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Self-help App for the mind (SAM)

An app created by the University of West of England to help people cope with anxiety, depression and loneliness.

Self-help App for the Mind (SAM)	By University of the West of England and MyOxygen
	Features Self-help tools Education and information Mood tracking Trigger log Community forum Get the app from (external link) (external link) (external link)
Country of origin	UK
Clinical review	Read a clinical review of this app.
Security and privacy	Does the app: collect medical information: Yes require a login: Yes have a password: Yes have a privacy policy: Yes requires internet access to use: No but the app has limited functionality offline Read more safety tips around health apps.
Cost	Free

What does the app do?

Self-help App for the Mind (SAM) helps users learn about anxiety, depression and loneliness and practice self-help techniques to manage them.

Users can keep track of their mood and triggering situations.
The self-help section offers a variety of tools such as breathing exercises, muscle relaxation exercises, meditation, thought exercises and tips.
Users can create a list of favourite self-help tools.
The app also has a discussion forum for users to get and give support.

For a more detailed description of the app, see Apple Store(external link), Google Play(external link) or iTunes(external link) and for a detailed review, see Reviews.

PROS	CONS
✔ Support from community forum available. ✔ Provides links to other self-help resources.	✘ Instructions for using app provided but are difficult to find. ✘ Educational components and readings are minimal and superficial. ✘ Although the app provides many different self-help tools, these are difficult to locate and are provided in written, instructional format rather than more interactive means. Some provide incorrect or incomplete instructions for the strategies described. ✘ Some content is not functioning, eg, broken links, and muscle relaxation exercise doesn't play. ✘ Content doesn't address different types of anxiety disorders making advice too general at times to be useful. ✘ Difficult to navigate, unstructured or information provided out of order.

PROS

CONS

✔ Support from community forum available.

✔ Provides links to other self-help resources.

✘ Instructions for using app provided but are difficult to find.

✘ Educational components and readings are minimal and superficial.

✘ Although the app provides many different self-help tools, these are difficult to locate and are provided in written, instructional format rather than more interactive means. Some provide incorrect or incomplete instructions for the strategies described.

✘ Some content is not functioning, eg, broken links, and muscle relaxation exercise doesn't play.

✘ Content doesn't address different types of anxiety disorders making advice too general at times to be useful.

✘ Difficult to navigate, unstructured or information provided out of order.

Review details

April 2022; Version 1.1.0; Android
November 2017; Version: 1.2.6; Android

Other useful resources

This app has been reviewed by other independent websites.

Self-help anxiety management – a professional review(external link) One Mind PsyberGuide

Learn more

Review of Self Help Anxiety Assessment app(external link) iMedicalApps, July 2015
SAM website(external link)
Bakker D, Kazantzis N, Rickwood D, et al. Mental Health Smartphone Apps: Review and Evidence-Based Recommendations for Future Developments.(external link) JMIR Ment Health. 2016 Mar 1;3(1):e7.
Van Singer M, Chatton A, Khazaal Y. Quality of smartphone apps related to panic disorder(external link) Front Psychiatry. 2015 Jul 14;6:96.

Self-help App for the mind (SAM)

What does the app do?

Review details

Other useful resources

Learn more

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