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Self-Heal app

An app to reduce the urge to self-harm.

Self Heal	By University of Oxford IT Services
	Features Education and information Activities Get the app from
Clinical review	Read a clinical review of this app.
Security and privacy	Does the app: collect medical information? Unknown require a login? No have password protection? No have a privacy policy? No (there is a link but it is broken) require internet access? No Read more safety tips around health apps
Cost	Free

What does the app do?

This app gives users activity ideas to help them resist the urge to self-harm. For each activity, users have the option to choose between now, at the time of urge or longer term. Users can access support from websites, reading material or motivational images.

For a more detailed review, see Reviews.

PROS	CONS
✔ Developed in conjunction with mental health professionals at Oxford University. ✔ Randomly recommends an activity to complete if you have the urge to self-harm. These are described as distraction tasks. The tasks are divided into now (eg, “squeeze ice really hard”) and long term (eg, “go to a blog website and write an online journal”). Some are external links such as YouTube videos (the links work). ✔ Can 'favourite' specific tasks. ✔ Contains information about self-harm and some advice but it is very limited. ✔ Large gallery of motivational, animal, landscape and other images intended to boost the user’s mood.	✘ The interface is dated and at the time of writing it hadn’t been updated for 2 years. ✘ The external links in the info section are not clickable. It also only shows you the domain name of the URLs, with the specific page (the so-called 'path') being replaced with “…” eg, “http://ww.rcpsych.ac.uk/...” This makes it difficult to find the recommended page. ✘ Most of the tools in the external links should ideally be integrated into the app.

PROS

CONS

✔ Developed in conjunction with mental health professionals at Oxford University.

✔ Randomly recommends an activity to complete if you have the urge to self-harm. These are described as distraction tasks. The tasks are divided into now (eg, “squeeze ice really hard”) and long term (eg, “go to a blog website and write an online journal”). Some are external links such as YouTube videos (the links work).

✔ Can 'favourite' specific tasks.

✔ Contains information about self-harm and some advice but it is very limited.

✔ Large gallery of motivational, animal, landscape and other images intended to boost the user’s mood.

✘ The interface is dated and at the time of writing it hadn’t been updated for 2 years.

✘ The external links in the info section are not clickable. It also only shows you the domain name of the URLs, with the specific page (the so-called 'path') being replaced with “…” eg, “http://ww.rcpsych.ac.uk/...” This makes it difficult to find the recommended page.

✘ Most of the tools in the external links should ideally be integrated into the app.

Review details

Date of review: September 2019
Platform reviewed: Android
Version: 1.1.0
Download size: 66 MB
Updated on: 2/06/2017

Learn more

Self-harm

References

Vieira AM, Lewis SP. Mobile Apps for Self-Injury: A Content Analysis.(external link) Cyberpsychol Behav Soc Netw. 2018 May;21(5):333-337.

App developer: If you are the developer and would like to provide updated information about this app, please email the app library manager at hello@healthify.nz

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