking to another person, you are guided anonymously by an “artificial penguin.” It listens to you as attentively as possible and allows you to depersonalize stress. The program has over 100 AI models and can recognize over 70 subtypes of emotions.

The product was developed in India, and almost 90 percent of the research, development, and heavy lifting is done there. The clinical leadership is based in Great Britain.

For a product conceived in India, it’s exciting that Wysa has had a breakthrough in international markets so early. The app has counted 3 million users from 65 countries, and the revenue is entirely global.

Happify

Founded by: Tomer Ben-Kiki, Ofer Leidner, and Andy Parsons
Location: New York City, New York, U.S.

Year: 2012

Funding: $118.7 million

Cost for users: free version, or $139.99 per year, $14.99 per month, or $449.99 lifetime for full access

“Happify” takes full benefit of gamification. Users choose a music track and then play timed games, focusing on individual goals. “Happify” has diversified its business, working with employers, health plans, pharmaceutical companies, and individual users.

Regardless, many options are barred for users of the free version. Not to mention that challenges and deadlines can make fighting for mental health even more stressful!

HelloBetter

Founded by: Amit Gupta, Elena Heber, Hanne Horvath, Hannes Klöpper, Philip Ihde, Pierre Alexis Cantegril, Prof. Dr. David Ebert
Location: Berlin, Germany

Year: 2015

Funding: $14.6 million

Cost for users: free

“HelloBetter” is one of the world’s leading providers of digital therapy courses. Its prevention and treatment courses cover eight major mental health issues, including depression, anxiety, insomnia, and panic. The company’s four digital therapeutic drugs can be prescribed free of charge by doctors and therapists to more than 70 million people with public health insurance in Germany. More than 30 randomized controlled trials of the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of their therapy courses have been published in peer-reviewed journals. No other vendor worldwide has equivalent clinical evidence of the effectiveness of their solution.

Ten Percent Happier

Founded by: Ben Rubin, Derek Haswell
Location: Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.

Year: 2013

Funding: $8.1 million

Cost for users: after a 14-day free trial — $8.33 per month, billed annually at $99.99

The app offers more than 500 meditations, videos, talks, and common sense guides during the coronavirus, including weekly podcasts and a daily “live wellness break.”

The smartness of this app is that it provides small, inspiring stories that users can listen to on the go and adds new content every week to keep users engaged.

BetterHelp

Founded by: Alon Matas, Danny Bragonier
Location: Mountain View, California, U.S‎

Year: 2013

Cost for users: from $60 to $90 per week (billed every four weeks)

One of the leading teletherapy platforms globally, BetterHelp connects users with thousands of therapists via video, phone, and chat. It boasts over 1 million Android downloads and features the industry’s largest pool of therapists.

Here’s what BetterHelp does differently: during the signup process, the app’s matching system pairs users with therapists who specialize in the most relevant areas for them. Finding a mental health professional is way more accessible, and the help users get is tailored to their individual needs.

How to Create a Mental Health App?

The quality level of care, individual approach, and the possibility of self-monitoring of vital functions are possible thanks to mobile applications and medtech devices, which are in even greater demand today. If you have an idea for a mental health app development, don’t miss the opportunity to contact us. Our team knows how to implement the best digital health app solutions and is here to help you.