Many of the people who face significant mental health stress also face barriers to care. People who are Black or LGBTQ+, for example, experience higher levels of exclusion, microaggressions, and bullying. They also face bias, stigma, a lack of culturally relevant support, and other barriers to care. 

Similarly, people with chronic illness and people with occupational stress or trauma — such as active military personnel, healthcare workers, teachers, first responders and caregivers—are at risk of high stress but also face barriers to care, including stigma and constraints related to their daily environments. Employers should look for digital mental health apps that offer culturally relevant support and programs designed specifically for the unique challenges and needs of employees who represent underserved populations.

People know to expect antibiotics when they have a bacterial infection, or to expect a cast when they break a leg. When it comes to mental health, however, people don’t know what to expect in terms of quality care. Evidence-based mental health care should be the quality standard. 

The American Psychological Association defines evidence-based practice as the “integration of the best available research with clinical expertise in the context of patient characteristics, culture, and preferences.” Look for digital mental health apps that offer psychologist-developed programs using principles of proven, evidence-based therapy models, such as cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavioral therapy and acceptance and commitment therapy.

Studies have shown that consumers expect personalization in all digital interactions. What’s more, in the context of mental health, personalized digital interventions have been shown to significantly reduce depression and anxiety in employees with higher levels of psychological distress. 

Digital mental health apps should offer personalized screenings for anxiety and depression to help employees identify mental health needs early. Employees also should be offered the opportunity to input personal goals and health conditions into the app. Using their screening results and self-reported information, digital apps can make personalized recommendations to employees to support their mental health and well-being.

Employees should be able to easily find and use their employer-sponsored mental health benefits. But one study showed that half of employees don’t have a good awareness or understanding of their employer’s health and benefits offerings. 

To help drive engagement, digital mental health apps should integrate with an employee’s other mental health benefits, such as their employee assistance program (EAP). For example, using an employee’s mental health screening results, a digital mental health app could triage them to their EAP for counseling, an appropriate crisis hotline, or a digital mindfulness tool available through their benefits plan.

Integrated, personalized, evidence-based programs won’t make an impact unless employees try them, like them, and keep coming back. For that to happen, they must find the content compelling, not just informative.

Digital mental health apps should use high-quality production and trusted human voices to 

• Connect with an audience through a shared background/cultural experience or understanding. 
• Earn a user’s attention and influence their behavior through compelling storytelling.
• Relax and soothe the audience with empathy and compassion.

To appeal to diverse populations, a digital mental health app also should offer a wide variety of subject matter and program formats featuring narrators of different backgrounds, cultures, and traditions.