The COVID-19 pandemic changed life as we knew it over night. Think about the culmination of job loss, isolating conditions of a lockdown, or potentially losing loved ones. Besides, the pandemic affects mental health and limits the access to on-site psychotherapy. In the Netherlands, for example, face-to-face psychotherapy visits for people with severe mental illness dropped to 26% in April. Without timely support, even the mild cases will exacerbate.
How to ensure widespread availability of mental health support in this unprecedented time?
Until a cure or a vaccine against COVID-19 is invented, mental health apps might fulfill the existing treatment gap by reaching people with limited or no access to professional mental health services. In 2019 Therapieland, one of the leading e-mental health providers in the Netherlands, released a mobile application under the name Therapieland Monitor. With it people can track their sleep, stress, and mood as well as follow a few relaxation exercises.
How does Therapieland Monitor perform in the context of e-mental health landscape and COVID-19 pandemic? How do novices experience it?