Table 2. VA mobile mental health portfolio: treatment-companion apps.
| App | App description | Platform | Research version available? | Target population |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PE Coach | The app will guide you through the exercises assigned by your therapist and allows you to track and record your progress. In addition, the app provides techniques such as controlled breathing that will help you tolerate and decrease your distress. PE Coach will help you remember and track your upcoming therapy sessions. You will be able to audio record your sessions directly onto your phone so you can review them later as part of your treatment. By itself this app is not sufficient to treat PTSD. However, those who are receiving PE treatment can work together with their therapist to use the tools in this app | iOS, Android | Y | PE Coach is designed to be used during therapy for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with a health professional who is trained in Prolonged Exposure (PE) therapy |
| CPT Coach | This app contains support materials for a complete course of CPT to help patients manage their treatment, including between session assignments, readings, PTSD symptom monitoring, and mobile versions of CPT worksheets. CPT Coach is not intended to be used as self-help without the guidance of a professional mental healthcare provider | iOS, Android | N | CPT Coach is for veterans, Service members, and others with PTSD who are participating in Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) with a professional mental healthcare provider |
| CBT-i Coach | The app will guide users through the process of learning about sleep, developing positive sleep routines, and improving their sleep environments. It provides a structured program that teaches strategies proven to improve sleep and help alleviate symptoms of insomnia. CBT-i Coach is intended to augment face-to-face care with a healthcare professional. It can be used on its own, but it is not intended to replace therapy for those who need it. CBT-i Coach is based on the therapy manual, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia in veterans. CBT-i has been shown to be efficacious for insomnia for both veterans and civilians | iOS, Android | Y | CBT-i Coach is for people who are engaged in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia with a health provider, or who have experienced symptoms of insomnia and would like to improve their sleep habits |
| ACT Coach | ACT Coach offers exercises, tools, information, and tracking logs so you can practice what you’re learning in your daily life. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) aims to help you live with unpleasant thoughts, feelings, and impulses without avoiding them or being controlled by them. In ACT, you are encouraged to commit to actions so that you can live your life by your values, even in the face of these unpleasant experiences | iOS, Android | N | ACT Coach was developed for veterans, service members, and other people who are in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy in consultation with a therapist |
| Stay Quit Coach | This app is intended to serve as a source of readily available support and information for adults who are already in treatment to quit smoking - to help them stay quit even after treatment ends. The app guides users in creating a tailored plan that takes into account their personal reasons for quitting. It provides information about smoking and quitting, interactive tools to help users cope with urges to smoke, and motivational messages and support contacts to help users stay smoke-free. Stay Quit Coach is based on the smoking treatment manual “Integrated Care for Smoking Cessation: Treatment for veterans with PTSD.” This treatment is based on evidence-based clinical practices, and has been shown to double quit rates of military veterans with PTSD |
iOS, Android | N | Stay Quit Coach is designed for veterans, service members, and other people who need assistance with quitting smoking |
| STAIR Coach | Skills Training in Affective and Interpersonal Regulation (STAIR) is an evidence-based psychotherapy that uses cognitive and behavioral techniques to help with managing emotions and relationships. The app includes in-depth psychoeducation, interactive tools for emotion and behavior management, customizable reminders and quick links to support | iOS | N | STAIR Coach is designed to supplement in-person psychotherapy using Skills Training in Affective & Interpersonal Regulation (STAIR) but has tools that could be helpful for anyone who has experienced trauma |
| Mood Coach | This app is designed to help you boost your mood through participation in positive activities. You can make a plan with positive activities and track your progress. This app provides: | iOS | N | Mood Coach was developed for veterans, service members, and other people who are using Behavioral Activation in consultation with a mental health provider. Behavioral Activation is an evidence-based treatment for depression |
| • Scheduling of positive activities for your selected values | ||||
| • An activity log for tracking your progress | ||||
| • A daily mood rating tool | ||||
| • Education about depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, and behavioral activation | ||||
| • The PHQ-9 assessment for tracking symptoms of depression | ||||
| Mood Coach can be used on its own by those who would | ||||
| like mood management tools, or to augment face-to-face care with a healthcare professional. It is not intended to replace therapy for those who need it |
PE, prolonged exposure therapy; CPT, cognitive processing therapy; CBT-i, cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia; ACT, acceptance and commitment therapy.