CBT Guide to Depression & Test app

CBT Guide to Depression & Test app

  • A cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) based self-help guide for managing depression.
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CBT Guide to Depression & Test app By Excel At Life

Features

  • Goal setting – has a feature to record a daily summary of mood and also set daily goals (with some suggestions you can select).
  • Diary – also has a Cognitive diary where you can record particularly challenging situations and what you felt and thoughts you had in response to the situation, and then how you want to respond to this challenge.
  • Tracking.
Country of origin USA
Clinical review 

Not recommended

Read a clinical review with concerns 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? Yes

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 ads.
How to get the app

This app is a cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) based self-help guide for managing depression. It offers 3 main steps:

  • An evaluation of depression (using self-report measures)
  • CBT tools to manage depression (including education about depression, audio and video guides for relaxation and reframing thoughts, and activity and mood logs) and,
  • Strategies to help change negative thinking styles (often associated with depression).

It also offers links to further professional assistance, but these do not seem relevant to NZ based users. The material in the app has been created by Monica A Frank (the founder of Excel at Life), who is an American clinical and sport psychologist, who also has an interest in Qi Gong martial art practice and a number of the videos incorporate this practice.

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

PROS CONS 

Access to information about Depression and how CBT works to improve symptoms.

Offers free resources that may benefit the user.

Some interactive tools, which capture and store the users information.

Too much information to navigate, without a clear process for how to use the app effectively.

Poor quality videos and audios and overall low-budget aesthetic.

Only links to American-based professional help and crisis service information.

Clinical review

Not recommended

Reviewer
: David Bloore, Clinical Psychologist, David Bloore Psychology Ltd (private practice)
Date of review: February 2024
Platform: Android
Version: 2.1.1
Comments: While this app offers information about Depression and offers some CBT strategies to manage symptoms, I found that it was not an easy app to navigate. There is too much information to work through, with no clear process to follow in the app and unless you are familiar with CBT practice it would be difficult to navigate it without a mental health professional assisting you. The audio and video’s are not well made and would be unlikely to capture the attention and focus of someone struggling with depression. The references are mostly American-based and I would not recommend the use of this app as there are better app’s and websites available for NZ-based users.
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 rather NZ based users should familiarise themselves with the crisis management services that are operating in their local area.
New Zealand relevance: While the information about depression and the CBT tools might be relevant, there are only links to American based resources (such as finding a CBT therapist) and American based crisis services.

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.

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Healthify He Puna Waiora, NZ

Credits: Healthify editorial team. Healthify is brought to you by Health Navigator Charitable Trust.