There are now more and more apps out there that can help with anything from managing your general wellbeing to those for more specific health concerns. We have listed are some apps* to get you started. Whilst these apps can be useful, they are not a replacement for seeking medical advice if you have concerns about any symptoms you are experiencing.
Always make sure to keep yourself safe whilst online. For more information about online safety, please visit the CEOPs Think You Know’ guide to online safety.
(Free to use. For over 17’s only)
Elefriends is a supportive online community from the mental health charity Mind. We all know what it’s like to struggle sometimes, but now there’s a safe place to listen, share and be heard. Whether you’re feeling good right now, or really low, it’s a place to share experiences and listen to others.
(Free to use)
Silvercloud provides a wide range of supportive and interactive programmes, tools and tactics for mental and behavioural health issues. These programmes address wellbeing, life balance, time management, communication skills, goal setting, communication and relationship management, anger management, stress management, relaxation and sleep management, among many others.
(Free to use)
Reasons2 is a free app designed by Young People and Washington Mind to help improve mental health. The app will allow people to:
• Manage their mental wellness by building their own profile of Reasons2 feel better.
• Upload pictures and images that give them the feel good factor and makes them smile.
• Find other ways to improve their mental wellness by clicking on links to other websites and information.
• Share their Reasons2 with other users and see what makes them smile too.
• Keep their favourite Reasons2 so they can see them easier and without having to scroll through old information.
Even though the app has been developed in partnership with Young People in Sunderland, there is no specific upper age range or area where you have to live to use the app so anyone aged 13+ can use the app no matter where they live.
(Free to use)
This is an application developed for the Royal College of Psychiatrists by Dr. Melvyn Zhang. The aim of this application is to: 1. Provide general public information about key mental health disorders 2. Provide links to relevant videos and podcasts 3. Provide links to the Royal College Website to which members of the public could find further information about mental health disorders.
(Free to use)
This app offers a practical way to help you feel good and function well in the world. Reflect on your wellbeing, set activities to help you improve your wellbeing and track your progress – all from the comfort of your phone; whenever it suits you! Based on substantial research, use the Five Ways to Connect, Take Notice, Be Active, Keep Learning and Give your way to improved wellbeing. The Five Ways to Wellbeing can help you with many different aspects of your life. There’s no daily dose or required level of work. Just use the app at your own pace to suit your life – you can even write and set your own personal activities. It’s wellbeing your way.
(Cost – £3.03)
WRAP® is universal – it is for anyone, any time, and for any of life’s challenges. WRAP® involves listing your personal resources (Wellness Tools), and then using these resources to develop Action Plans to use in specific situations which are determined by you.The Wellness Recovery Action Plan® (WRAP) is an evidence-based system that is used world-wide by people who are dealing with mental health and other kinds of health challenges, and by people who want to attain the highest possible level of wellness. It was developed by a group of people who have a lived experience of mental health difficulties; people who were searching for ways to resolve issues that had been troubling them for a long time.
(Free to use)
Happier helps you stay more present and positive throughout the day. Its Apple Watch app is like your personal mindfulness coach — use it to lift your mood, take a quick meditation pause, or capture and savour the small happy moments that you find in your day.
(Free to install. Contains adverts and in-app purchases)
Daylio enables you to keep a private diary without having to type a single line. Pick your mood and add activities you have been doing during the day. You can also add notes and keep an old school diary. Daylio is collecting recorded moods and activities in the statistics and calendar. This format will help you to understand your habits better. Keep track of your activities and create patterns to become more productive.
(Free to use)
Catch It is a joint project between the Universities of Liverpool and Manchester to help users better understand their moods through use of an ongoing diary. The app was designed to illustrate some of the key principles of psychological approaches to mental health and well being, and specifically Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT).
(Free to use)
There are 17 essential things you need to know to fast track your recovery from mental illness. The Mental Health Recovery Guide (MHRG) will tell you what they are. If you suffer from depression, schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, and if you are a mental health outpatient, or a newly discharged psychiatric in-patient at the UK’s NHS or elsewhere in the world, MHRG will help you to get well and stay well.
(Free to use)
Calm Harm provides tasks that help you resist or manage the urge to self-harm. You can add your own tasks too and it’s completely private and password protected.
What does it do?
The four categories of tasks target the main reasons for why people self-harm. Distract helps to combat the urge by learning self-control; Comfort helps to care rather than harm; Express gets those feelings out in a different way and Release provides safe alternatives to self-injury.
(Free to use)
This app is a pocket suicide prevention resource, packed full of useful information to help you stay safe. You can use it if you are having thoughts of suicide or if you are concerned about someone else who may be considering suicide.
(Free to use)
Wellmind is your free NHS mental health and wellbeing app designed to help you with stress, anxiety and depression The app includes advice, tips and tools to improve your mental health and boost your wellbeing.
(Free to install but includes in-app purchases)
What’s Up? is a fantastic free app utilising some of the best CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) and ACT (Acceptance Commitment Therapy) methods to help you cope with Depression, Anxiety, Anger, Stress and more! With a beautiful, modern design, simple heading and easy-to-follow methods, you can get to what helps you the most in seconds!
(Free to use)
SAM is an app to help you understand and manage anxiety. The app has been developed in collaboration with a research team from UWE, Bristol. SAM will help you to understand what causes your anxiety, monitor your anxious thoughts and behaviour over time and manage your anxiety through self-help exercises and private reflection. The “Social cloud” feature will enable you to share your experiences with the SAM community while protecting your identity.
(Free to install but includes in-app purchases)
If you are feeling sad, anxious, or depressed, lift your mood with MoodTools. MoodTools is designed to help you combat depression and alleviate your negative moods, aiding you on your road to recovery.
The app contains several different research-supported tools.
They include:
(Free to use)
FearTools is an evidence-based app designed to help you combat anxiety, aiding you on your road to recovery. This application is especially useful for those suffering from Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Phobias, and Social Anxiety Disorder.
The app contains several simple, useful, and powerful tools.
They include:
Information – Read information, follow self-help guidelines, and find additional resources.
(Free to use)
Anxious minds are a charity that was set up by sufferers of anxiety and depression, to provide free support to all suffers of anxiety and depression. No matter where you are, no one should suffer alone just because you cannot afford treatment or that you’re on somebody’s waiting list.
Join our community and let’s start fighting back together and change the way mental health is supported forever, Social Network, Blogging Platform and Resource Centre; with an aim to encouraging people to gain knowledge and to share experiences relating to mental and emotional health issues – symptoms, treatments and medications.
The app also includes:
(Free to use)
Rise Up + Recover is an app for people struggling with food, dieting, exercise and body image. The app is based upon self-monitoring homework, a cornerstone of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT).
With the Rise Up + Recover app you can:
(Free to use)
Recovery Record is the smart companion for managing your journey to recovery from eating disorders including anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, obsessive eating disorder, binge eating disorder and compulsive eating disorder.
With Recovery Record you can:
EDNE’s list of suggested apps for mental health and wellbeing
Adamson House,
65 Westgate Road,
Newcastle-upon-Tyne
NE1 1SG
Tel: 0191 221 0233
Email: enquiries@edne.org.uk
