Mental Health App Trends for 2023 and Beyond

The market for healthcare apps has been showing impressive growth in previous years. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, people have started to prioritize health and wellness. With quarantine lockdowns stressing the importance of handling conditions like depression and anxiety and taking timely measures to prevent them, mental healthcare has become one of the most discussed topics in the public space.

The emergence of apps leveraging technology to bring mental healthcare to a broader range of users alleviates the issues plaguing the mental health industry. Notably, high costs and low accessibility of mental healthcare services, as well as a lack of evidence about the efficiency of current mental health practices. In this article, we`ll explore the trends in mental health app development that we will see throughout 2023.

Workplace Mental Health Apps

The corporate wellness market is projected to reach $109.4 billion by 2030, growing at an annual rate of 8.38%. The stage for this sector’s growth has been set by increasing awareness of the impact of the employee's mental and emotional well-being on the overall business efficiency. Many companies today are including mental health support programs in their employee compensation packages, and the trend is likely to persist in years to come. Still, many large employers report a shortage of behavioral health providers for employee healthcare.

In 2023, we expect to see an increase in workplace mental health app offerings and comprehensive mental health platforms like Nilo.Health. The must-have features of such apps and services will include 24/7 access to certified mental healthcare professionals, personalization, and a comprehensive approach addressing the full spectrum of issues and topics - from stress management to creativity and personal growth.?

Focus on Children’s Mental Health

In 2022, the mental health of children and adolescents has been brought into the public spotlight. In the EU, for example, the authorities recognize the need to take efficient measures to prevent the spread of depression among kids and younger citizens. Working parents, on the other hand, require advice and assistance, which digital services may efficiently provide.

In 2023, we will see a growing number of apps to assist families in preventing difficult emotional conditions and mental health issues. Apps like Chill Panda, teaching kids how to self-soothe, relax and meditate using relaxing sounds and animation, will be getting wider traction.

Another trend is towards apps like Bark using NLP algorithms to monitor children’s online activities to indicate early signs of anxiety, depression, or suicidal thoughts and notify parents without direct surveillance and eavesdropping. We are also likely to see an increasing demand for apps helping working parents of children with ADHD and autism monitor and manage these conditions.

Data-Driven Behavioral Healthcare

In 2023, mental health and solutions will become increasingly reliant on data, especially when it comes to estimating the efficiency and defining the behavioral health methods that genuinely work. The insights derived from users’ mental and behavioral health data will allow mental healthcare professionals to come to conclusions that previously required years of clinical research. Needless to say, we can expect better use of healthcare apps and platforms to lead to better outcomes.

From the users’ perspective, the benefits of a data-driven approach will include higher precision and personalization, increased efficiency of applied techniques and methods, and the capability to tailor mental health treatments to one’s specific needs.

Regulating Mental Healthcare

The global mental health apps market was valued at USD 5.2 billion in 2022 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 15.9% from 2023 to 2030 (GrandView Research). Yet, despite digital mental health apps and platforms becoming a regular practice, there are still numerous efficiency and security concerns.

In a bid to protect customers from unauthorized use and disclosure of their sensitive data and to deliver high-quality and evidence-based treatment methods, legislators are introducing laws and regulations packages concerning mental healthcare space.

Currently, legislative bodies like FDA in the United States and National Health Service (NHS) in the UK are working on an expanded set of criteria for safe and secure digital mental health tools and platforms. In 2023, governments will likely impose new compliance standards for applications, tools, and devices used in mental healthcare. Both patients and clinicians should be able to determine if a digital healthcare application complies with these standards and can be deemed secure and trustworthy.

The steps towards creating the standards for better digital mental healthcare are also taken on a global scale. In 2021, the World Economic Forum and Deloitte launched the Global Governance Toolkit for Digital Mental Health: Building Trust in Disruptive Technology for Mental Health - aiming to provide governments, regulators, and independent assurance bodies with the tools to protect personal data and ensure high quality of service.

Conclusions

In 2023, we will see the diversification of offerings in the digital mental health space. App vendors will strive to meet the demand for solutions and services for specific user groups such as employees, teachers, children, and working parents. New rules and regulations will somewhat hinder the expanding market for digital mental and behavioral health apps but will subsequently ensure consistency, interoperability, and high clinical and security standards.

With mental health becoming one of the household topics in the 2020s,? the future of digital mental healthcare looks brighter than ever.

Looking for a reliable tech partner to build a secure and efficient mental healthcare solution? Contact us now for a free consultation!