Amazing Apps: Five apps that might help cultivate a more mentally healthy child

 Nowadays, there is an app for everything, even apps designed to promote mental health. Although there are many ways to use apps like YouTube, social media, or music players to promote wellbeing (Who doesn’t like Cosmic Yoga?), there are also many apps specifically designed to help children improve their mental health. We review these apps at One Mind PsyberGuide and have lots of experience understanding what works and what people like. Here are some apps with content designed with children in mind. 

Breathe, Think, Do with Sesame Review. This app is designed for parents to use with their child to teach skills such as problem-solving, self-control, planning, and task persistence. It provides interactive games to help engage children and shows monsters going through different challenges to help make the content relevant. 

Headspace. Although many people have heard of Headspace, they may not realize that this popular meditation app has lots of content specifically for kids. In addition to Headspace content designed for kids, there is also content made in partnership with Sesame Street featuring favorites such as Cookie Monster, Rosita, and Elmo. Kids can learn useful mindfulness skills, and parents can follow along with their versions of the content. 

Nod. Nod is an app targeted towards older teens and college students focused on tackling loneliness and social connections through social challenges. The app draws from science-backed psychology areas to equip students with the necessary skills to connect and relate. 

Sanvello. Although more appropriate for older teens and college students, Sanvello is an app based on extremely useful and effective principles of cognitive-behavioral therapy. Cognitive-behavioral therapy backs many of the best science-backed apps, and Sanvello packages these skills in a comprehensive and user-friendly way. Learn skills to challenge your thoughts and engage in behaviors to boost your mood and tackle stress, anxiety, and sadness. 

SuperBetter. SuperBetter leverages kids’ interests in playing games by allowing them to make a “secret identity,” tackle quests, use power-ups, and overcome “bad guys.” This gamified approach to goal setting and problem-solving help build optimism, overcome challenges, and is scientifically-proven to tackle depression and anxiety. “Power Packs” are created for specific concerns that might be useful for particular children. 

Overall, apps are a helpful solution to put resources in the palms of parents’ and kids’ hands. They aren’t meant as a replacement for services but can serve as a tool to help build skills and resources to use in various situations. They can provide a useful role in building mental healthier kids and remind us that technology can be used for good, especially if used right.  

Thanks for this post goes to to  Dr. Stephen Schueller, a clinical psychologist and mental health services researcher. His work focuses on using technology to expand access to and improve the accessibility of mental health services. He is an Associate Professor of Psychological Science at UC Irvine and an Adjunct Associate Professor of Preventive Medicine at Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine. He also serves as Executive Director of One Mind PsyberGuide, a free tool that identifies and evaluates digital mental health products for various specific uses (differentiating tools for PTSD, OCD, anxiety and stress, and more).