Some unexplored safety issues?
A recently published research paper suggests that many mental health apps may have unexplored safety issues. These issues could affect 7 Cups, but we don't seem to have explored them either.
The researchers in Australia looked at 61 mental health apps. (7 Cups was not one of them.) They concluded:
Mental health apps may promote medicalization of normal mental states and imply individual responsibility for mental well-being. Within the health care clinician-patient relationship, such messages should be challenged, where appropriate, to prevent overdiagnosis and ensure supportive health care where needed.
Unpacking this a little, they are suggesting mental health apps carry two risks.
The first risk is that when someone has a normal mental state, the app might make them think it's a medical issue. For example, if someone feels sad for some perfectly normal reason, and they come to 7 Cups, they find no sadness community here. The closest they can get is our depression community, and depression is a medical condition. This is medicalization of a normal mental state.
The second risk is that when someone has a mental illness, the app makes them think their mental state is their individual responsibility. For example, if someone has suffered severe and disabling anxiety for many years, and they come to 7 Cups, someone here might try to be helpful by suggesting coping strategies and distractions. Suggestions like these might prevent them from seeking the professional treatment they need.
Article: Mental Health Messages in Prominent Mental Health Apps
@RarelyCharlie
Thank you for sharing this post! These are definitely things to keep in mind.
That's a concerning article, I've wondered about this sort of thing before.
its the inbetweeners that have to suffer. people who are completely functioning or not functioning well at all are likely to have no issues getting the support they need. im not talking about whether they are not suffering or not. im getting the support that theyre getting. but its the people in the middle, who fear opening up to people irl, or are functioning but think theres something not quite right with them, that refuse to seek help. honestly, what do? dunno.
