This post was written by Mark Linsdell of the Publicize Newsroom.
The mind can be a difficult road to navigate. I’m not the only one that seems to think so.
Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the U.S, affecting 18% of the adult population every day. Despite the rise in mental health problems, particularly in young people, only 37% seek treatment. This is presumably due to a perceived stigma in society.
October 10th is World Mental Health Day. It’s a day where people are encouraged to open up about mental health and hopefully lessen the outdated taboo of asking for help.
Thankfully, the health and wellness tech industry has boomed in the last five years. More and more of us are using remote counseling and wellness apps to get the self-care we need. With that in mind, here is our list of the 8 health and wellness tech startups to look out for:
Unmind
With constant deadlines and bureaucracy, it’s little wonder that many of us find the workplace to be a huge trigger for mental health issues.
However, it’s also one of the settings where people feel least comfortable with opening up. In fact, 9 out of 10 employees experiencing stress, anxiety or depression wouldn’t tell their employers.
The London-based startup, Unmind, provides employees with an anonymous desktop and smartphone platform they can access through the workday. It allows you to track your mental health, set challenges for yourselves and find the tools to get further help if required.
The data is GDPR compliant and only aggregated-data is shared with employers, meaning employees can use it without judgement. After using Unmind, 89% of people said it increased their confidence and understanding of mental health.
BioBeats
BioBeats is a game-changer for professionals who want to be more mindful of their mental health, but don’t see a gap in their schedule to do so.
In a similar vein to Unmind, its app BioBase is a stress management product geared towards employers looking for assistance with managing their employees’ mental health. Founded in 2012, BioBeats has so far raised $8 billion over six funding rounds.
The app also works in tangent with the BioBeam watch which allows users to track their sleeping patterns. Originally from London, BioBeats now has offices in San Francisco and Pisa. They train work teams on stress management throughout the USA and Europe.
Tomo
Anyone who has suffered from depression will tell you that one of the hardest things is going about your daily routine. The little things that keep your mind healthy become an uphill struggle. It’s already difficult enough to go to the gym as it is!
Tomo is an app that aims to fix that. It’s a free ‘activity tracker’ that learns about your life and wellbeing and prompts you to keep up healthy pursuits. The app has an interactive chatbot that helps you avoid relapse by setting you up with 24/7 ‘buddy systems’.
Moreover, the social options allow you to engage with the Tomo community. You can share your ‘habitual journey’ by posting photos of your accomplishments to Tomo’s other users and deliver virtual high-fives all round.
Moodpath
If you’re someone who is often too busy to tap into how you’re ‘really’ feeling, Moodpath may be beneficial to you. It tracks your mood three times a day for a fortnight.
At the end of this process, a report is sent to you which can then be taken to a professional to help diagnose your mental health symptoms. In addition, Moodpath also has an extensive library with access to over 150 psychology exercises and videos to further assist your journey.
The German-based startup has developed its own research platform with anonymized user data and it recently reached one million downloads.
Stop, Think & Breathe
Stop, Think, & Breathe is aimed towards under-25s and looks to tackle the rising percentage of young people suffering from anxiety.
It provides short mindfulness exercises that allow you to check-in with your emotions, meditate or broaden your perspective. The app is the brainchild of Tools for Peace, a non-profit that teaches the skills of mindfulness and meditation to inner-city children.
The Santa Monica startup raised a $2.4 million seed round in 2017. This, alongside the current effectiveness of the app, are telltale signs of a mental health startup that’s here to stay.
NeuroFlow
The time in between therapy sessions can be tricky for new patients, often a wealth of new and untaped emotions are brought to the surface. NeuroFlow aims at addressing that.
The Philadelphia-based startup service is a mobile application and website that’s designed to assess, track, and engage clients in the time spent between therapy sessions. Its digital exercises positively reinforce the self-care covered in therapy. Furthermore, users are assigned ‘mental health’ homework and automated nudges that remind them to complete assignments.
In addition, NeuroFlow’s users can also use wireless sensors to measure real-time emotional states like stress during exposure therapy, or relaxation during breathing exercises.
Flow Neuroscience
This Swedish startup has designed a revolutionary headset that shows the capabilities of neuro-tech in 2019.
Flow Neuroscience‘s headset uses mild electrical currents to stimulate brain activity in depressed people. It works alongside an AI-powered app that teaches the user the science behind mental health, healthy coping techniques, and lifestyle changes.
They raised $1.1 million in seed funding last year. Unfortunately, the device is only currently available to order in the United Kingdom and Sweden
Quartet
Through various algorithms, Quartet aims to facilitate care between the providers and mental health patients for better physical outcomes.
The New York startup matches patients with a vast network of providers and health system options so they can choose the best care possible. Finding the right treatment options is often a daunting task for patients, but Quartest’s platform makes it way easier.
Moreover, providers can also use the platform to collaborate and build a community with each other through treatment plans, combined resources, and monitoring progress.
As you can see, technology is revolutionizing mental health services for the better. Furthermore, although depression and anxiety can be isolated, the virtual communities and tools available through these startups mean that people suffering from mental health issues are not alone on their journey.
With the increasing awareness raised on World Mental Health Day, we hope that more health and wellness tech and mental health understanding comes to the fore.
