The mental health of students is important. School seriously impacts it. Firstly, school is eight hours long and the breaks are few in number. Secondly, school administrations are suspending and punishing marginalized students at disproportionate rates. Thirdly, it’s a space where gender non-conforming and trans students fear for their lives, literally. How can students practice mindfulness in the classroom if they are attending school in fear?
Mental health apps are one answer. They are a way to directly address that and indirectly increase school engagement. Yes, education technology is all the rage these days. But, shouldn’t it include the things around education that make a student better? If young people know that they can access something quickly when they feel the need to, they’ll most likely be more open to learning. This would especially be the case if teachers and other school administrators were aware of and encouraged the use of mental health apps.
But, there’s a catch: these apps can’t be quick fixes. They can’t diagnose anyone nor can they provide the nuance/context/expertise that a mental health worker can. And with so many mental health apps on the market, you can’t be sure that all of them are clinically-tested and proven to produce results. If schools made space for these apps (in conjunction with already existing social workers and child and youth workers), it would normalize mental health, illness and challenges. It would start a very necessary conversation.
Here are 4 resources students and educators can use to find mental health apps:
Mental Health Apps: Do They Work? – This article has useful information about what to look out for when trying to find a legitimate app. There are also some recommendations.
The Future of Mental Health Apps – Another article with useful information about the pros and cons of mental health apps
Mental Health Apps (Anxiety and Depression Association of America) – a list of mobile apps ADAA reviewed and approved
22 Apps That Help Our Mental Health (Blurt it out) – A list of 22 mental health apps that people love