Not all mental health apps are helpful. Experts explain the risks, and how to choose one wisely

By Jeannie Marie Paterson, Professor of Law, The University of Melbourne
Nicholas T. Van Dam, Associate Professor, School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne
Piers Gooding, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Disability Research Initiative, The University of Melbourne

There are thousands of mental health apps available on the app market, offering services including meditation, mood tracking and counselling, among others. You would think such “health” and “wellbeing” apps – which often present as solutions for conditions such as anxiety and sleeplessness – would have been rigorously tested and verified. But this isn’t necessarily the case.

In fact, many may be taking your money and data in return for a service that does nothing for your mental…

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