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Handy CBT iPhone app Maya reduces mental health issues, new study shows
Mental health researchers have highlighted a little-known app for iPhone called Maya as a great tool for grappling with issues like anxiety.
Mental health is finally being researched as it should, with scientists providing people with advice like the interesting link between reduced depression symptoms and classical music. Anxiety is one of the most prevalent mental health conditions, with the World Health Organisation estimating that 301 million people live with it.
The mental health app was developed by scientists
If you are living with anxiety you might have exhausted all of the usual suggested options like walking your dog, taking anti-anxiety medication, and breathing techniques.
Though we have long known that spending time on your phone only enflames mental issues, there are other apps to explore that won’t leave you in bed rotting in a TikTok hole. One such platform is Maya, an iPhone mental health app developed by Weill Cornell Medicine researchers.
Published this week in the JAMA Network Open journal, teams from Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian found that the use of Maya reduced anxiety symptoms in participants at both the six and twelve-week check-ins.
Though the study’s authors argued that the app is not a replacement for traditional forms of support, Maya employs strategies based on cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to tackle anxiety symptoms.
We hear a lot about the negative impact of technology use on mental health in this age group, said Dr. Faith M. Gunning, the study’s lead author. But the ubiquitous use of cell phones for information may provide a way of addressing anxiety for some people who, even if they have access to mental health providers, may not go. If the app helps reduce symptoms, they may then be able to take the next step of seeing a mental health professional when needed.
How does the app work?
Maya was designed to target anxiety in early adulthood when people generally experience stressful transitions like entering into relationships, getting a job, moving out, and losing family members.
The iPhone app itself guides users through videos, exercises, and educational content that aids them in formulating mental health techniques. Much like Duolingo, Maya encourages people to visit the app daily.
“We think there is promise in these apps, but theyre only helpful if people use them, said co-first author Dr. Jennifer N. Bress. We wanted to develop an evidence-based app to see empirically whether we were actually engaging people and addressing their anxiety. While there is ample evidence from clinical studies that CBT is effective for treating anxiety, testing the app itself through clinical trials is an important step to ensure its efficacy.
Because most countries are drowning in a sea of mental health needs, the app’s designers said Maya could fill in the gaps where people aren’t able to seek support immediately.
