Ryan Schwartz clearly recalls the moment that sparked the creation of his app, Mental Health Match.
He was in the Heights, having coffee with a friend, and each had their phones out.
Schwartz was searching for a therapist. His mother had just died, and he was trying to find someone who specialized in grief. The therapist also had to be in his price range, accepting new clients and a good fit in general.
Meanwhile, his friend across the table was setting up a profile on a dating app.
“Within a few minutes, she was matching with the potential loves of her life,” Schwartz recalled. “And I was still stuck scrolling through Google.”
Suddenly, he was struck with an idea. If the technology was in place to make lasting love connections, couldn’t something similar be used to fix him up with a therapist?
Just like with relationships, it can be complicated and daunting to meet the ideal mental health professional.
Schwartz knew he was not alone. He told others about his idea.
“They also would get overwhelmed trying to find a therapist and just give up,” he said. “And that’s a shame, because therapy can really be so beneficial. I wish more people knew about the power of therapy.”
Schwartz started drawing his concept on a piece of paper, then created Power Point slides and before long hired a team to develop the idea.
Finally, he launched Mental Health Match in 2019. Soon, the software expanded from Houston to Austin and Dallas. In 2020, Mental Health Match grew again - and now connects therapists with patients in 11 states.
The process is similar to online dating: An individual answers a set of questions, which cover everything from types of therapy preferred and budget. Then, an algorithm selects five potential therapists. Each practitioner’s profile highlights their credentials and counseling philosophy. Therapists have different styles, specialties and personalities, as well as different price points. Some offer sliding scales or even free services.
“It’s really about making a connection,” Schwartz said. “And it’s completely free and confidential. We’re trying to make it easy and convenient. We want to remove the barriers for people to access mental health care.”
During the pandemic, the service has experienced higher demand, he explained.
“The break in normal life has given us space to reflect and proven that we do have mental health needs that should be addressed,” Schwartz said. “So many of us wait to find a therapist until we’re at a breaking point or in a crisis. That’s the opposite of what we should do. We want to give people the tools they need to take care of their well-being right now.”
COVID-19 has exposed underlying mental health issues - and also created higher levels of stress, anxiety and depression, he added.
“More and more people are looking for a therapist now,” he said. “It’s a really stressful time.”
Dr. Sarah Pletcher, executive medical director of virtual care at Houston Methodist, said a number of mental health apps that have become increasingly popular - and they work in a variety of ways.
“An app for mental health can be a million different things,” she said. “It could mean literally finding a mental health provider or actually receiving care through an app, and sometimes, it’s supporting general wellness overall.”
Dr. Pletcher explained that there are apps that serve as portals to mental health professionals, like Mental Health Match. In addition, there are apps that provide therapy.
For instance, Anxiety Reliever and Self-Help Anxiety Management (SAM) can track symptoms and provide exercises to help relieve fear and worry. Panic Relief can help ward off an anxiety attack, and WorryWatch provides self-monitoring tools for chronic worriers.
“There are all sorts of apps that can walk you through high anxiety and panic attacks,” Pletcher said.
Sanvello offers support for stress, anxiety and depression. T2 Mood Tracker also creates a report over time for mental health professionals.
For individuals with PTSD, there are apps like CPT Coach, PE Coach and PTSD Coach that offer step-by-step treatments and prompts for handling stressors.
MoodTools focuses on depression and offers a diary, suicide safety plans and meditation guides. MoodKit is for those with depression, anger management issues and anxiety disorder - and teaches skills to change unhealthy behaviors. MindShift also helps users change their behaviors, using mindfulness strategies.
There are apps that help with breathing techniques like Breathe to Relax, those that provide meditation techniques like Headspace and others that offer ways to overcome negative thoughts and stress like Happify. Support groups even exist on apps, including Huddle and Theragroup.
“There are also apps that are not mental-health specifically, but they’re aligned,” Pletcher said. “There are habit-forcing apps, medication reminder apps, apps that help you practice gratitude or provide inspirational quotes. They’re not exactly mental health apps, but they are great tools.”
A good night’s rest can help a patient dealing with anxiety or depression. An app like Calm, which provides guided meditation, breathing exercises and even bedtime stories, might be beneficial. Encouraging exercise or a healthy diet might also be key to managing mood. An app like Runkeeper can track exercise, and MyFitnessPal monitors diet.
Pletcher said that apps like Medisafe Medication Manger can keep track of prescriptions and refills, which could benefit mental health patients. She explained that medical provider teams and patients can connect in new and different ways, using virtual technologies. The rise of telehealth during COVID-19 proves that patients and medical practitioners are open to new options.
“COVID helped people realize, ‘There are all these ways I can leverage health care from my pocket,” Pletcher said.
She predicts that trend will continue to evolve and expend - and that apps could become useful tools for doctors and care teams to coordinate patients’ health plans.
For example, Pletcher said, a doctor could recommend certain apps to a patient with anxiety to help monitor diet and exercise - or apps to address mindfulness, breathing and decreasing stress.
She added that counselors and therapists could also help patients download and start using apps, eliminating barriers to access the technology.
“Care teams can have a role in creative integration and implementation,” Pletcher said.
At Houston Methodist, there are two apps patients can access. Through MyMethodist they can access the Virtual Urgent Care app and the Virtual Behavioral Health app.
Patients can also use MyChart, which allows patients to access their medical information and connect with virtual services.
She said that for mental health patients who are struggling to come to an appointment in person, virtual options can be a game-changer that allows individuals to take control of their health.
“There’s definitely increased recognition of the power of these tools,” Pletcher said. “I see progress.”
Lindsay Peyton is a Houston-based freelance writer.
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