WEDNESDAY, Aug. 21, 2024 (HealthDay News) — It’s no substitute for real psychotherapy, but a newly developed app could help young adults with mental health problems reduce their anxiety, researchers report.
The app, called Maya, “can be an accessible and powerful tool for those seeking support for anxiety. It’s incredible to see our ideas come to life,” said Dr. Avital Falk, co-lead author of the study and app designer. She is an associate professor of psychology in clinical psychiatry at Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian in New York City.
The Weill Cornell team began developing the new app in 2019 in collaboration with members of Weill Cornell Information Technologies & Services.
Maya draws on a proven form of psychotherapy called cognitive behavioral therapy to teach patients new coping strategies and change their thinking to help them better manage daily mental health challenges.
Maya helps teach these coping skills and is aimed at young adults (18 to 25), who are often at a very stressful age as people navigate the transition from home to college and the workforce.
Using various videos, exercises and learning content, the app provides stressed users with the guidance they need when a doctor is unable to help them.
In a study of 59 young adults, most of them appeared to use the Maya app for at least 11 of the 12 weeks of the study. They did not delete it from their phones, as can often happen when people try out new apps.
People seemed to benefit from the app in terms of lower anxiety levels, the researchers added.
“We hear a lot about the negative impact of technology use on mental health in this age group,” said the study’s lead author, Dr. Faith Gunning, in a Weill press release. But smartphone dependence can also have positive sides.
Digital technology “could be a way for some people to alleviate their anxiety even though they have access to mental health services that they don’t go to,” said Gunning, vice chair of psychiatric research at Weill Cornell University. “If the app helps alleviate symptoms, they can take the next step and see a mental health professional if needed.”
“Our initial results suggest that the app could be an effective tool to bridge waiting times for people waiting for an appointment with a therapist,” she added.
The new findings were published in the journal on August 20 JAMA network opened.
More information
You can find tips on stress management at the American Heart Association.
SOURCE: JAMA network open, 20 August 2024
