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VetChange app

An app to help you cut down on or quit drinking and learn how to manage symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
There's a focus on veterans and military service members, but other people can also benefit from this app.

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VetChange app	By US Department of Veterans Affairs
	Features Goal setting. Tracking. Graphs and reporting. Counter.
Country of origin	United States
Clinical review	Read a clinical review below.
Security and privacy	Does the app: Collect medical information? Yes Require a login? No Have password protection? Yes Have a privacy policy? Yes Require internet access to use? No Read more about safety and security when using apps. Brochures: Tips to improve your privacy and security [PDF, 65 KB] Healthify He Puna Waiora, NZ Staying safe online(external link) Netsafe, NZ
Cost	Free
Advertisements	This app contains no ads.
How to get the app	(external link) (external link) (external link)

The VetChange app is for people wanting to cut back on their drinking and learn how to manage symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Although there's a focus on veterans and military service members, other people can also benefit from this app.

With this app, you input how much alcohol you drink and your goals. The app helps you track your progress with how much alcohol you drink, and whether or not you have reached your goals. The app also motivates you to stay on track with your goals, and provides tools to manage urges as well as mental wellbeing issues that may arise, such as sadness and anxiety.

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

PROS	CONS
✔ Menus are simple and intuitive, and allow you to easily find what you need. ✔ Modules are interactive, brief and engaging. ✔ The app has warnings about alcohol withdrawal if you set goals to reduce your drinking too quickly. ✔ You can create a customised action plan to combat urges. ✔ It has modules to help you manage wellbeing issues, such as sadness, anxiety, anger, boredom and sleep problems. ✔ Tips to increase motivation. ✔ Facts about urges provided are useful and realistic. ✔ Evidence-based for PTSD and high alcohol consumption.	✘ After the initial setup, you input alcohol consumption in units rather than by volume and type of drink. This relies on you accurately estimating the alcohol content of your drink. ✘ Alcohol units are not the same as in Aotearoa New Zealand. The app calculates beverage volumes in ounces, which New Zealand users may be less familiar with. ✘ The recommended drinking limits of less than or equal to 14 drinks per week are higher than recommended in New Zealand.

PROS

CONS

✔ Menus are simple and intuitive, and allow you to easily find what you need.

✔ Modules are interactive, brief and engaging.

✔ The app has warnings about alcohol withdrawal if you set goals to reduce your drinking too quickly.

✔ You can create a customised action plan to combat urges.

✔ It has modules to help you manage wellbeing issues, such as sadness, anxiety, anger, boredom and sleep problems.

✔ Tips to increase motivation.

✔ Facts about urges provided are useful and realistic.

✔ Evidence-based for PTSD and high alcohol consumption.

✘ After the initial setup, you input alcohol consumption in units rather than by volume and type of drink. This relies on you accurately estimating the alcohol content of your drink.

✘ Alcohol units are not the same as in Aotearoa New Zealand. The app calculates beverage volumes in ounces, which New Zealand users may be less familiar with.

✘ The recommended drinking limits of less than or equal to 14 drinks per week are higher than recommended in New Zealand.

Clinical review

Reviewer: Dr Roland Meyer, General Medicine specialist
Date of review: November 2024
Platform: Apple iOS
Version: 2.0
Comments: The VetChange app is mainly for people with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and high alcohol consumption. It helps you decide if it's time to change your drinking habits, set drinking reduction goals and track your progress. It can help you learn about situations that trigger drinking and how to cope with stress, anger and sleep problems, which are common issues with alcohol abuse. There are tools built into the app that help motivate you to make a change. This is a well designed, interactive and intuitive app that can help you manage your alcohol consumption and common psychological issues that can occur with alcohol overuse.

Overall the app is easy to use, very comprehensive, informative and helpful. The absence of ads and forced links to other sites makes this very attractive to use.
Safety concerns: None.
New Zealand relevance: Although the title and theme of the app targets veterans and military service members, other users who are struggling with alcohol or mood issues relating to alcohol can find this app useful.
Note: The alcohol units are not the same in Aotearoa New Zealand and the United States. The app calculates beverage volumes in ounces, which New Zealand users may be less familiar with.
The recommended drinking limits of less than or equal to 14 drinks per week are higher than recommended in New Zealand.
The support services suggested in the app are not available to New Zealand users.

Alcohol use apps
Alcohol topics
Clinician's guide – how to choose a health app
Consumer guide – how to choose a health app
New Zealand-based apps
NZ Health App Library

Disclaimer: The NZ Health App Library is a free consumer service to help you decide whether a health app would be suitable for you. Our review process is independent. We have no relationship with the app developers or companies and no responsibility for the service they provide. This means that if you have an issue with one of the apps we have reviewed, you will need to contact the app developer or company directly.