In Ep. 067 : The Suicidal Thoughts Workbook with Dr. Gordon, Part I, our guest, Dr. Kathryn Hope Gordon, shares the tools she has developed for her workbook. Today, we wanted to go one step further and discuss other aids that can help: mental health apps for your smartphone. One expert recently stated that 10,000 such apps are now available. Whew! We don’t have time or space to review all of them, but we wanted to describe a few that could be especially relevant for suicide prevention.
Relaxation/Meditation/Mindfulness
While these terms are not exactly synonymous, they all refer to methods of calming one’s mind. Research has shown that these approaches reduce symptoms (e.g., stress, anxiety, depression) related to suicidal thoughts. One recent study showed that mindfulness activities were as effective as anti-anxiety medications (and they don’t have any negative side effects!) Some of these apps have both a free version and a somewhat more expensive version available with more bells and whistles.
Calm: Lots of options. Check out the adult bedtime stories to promote sleep.
Headspace: Offers brief courses in meditation and mindfulness.
Mindfulness Coach: Developed by the VA for veterans, but free for everyone.
Mindful Attitude: Includes videos introducing you to Qi Gong (Tai Chi) meditation.
Mental Health Concerns
Apps have been developed to address specific mental health concerns (e.g., anxiety, anger, insomnia):
Thought Diary: Numerous well-designed activities to improve mental health.
Happify: Builds mental health skills through activities and games.
CBT-I: Uses cognitive-behavioral tools to help those with insomnia.
AIMS: Tools for anger and irritability management.
Meomind: Lets you “sit in” on actual therapy sessions for persons with similar issues.
Trauma Related
The VA and the National Center for PTSD have provided some excellent tools to help those who have experienced traumatic events. You don’t have to be a veteran or to have experienced combat to utilize and benefit from them:
PTSD Coach: As the name implies, various tools to help those with PTSD..
CPT Coach: Teaches cognitive processing therapy, an effective PTSD treatment.
Suicide Prevention
These apps have been specifically developed to help people who have suicidal thoughts or tendencies. They are generally electronic versions of activities commonly used by therapists to help those who have considered suicide.
Virtual Hope Box: A convenient way to remind you of reasons to live.
Safety Plan: A proven technique to reduce suicide risk in a convenient format.
In Conclusion…
Numerous mental health apps have been developed. They are research based and based on solid scientific evidence. Their convenience and low cost make therapeutic tools available to everyone. You don’t have to wait for an appointment, and you can carry these tools with you in your purse or pocket.