We’re mid-way through January, which means that many of us will have embarked on new habits in a quest to live healthier and happier in 2023. As well as improving our physical health, the goal of bettering mental health is gaining momentum. In a recent Forbes Health/OnePoll survey, 45% of respondents said that improving mental health was one of their top New Year’s resolutions, topping fitness (39%), weight loss (37%) and improving diet (33%).
This has not gone unnoticed to the tech sector, and there’s now a growing market for apps, solutions and devices claiming to support mental health. Therapeutic approaches are now easily accessible via apps, for example, and we can connect with therapists and counsellors on Zoom, embark on wellbeing courses on dedicated platforms, and track physical symptoms and mood with wearables. There are also a number of public health services both in trial and in operation.
We’ve had a quick browse and highlighted the following areas we think are particularly interesting or helpful in terms of supporting mental health:
We can all use social media and other apps to read or watch content on the best supplements, therapies, or exercises for mental and physical health. However, it’s often when we switch off and move away from our screens that we can really take action, and (hopefully!) start 2023 healthier and happier.
Finally, taking action isn’t only the responsibility of tech users. Software developers and tech companies should consider mental health and wellbeing in UX and product design. Manipulative algorithms can encourage addictive behaviours while misinformation and the lack of age restrictions allow harmful content to be accessed by vulnerable users. Both of these things can and should be addressed by the tech sector.