29/05/2025
📱 Wake Up Wednesday: Are Mental Health Apps Helping or Hurting?
With so many mental health and wellbeing apps flooding the digital space, it can be hard to know which ones are truly helpful. This Mental Health Awareness Month, we’re encouraging families to pause, read the fine print, and have conversations before clicking “download.”
Not all support comes from a screen—and not all apps are created equal.
🚨 What Are the Risks?
1.) Disregarding Professional Help
Many apps offer advice without connecting children to qualified mental health professionals—making it easy to overlook when real support is needed.
2.) Placing Responsibility on Children
Self-help tools can shift the burden onto young people to “fix” how they feel, when what they really need is adult guidance, support, and validation.
3.) Quality & Reliability
Not all mental health apps are backed by science. Some may offer generic advice, unrealistic claims, or even misinformation that can do more harm than good.
💡 Tips for Parents & Carers
🔍 Check the Credibility of the App
Look for apps created by professionals or trusted organizations. Avoid any that make unrealistic promises or don’t clearly explain how they help.
🗣️ Encourage Open Communication
Apps can be helpful—but honest conversations are irreplaceable. Talk to your child regularly about how they’re feeling and let them know they don’t have to figure it all out alone.
📣 Special thanks to .up.wednesday and The National College for this timely guide.
Because all kids are our kids, and mental health support should always start with trust, not tech.
