According to the New York Times (4/13, Caron), mental health apps “claim to help with issues as varied as addiction, sleeplessness, anxiety and schizophrenia, often by using tools like games, therapy chatbots or mood-tracking diaries.” Most of these apps are “unregulated,” however, and while “some are considered useful and safe, others may have shaky (or nonexistent) privacy policies and a lack of high-quality research demonstrating that the apps live up to their marketing claims.” In fact, “Stephen Schueller, the executive director of One Mind PsyberGuide, a nonprofit project that reviews mental health apps, said the lack of regulation has created a ‘Wild West,’ that was exacerbated when the Food and Drug Administration loosened its requirements [PDF] for digital psychiatry products in 2020.”
Related Links:
— “How to Find a Mental Health App That Works for You “Christina Caron, The New York Times, April 13, 2022