World Mental Health Day: How AI, Apps, & Platforms are making Mental Health Support Reach Everyone

Mental health care is a growing global concern, especially in conflict, disaster, and pandemic zones where access is limited. Digital technology, through apps, teletherapy, AI tools, chatbots, and online communities, is now expanding access like never before

Mental Health, a subject often overlooked, encompasses the emotional, psychological, and social dimensions of human life and shapes the way individuals think, feel, and act in their daily lives. Despite being crucial for our well-being, it is still surrounded by stigma and often fails to get the attention it truly needs.

World Mental Health Day, observed annually on October 10, serves as a pivotal moment to spotlight mental health issues worldwide. This year, the theme focuses on "Access to Services, Mental Health in Catastrophes and Emergencies," underscoring the urgent need to provide mental health support during crises, including conflicts, natural disasters, and health emergencies.

Mental Health Care has become a global concern, especially in conflict zones, disaster-hit areas, and pandemics, where access to care is often limited.

To close this access gap, digital technology through Mental health apps, teletherapy platforms, AI-powered screening tools, chatbots, and digital communities is scaling up access to care like never before.

In this article, we shall explore how AI, mobile apps, and digital platforms are making mental health support more accessible to people around the world.

Mental Health Trends Worldwide

Reports from the WHO show that mental disorders are now the second leading cause of long-term disability worldwide, while suicide remains a major concern, with 727,000 deaths in 2021, especially among youth.

Moreover, the economic impact of mental health disorders is also staggering. While healthcare costs are substantial, the indirect costs, particularly in lost productivity, are far greater. Depression and anxiety alone cost the global economy an estimated $1 trillion USD each year.

While many Countries have implemented mental health policies and programmes to create awareness, greater investment and technological integrations are needed globally to scale up services to protect and promote people’s mental health.

Technological solutions are bridging critical gaps in mental health delivery, improving accessibility, efficiency, and patient outcomes. The integration of AI in electronic devices is giving the public, health care providers, and researchers new ways to access help, monitor progress, and increase understanding of mental well-being, thus reshaping the landscape of mental health care.

In fact, Researchers in the US are taking mental health support to the next level with Therabot, an AI-powered chatbot designed to help people with mental health issues. Basically, it acts like a virtual psychotherapist, offering support whenever someone needs it.

Meanwhile, Cedars-Sinai, a renowned Los Angeles-based medical center, has developed Xaia, a unique AI-powered chatbot designed to work alongside mental health therapists and make care more accessible.

On a bigger scale, Oracle Health got a project worth $218 Mn to develop a next-gen electronic health record (EHR) system for the state’s mental health network, aiming to unify records across 24 inpatient psychiatric centers and more than 300 outpatient programs.

Even OpenAI, one of the world’s widely used AI tools, is stepping up by updating its ChatGPT to promote and support healthier usage and improve its response for users experiencing emotional or mental distress.

Indian Perspective

India, with its vast population and diverse geography, is particularly vulnerable to mental health challenges in emergencies. Frequent natural disasters, such as floods, cyclones, and earthquakes, combined with socio-economic stressors, significantly impact the psychological well-being of affected populations.

According to the National Mental Health Survey 2015-2016, nearly 15% of adults in India require mental health support, yet the treatment gap remains substantial. Further, the shortage of mental health professionals is critical, with fewer than one psychiatrist per 100,000 people, far below the minimum recommended by the WHO. Although the National Mental Health Programme has been launched to improve services, access remains limited, especially in rural areas.

With the government investing in digital platforms such as Tele-MANAS, Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM), and eSanjeevani, India is now attempting to bridge one of the world’s widest gaps in mental health treatment. In a country where nearly 1 in 7 people live with some form of mental disorder, technology is no longer an accessory; it is becoming the backbone of access and inclusion.

A significant step regarding mental wellness was taken by Bengaluru-based startup Rocket Health, which had launched the world’s first AI-powered voice journal app for mental wellness designed to help users reflect, express themselves, and track their emotional well-being.

In fact, corporate giants are even stepping up to ensure mental wellness. Infosys, a global IT and consulting giant, has teamed up with Mental Health Foundation Australia (MHFA) in launching ‘Supportive Mind’, an app dedicated to promoting mental health awareness and offering actionable solutions for proactive self-care and support.

Bengaluru’s National Institute of Mental Health and NeuroSciences (NIMHANS) had made waves by launching the world’s largest digital archive of patient records, featuring over 37,000 files dating back to the 1890s. The massive resource is expected to give a major boost to clinical research, policy planning, and public health studies in mental health care.

On the ground, the state governments are also stepping in; the Health Minister of Karnataka had recently inaugurated India’s First AI-powered mental Health Hospital in Bengaluru. The 27-bed hospital is designed to support individuals facing acute mental health distress and builds on Amaha’s outpatient network across Bengaluru, Mumbai, and Delhi, which has already helped over 40,000 people.

Wrapping Up

Despite the government increasing investment with over Rs. 230 crore allocated to the National Tele Mental Health Programme (NTMHP) in the past three years to expand reach yet the stigma and lack of awareness continue to pose significant barriers to effective utilization.

During emergencies, this gap widens due to the disruption of healthcare services and limited access to mental health professionals, especially in rural and disaster-affected areas.

Bridging this gap requires continued technological advancements, including AI, digital platforms, and other innovative solutions, to make mental health care truly accessible for everyone.

This Mental Health Day, let's stop sidelining mental health and start treating it as a priority. Today, help is just a few clicks away, whether through chatbots, virtual counselling, or tele-mental health services. Technology has opened the door, and we must step through and embrace the support available.

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