My App: My Mental Health
Key messages:
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New app launched to support patients with mental health conditions
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Aim is to provide patients with good quality validated, and clinically effective self-management materials
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Content includes a library of trustworthy and reliable resources offering not only information about common mental health symptoms and conditions but also materials to help manage them.
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Access website https://rightdecisions.scot.nhs.uk/myapp-my-mental-health/ or download app via App Store or Google Play. Instructions on how to access the app are available here.
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Healthcare professionals are encouraged to signpost this resource to patients where appropriate
Background
Mental Health and Wellbeing have become an increasing priority for the population, at a time of increasing stressors on all of us both socially and professionally, and is one of the main causes of overall disease burden worldwide. This was true before the pandemic and certainly is after it. It is known that one adult in six in the UK has a common mental health disorder with mixed anxiety and depression being the most common in the UK (7.8%).
Many patients have embarked on developing coping strategies for their difficulties and to learn about different ways of managing them. Within NHSGGC, we are aware of the increasing mental health information and self-management materials that are available to the public, particularly online.
The amount of information found by a single internet search can be overwhelming and with the abundance of information difficult to find. With this in mind, and aware that good quality validated, and clinically effective self-management materials are and should already be freely available to the public, we aimed to curate and compile a library of trustworthy and reliable resources offering not only information about common mental health symptoms and conditions but also materials to help manage them.
NHSGGC established an editorial group composed of senior management and clinical staff who assessed, vetted and approved the available information and materials for the main and most searched mental health symptoms. The editorial group started by building a collection for these most enquired about problems and gradually built up others around them. It was felt particularly important to offer information for children and young people as well as for carers. In time, the group hope to expand and cover many more problems and conditions.
Our vision is to make this a library that meets the needs of the Scottish population and the place to go to for reliable mental health information and help. A live resource that we can shape between all of us.
Published 16/06/2023, updated links 26/07/23. Medicines Update blogs are correct at the time of publication.
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