Mental health is of great importance, although many underestimate it. According to statistics, every year the growth of psychological disorders grows by an average of 20%, which without the need for treatment can develop into complex diseases. Thus, every 40 seconds a new case of psychological disorder is detected in the world. Even against the background of such data, not many companies want to create applications for mental health, since this process has certain difficulties. Let’s take a closer look at what difficulties may arise on the way to developing a healthcare application as a business.
How to create a mental health app?
Currently, many people prefer to use mental health apps on mobile devices, so many entrepreneurs want to create a mobile application.
It will allow people in need of psychological help to receive qualified help much faster and will reduce the burden on therapists and psychiatrists. It will also provide this help at any distance from the medical institution, which is much more convenient.
As a rule, the first stage requires careful study of the market and understanding of the main aspects of development as well as HIPAA regulations. So, first of all, it is necessary to learn the main types of applications for psychological health. Among the most common are:
- Claims of psychological disorders;
- Post-traumatic stress disorder;
- Eating disorders;
- Applications for meditation and self-improvement.
The choice of application type depends on the main idea of your software. The list of functions that it should perform will trust this.
Find the target audience
Defining the target audience is a key parameter at the beginning of any project. However, it is especially important in mental health issues, as young and old people perceive problems differently. It is also worth considering who will use the application – patients or doctors. This is why it is necessary to develop a plan that takes into account the user’s condition.
There are 3 main features of a top-notch mental health app:
- self-control;
- notifications and reminders;
- support groups.
Each of these aspects is of great importance, so it makes sense to consider them in more detail.
Self-control
Most users who use the mental health app do so for self-monitoring. Thus, clients can record their cases, feelings, and moods here, which helps to significantly reduce stress levels. In addition, notes on medication intake can be made here, if necessary.
In addition, people diagnosed with an eating disorder can record their meals here, which is also an expression of self-monitoring.
Notifications and reminders
Sometimes people forget about self-control and need constant reminders about it. So the main purpose of reminders is to encourage self-control. This is useful for very busy users. However, it is worth remembering that too many reminders can cause stress, so it is important to set up any reminders clearly.
Support groups
Psychologists often advise their clients to attend support groups because this is a very effective way to cope with problems and to understand that you are not the only one facing similar issues. Usually, such groups are supervised by specialists who push people to draw the correct conclusions. The problem is that not everyone can attend such meetings, and web groups are usually more accessible and as effective as meetings in real life.
What can mental health apps be called good?
Among the most common are:
- interaction with the target audience;
- good automation of all processes;
- observance of safety rules;
- Pay attention to stigma.
After development, it is necessary to conduct comprehensive healthcare testing. It helps to identify the slightest errors in software creation. If funding allows, it is better to include both manual and automated testing for comprehensive evaluation. It will allow us to identify even more errors in interface creation, including functionality, performance and other aspects. The slightest errors must be found and corrected in time, so this must be done as the code is created.
How much does software development may cost
The cost of developing a mobile application largely depends on what functions it should perform, how much time is available for development and what tools you will use. Average development statistics show that frameworks and ready-made libraries allow you to significantly reduce costs, since many of these tools are free and help to significantly minimize the time of work. The exact price is formed based on the set of functions that will be included in the new application.
In the end
Creating such mobile applications can bring many benefits to people with psychological problems. Such software must be straightforward, not bring additional stress, and accurately perform the necessary functions. Creating such an application is highly complex, so you need to seek help from specialists with extensive experience.