Long wait times for mental health appointments are pushing more people onto online services, but experts say smartphone apps can play an important role in providing care – provided they are backed by evidence.
The app, released publicly today, is believed to be the first clinically evaluated free app offering cognitive behavioural therapy, the gold standard for thought-based psychological therapy, specifically for teenagers. Black Dog aims to have 50,000 teenagers facing mental health challenges use the app over the next three years.developed a set of standards for online mental health services in 2020A 2018 study by Northwestern University found only 4 per cent of so-called mental health apps on the market had been clinically evaluated.
“If only has a limited number of funded sessions under Medicare, you want to make the most of what you’ve got,” he said.