What all physicians need to know about mental health appsWhat all physicians need to know about mental health apps
Quick Takes: A podcast by physicians, for physicians
On this episode of Quick Takes Dr. Gratzer sits down with returning guest and digital psychiatry expert, Dr. John Torous of Harvard University to try to determine just what makes a good app. What do physicians really need to know before using an app in their clinical work?
20:00•18 Nov 2020
Mental Health Apps: What Doctors Should Ask Before Saying Yes
Episode Overview
- Over half of younger patients have tried a mental health app, so clinicians should be prepared to discuss and guide their choices.
- Check for a clear privacy policy and a trustworthy developer; skipping these steps can expose patients’ sensitive data to third parties.
- Simple tools like mood, sleep and step trackers can be clinically useful when used alongside regular care, rather than as stand-alone treatments.
- Evidence for mental health apps is often weak and engagement is low, with many users stopping within a week, underscoring the need for clinical integration.
- Frameworks such as the APA app evaluation model can help clinicians, patients and families apply consistent questions about safety, evidence and usability.
“Imagine an app that’s free… why is it free?… maybe because it’s collecting a lot of your personal data.”
What secrets to maintaining sobriety can be uncovered? Here, the focus shifts to a different but very modern challenge: how physicians handle the explosion of mental health apps their patients are already using. Quick Takes brings together psychiatrist Dr. David Gratzer and returning guest Dr. John Torous, director of digital psychiatry at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, to talk frankly about what makes a mental health app worth recommending.
The tone is fast-paced, practical and a bit cheeky (Torous jokes that they’re not talking about appetisers) while staying firmly grounded in clinical realities. You’ll hear them break down what apps actually do – from simple mood and sleep trackers to VA-developed tools like T2 Mood Tracker and PTSD Coach – and why even “basic” apps can be powerful when used alongside a clinician.
At the same time, they don’t shy away from the darker side: data-hungry apps, opaque privacy policies and even a suicide-prevention app with a typo in the crisis number. As Torous puts it, “Imagine an app that’s free… why is it free?… maybe because it’s collecting a lot of your personal data.” The conversation is aimed squarely at busy physicians who are being asked, on the fly, to recommend apps but may feel out of their depth.
You’ll get simple screening questions (Is there a privacy policy? Do you trust the developer?), an overview of the APA’s app evaluation framework, and a reminder that app store descriptions are marketing, not medical review. They also touch on chatbots like Woebot and Wysa, the problem of poor engagement (many people stop using apps within a week), and the promise and risks of digital phenotyping and health equity.
Throughout, the message stays clear: apps are tools, not stand-alone cures, and their real value comes when they’re integrated thoughtfully into routine care. If your patients are already pressing “download”, this conversation asks whether you’re ready to help them choose wisely.
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