Are mental health and wellness apps really helping consumers?

Globally, roughly one in seven people lives with a mental disorder, with an estimated 359 million people affected by anxiety disorders and about 332 million living with depressive disorders as of 2021, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). While the prevalence of mental illness has remained relatively stable in recent years, what has changed are the modes of treatment and the growing role of digital tools.

A booming consumer-app market

The surge of consumer mental health and wellness apps has been exponential, especially since the pandemic. More than 20,000 such applications are now available worldwide, offering everything from mindfulness exercises to cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) chatbots and AI-driven coaching.

The glob...