Six Innovative Categories of Mental Health Apps: From Assessment to Social Support – Prospectus Overview

On the Apple iOS App Store, hundreds of apps related to psychotherapy and emotional regulation are available. After categorization and organization, they can be broadly classified into the following types:

1. Tool Guidance,This app guides users in managing their emotions through articles, instructional videos, and other resources, helping to reduce anxiety and alleviate stress;
2. Psychological Assessment Category,Professional psychological assessment scales comprehensively evaluate various levels of psychological conditions, serving both for self-assessment and to assist professional physicians in clinical decision-making.
3. Follow-up and Tracking,Experts can browse patients' visit records and post-consultation status, and view patient mood logs, etc.
4. Skill Training Category,The primary users are physicians, facilitating simulated patient-physician communication to enhance their professional competencies;
5. Auxiliary Regulation Category,The primary users are the general public. Interactive software helps patients relax through engagement, utilizing a combination of text and images, meditative music, and dynamic visuals or videos to create a calming and soothing environment that promotes mental and physical relaxation. Some applications also integrate psychological radio channels; while some allow users to listen at their discretion, others require listening according to a specified frequency or as part of a structured treatment course.
6. Social Mutual Aid Category,Patients or the general public engage in mutual Q&A and communication, or confide in strangers to express their feelings and relieve internal stress through sharing.

Below, we have selected and introduced corresponding apps by category:

Tool Guidance Category

Anti-Anxiety APPThis is an app for comprehensive therapeutic management of patient stress and anxiety, which does not require an internet connection. Users can record and review their treatment progress as needed. The app includes six major functional modules:

1. Diagnostic questionnaires for assessing stress and anxiety levels, with personalized treatment plans designed based on the results;
2. Instructional videos can guide users to effectively alleviate anxiety and stress;
3. The workbook’s information and training content can provide detailed, step-by-step guidance to help users complete the treatment;
4. Access the latest research findings downloaded from SoundMindz.org;
5. Progress Tracker: Capable of tracking treatment progress and activity logs, this tool automatically synchronizes updates with SoundMindz’s cloud service;
6. On-demand reporting.



Psychological Assessment Category

Mental Health Scales The Mental Health Scale Suite encompasses a comprehensive set of mental health assessment scales and cognitive screening tests for mental well-being, with full compatibility across iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad. Featuring a simple and intuitive interface, the application enables users to conduct self-assessments on their mobile devices, email results to their physicians, or complete evaluations under medical supervision. Scores are automatically saved and compared against historical test data. Historical records can be stored on the mobile device, transferred to a computer, or printed. As data security is a paramount concern, the app leverages Apple’s hardware-level encryption technology to ensure device security.

The assessment scales included in this app are:
• AIMS (Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale – Rapid Screening for Patients with Movement Disorders)
• ADHD-SRS (Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale)
• CAGE (Alcoholism Screening)
• GAD-7 (Generalized Anxiety Disorder Screening)
• GDS (Geriatric Depression Scale - Short Form)
• PHQ-9 (Self-Rated Depression Scale for Monitoring and Diagnosis)
• PTSD Screening (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Screening)
Additional Tests:
• Clock Drawing Test (Cognitive Function Screening)
• BMI (Body Mass Index + Waist Circumference)



Follow-up and Tracking Category

TARA APPThe platform is divided into an Expert Edition and a Patient Edition, functioning similarly to follow-up tracking software. It is specifically designed to facilitate experts in reviewing and maintaining comprehensive records of all patients. For experts, the system enables access to patients’ mood logs, including data on mood, anxiety levels, sleep quality, stress, and medication adherence. It also allows for the documentation of the entire treatment process, facilitating comprehensive health monitoring and enhancing patient compliance. Patients typically download and use the app as recommended by their physicians. The patient-exclusive app is primarily used for recording psychological journals and daily medication intake.

TARA incorporates a triage model validated by research at Stanford University. Based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), this triage system covers 140 common symptoms, thereby reducing expert time requirements and enabling faster assessment of patient conditions.


School Psychology Tools: An app designed specifically for school psychological counselors. It features the following capabilities: Teachers can customize personalized templates based on built-in design frameworks to intervene in student behavior and assess mental health status. Automated settings allow for regular updates on students’ status upon clicking “Agree”; it enables monitoring of individual students’ conditions with set time points; furthermore, assessment cycles for student health can be configured or adjusted according to regional or institutional educational policies. Data can be sorted by student name, school, grade level, teacher, etc. Multiple indicators—including duration, frequency, and records—can be observed simultaneously. Additionally, daily agendas can be annotated, and appointment reminders can be set.



Skills Training Category

Mental Health – Virtual SimulatorsThis is a utility app designed specifically for psychiatrists and junior physicians, aimed at training them to communicate effectively with patients. Its key feature is the use of 3D simulated environments to create virtual scenarios, where doctors interact with various types of psychiatric patients in a simulated consultation room. This not only hones their conversational skills but also leverages AI-driven character interactions to endow virtual patients with diverse emotions and behaviors, comprehensively enhancing doctors’ adaptability and requiring them to respond appropriately to different scenarios.

Patients present with a wide variety of conditions. If a physician selects the Level 8.4 difficulty, they must successfully manage at least five patients with distinct symptoms. Only upon passing this assessment can the certificate be downloaded. Throughout the simulation, all procedures adhere to scientific standards, including pathology and evidence-based medicine; therefore, physicians must exercise prudent medical judgment when prescribing treatments.

Auxiliary Regulation Category

Established in 2004,ustwo Digital Product StudioContinuously innovating in the field of psychology, it has developed a product namedPAUSEThe Fingertip Relaxation APP, with design inspiration drawn from Chinese Tai Chi and ancient meditation practices. The PAUSE APP enables users to complete focus training on their mobile phone screens. Leveraging innovative technology, it ushers users into a relaxing and enjoyable journey. As a mobile application, it is not constrained by time or location, allowing for interactive relaxation anytime and anywhere.

Simply by continuously moving your fingertip slowly across the screen, the app can help users achieve relaxation and improved focus within minutes. The efficacy of PAUSE has been repeatedly validated, with electroencephalogram (EEG) tests further confirming its effectiveness.



The team had previously partnered with Thriveport to launch a product namedMoodnotesThe app, available for download on iOS, is specifically designed for individuals with depression. It captures users’ positive and negative emotions and regulates their mood by integrating cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) techniques.

As the World Health Organization (WHO) predicts that depression will become the leading cause of disease burden globally by 2030, Moodnotes has already amassed 15,000 users. The product aims to address both positive and negative emotions bidirectionally, helping users better recognize their emotional states and improve their overall well-being.



This August, ustwo also invested $2 million in the seed round of Marvel, a company developing prototyping and collaboration tools that enable designers to convert files into interactive, visual applications compatible with any device.
Marvel addresses the challenge of transforming designers' ideas into tangible, presentable applications.

Social Mutual Aid Category

7 CupsA community-based app has been developed. By enabling free, anonymous communication among strangers, it allows users to unburden their minds without hesitation. Of course, those listening are trained professionals. Thousands of people use the 7 Cups app every week; they may be under significant stress, experiencing anxiety or depression, struggling with poor interpersonal relationships, or simply going through a low point in their day. At any such moment, they can open the app and find an outlet for relieving psychological pressure.

7 Cups was founded by licensed mental health professionals. Its main features are organized into sections such as Lifehacker, Medical Daily, and TechCrunch. All conversations are automatically deleted afterward, leaving no trace. Another distinctive feature is that the trained listeners are volunteers who receive no monetary compensation. 7 Cups has more than 20,000 volunteer listeners, each with a profile outlining their areas of expertise, ranging from panic attacks and eating disorders to breakup recovery. Users can also freely select their country and language.

In fact, a good psychological counselor must be a good listener. Users can quickly calm down and achieve relief by venting their troubles. Based on this principle, 7 Cups has resolved the majority of users' psychological issues by simply training a group of volunteers who are skilled at listening.



It is reported that there is a similar psychosocial networking app in China, calledHami, is China's first social emotional regulation tool that can record users' psychological journeys, analyze their emotional changes, and automatically match them with peers in similar psychological situations. When users face difficulties, they can also seek help from the broader online community by posting questions.



Domestic Mental Health Websites and Apps

Other well-known online psychological counseling agencies in China include Kuanzhai Wang, Yi Xinli, Yali Xinli, Jiandan Xinli, and Ningmeng Xinli.

Kuanzhai Network:VCBeat previously reported (http://www.vcbeat.top/19484.html), primarily focusing on B2B services by providing employee psychological counseling to enterprises. It is currently expanding its B2C offline operations by establishing psychological counseling rooms in primary and secondary schools across various regions, gradually increasing its influence, with the future goal of setting up psychological counseling centers nationwide.

Yixinli:Yixinli APP is an online platform for preliminary psychological consultations, connecting users with over 5,000 psychological counselors across China to provide timely support for psychological concerns. Yixinli Radio also offers content designed to soothe the mind, complemented by psychological assessments and a social Q&A section. In August this year, it was reported that Yixinli formally entered into a strategic partnership with WeGene, a genetic testing company, to conduct large-scale big data research on the relationship between mental health and genetics.

Yali Psychology:As a mental health counseling platform, it offers separate interfaces for counselors and users, supporting both telephone consultations and offline appointments. In May this year, it was reported that “Yali Psychology” had entered the O+O era and was preparing to launch offline stores.



Simple Psychology: The model is similar, enabling users to find suitable counselors for psychological counseling through methods such as psychological assessments, online appointment scheduling, online inquiries, and phone calls. It also integrates functional modules including offline social activities, listener matching, and consultation browsing.

Lemon Psychology:A social application centered on a model combining social networking, self-diagnosis, and lightweight medical consultations. This app is particularly suitable for individuals experiencing high life stress and significant psychological burden. As an online psychological counseling service platform, it strictly verifies the qualifications and credentials of every counselor onboarded.

Overall, domestic psychological counseling companies in China primarily focus on psychological assessments, online appointment scheduling, online counseling, or telephone consultations. They concurrently operate online social platforms and offline activities, with largely similar formats. In terms of both technology and innovative approaches, they lag significantly behind their foreign counterparts.

Appendix: Overseas Mental Health Apps



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