Lift – Depression & Anxiety app

The Lift – Depression & Anxiety app is designed for people struggling with anxiety and depression, to help them to understand and manage their symptoms better  and lead a healthier life.

• The app draws from “acceptance and commitment therapy”, principles of mindfulness and more flexible thinking, Acceptance of emotions and life experiences, connection to others and aligning behaviour with values.
• The app offers a daily animated video providing education about anxiety and depression and an interactive platform for processing emotions and thoughts.
• There's also the option for a daily check-in which requires answering questions about how you're feeling, specific emotions, nutritional wellness, mindfulness and spirituality, physical activity, human connection, sleep quality, and an option to make a journal entry, which is recorded.

With each activity you can get points and earn badges. While these ‘rewards’ are not real, they do acknowledge some achievement and may be motivating for some people.

The videos offer encouraging and positive messages about remaining hopeful and there's the option to engage in other resources, eg, meditation audios, links to relevant TED talks and the ability to comment on forums and engage with others who are also using the app.

There's the option to add people to the app who can become your support system and keep them informed of what you are doing on the app and to reach out to when needed.

One of the latest features is an interactive AI ‘Wellness Coach”, who the user is able to interact with and ask questions. This feature allows for 30 free messages every month (unlimited for users who have paid for a premium account).

There is also an “SOS” feature which can be used in an emotional crisis. This links to grounding strategies, eg, meditation audios and coping statements. The SOS feature also outlines crisis phone lines and links to further professional assistance, but these are only relevant for US users and are not accessible for New Zealand users.

For the complete app description, go to Google Play(external link), App Store(external link) or, for a more detailed review, see reviews below.

Clinical review

Reviewer: David Bloore, Clinical Psychologist, David Bloore Psychology Ltd (private practice)
Date of review: March 2024
Platform: Android (5.0 and up)
Version: 4.4.10 (last updated 20^th March 2024)
Comments: I think this app could be useful as a tool for someone already in therapy or who has had past therapy and needs a reminder of some tools or strategies. The videos are well made and the app is interactive, which makes it engaging. The interactive features may also appeal more for a younger audience and those who are motivated by a token/reward system and want to connect with others online who are also struggling with similar life challenges. The added option to create a support system within the app and connect to an online community is also a positive feature. The AI coach is quite a fun addition and was able to provide immediate answers to some specific questions. I would recommend it more for users who are experiencing low levels of anxiety and depression, but it may not be as helpful for people suffering for more severe anxiety or depression. Also, because the app is designed mainly for US users, there are a number of features that are not relevant to a New Zealand audience.
Safety concerns: While I do not have particular safety concerns, I would note that the information offered that relates to crisis management services is not relevant to NZ users and instead, NZ based users should familiarise themselves with the crisis management services that are operating in their local area.
NZ relevance concerns: The tools and resources in the app are relevant to a New Zealand audience, but the access to on-line therapy is only relevant for US clients and the app only references American based crisis services.