FREE MENTAL HEALTH SMARTPHONE APPS FOR VETERANS
Resource list compiled by: Brittany Hartzell, Psy.D., Local Recovery Coordinator, Fayetteville VAMC
US DEPARTMENT OF VETERAN AFFAIRS & DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE, SMARTPHONE APPS
The Mindfulness Coach App provides you with tools and guided exercises to help
you practice mindfulness, which means paying purposeful attention to the present
moment without passing judgment on it or your feelings. Mindfulness Coach can
be used alone, but is not intended as a substitute for therapy (iPhone only).
The PTSD Coach App helps you learn about and cope with the symptoms related
to Posttraumatic Stress (PTS) that occur following trauma. PTSD Coach can be
used alone, but is not intended as a substitute for mental health treatment.
The Virtual Hope Box (VHB ) contains simple tools to help patients with coping,
relaxation, distraction, and positive thinking. Patients and providers can work
together to personalize the VHB content on the patient's own smartphone
according to the patient's specific needs.
Breathe2Relax is a portable stress management tool. Breathe2Relax is a hands-on
diaphragmatic breathing exercise. Breathing exercises have been documented to
decrease the body's 'fight-or-flight' (stress) response, and help with mood
stabilization, anger control, substance use urges, and anxiety management.
Tactical Breather App can be used to gain control over physiological and
psychological responses to stress. Through repetitive practice and training, anyone
can learn to gain control of your heart rate, emotions, concentration, and other
physiological and psychological responses to your body during stressful situations.
Moving Forward App provides on-the-go tools and teaches problem solving skills
to overcome obstacles and deal with stress. It is especially helpful in managing
challenges such as: returning to civilian life, balancing school and family life,
financial difficulties, relationship problems, difficult career decisions, and coping
with physical injuries.
T2 Mood Tracker App: The app records a range of emotions for anxiety,
depression, head injury, stress, posttraumatic stress and a user’s general well-
being. Users can also create items to track their progress in unique areas. The
saved results are displayed in an easy-understand graph. The data is saved in a
graphical or spreadsheet file which can be transferred by e-mail or other wireless
connection.
Resource list compiled by: Brittany Hartzell, Psy.D., Local Recovery Coordinator, Fayetteville VAMC
Life Armor: Comprehensive learning and self-management tool to assist with
common mental health concerns. Contains information on 17 topics, including
sleep, depression, anger, relationship issues, substance use, and post-traumatic
stress. Brief self-assessments help the user measure and track their symptoms,
and tools are available to assist with managing specific problems.
The Concussion Coach App provides you with resources to help you manage
symptoms of concussion or mild to moderate traumatic brain injury. Concussion
Coach can be used alone, but may be more helpful when used along with
treatment from a provider.
Together Strong: Interactive app that lets you practice what to say and do when a
peer is struggling with adjustment to civilian life. Through interactive role-play
and simulations, you'll become prepared to have a conversation that will
motivate a friend to seek help, build resilience, and lead a positive life.
Parenting2Go App helps Veterans and Service Members reconnect with their
children and provides convenient tools to strengthen parenting skills. Parents can
find quick parenting advice; relaxation tools to use when frustrated or stressed;
tools for positive communication; and strategies to switch gears between military
life and home.
Stay Quit Coach App helps you “stay quit” after you stop smoking with tools to
control cravings, reminder messages and support links. Stay Quit Coach is best
used while in treatment with a therapist or after your treatment has ended.
MOVE! Coach Mobile (MCM) is a weight loss app for Veterans, service members,
their families who want to lose weight. This 19-week program can monitor, track,
and receive feedback regarding progress with weight, diet, and exercise goals.
This app also helps teach SMART goals and problem-solving skills to overcome
barriers.
Positive Activity Jackpot (Android/Google play only): Positive Activity Jackpot
uses a professional behavioral health therapy called pleasant event scheduling
(PES), which is used to overcome depression and build resilience. This app
features technology to help users find nearby enjoyable activities and makes
activity suggestions with local options and the ability to invite friends.
BioZen: This app takes many of the large medical sensors in a clinic and puts them
in the hands of anyone with a smart phone. Showing real-time data from multiple
body sensors including electroencephalogram (EEG), electromyography (EMG),
galvanic skin response (GSR), electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG), respiratory rate,
and skin temperature to show users their meditative & attentive cognitive states.
Resource list compiled by: Brittany Hartzell, Psy.D., Local Recovery Coordinator, Fayetteville VAMC
US DEPARTMENT OF VETERAN AFFAIRS SMARTPHONE APPS, FOR USE WITH THERAPY
The ACT Coach App helps you work with a mental health professional during
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). ACT aims to help you live with
unpleasant thoughts and feelings without avoiding them or being controlled by
them. ACT Coach is not a self-help tool and should only be used while in therapy
with a provider.
The CBT-i Coach App helps you get the most out of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
for Insomnia (CBT-i) so that you can develop good sleep habits and sleep better.
CBT-i Coach is best used while in therapy with a provider.
The CPT Coach App helps you work with your therapist during Cognitive
Processing Therapy (CPT). CPT is used to reduce symptoms of Posttraumatic Stress
Disorder (PTSD) by helping you work through your thoughts and feelings about
your trauma, and decrease avoidance of difficult memories. The App helps you
track your progress, appointments and PTSD symptoms. CPT Coach is not a self-
help tool and should only be used while in therapy with a provider.
The PE Coach App helps you work with a mental health professional during
Prolonged Exposure (PE) therapy. PE therapy is used to reduce symptoms of
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) by helping you decrease distress about your
trauma by engaging with reminders of the experience (triggers). The App helps
you track your progress, appointments and PTSD symptoms. PE Coach is not a self-
help tool and should only be used while in therapy with a provider.
OTHER APPS NOT FROM US DEPARTMENT OF VETERAN AFFAIRS/DoD & NOT ENDORSED BY VA
WebMD Pain Coach App offers a holistic approach to balancing lifestyle with
chronic pain conditions to help inspire a better day. It is a mobile companion to
help you through daily health and wellness choices so you can better manage your
chronic pain. Enjoy a personalized experience as physician-reviewed tips related
to your specific condition are delivered daily to you. The App puts you in control of
your lifestyle choices so you can review personal patterns to understand triggers,
set goals, and easily share progress with your physician.
Suicide Safe: Designed for providers, but can help Veterans and family members
by equipping them with education and support resources to assess risk of suicide,
communicate effectively with patients and families, determine appropriate next
steps, and make referrals to treatment and community resources.
Addicaid – Addiction Recovery Support: Free phone app dedicated to the
prevention & treatment of addiction & alcoholism. Find and rate support meetings
for a variety of addictions, track your progress, complete daily goals, and stay
inspired to maintain sobriety with their newsfeed including news, videos, and
music.
Resource list compiled by: Brittany Hartzell, Psy.D., Local Recovery Coordinator, Fayetteville VAMC
Quit That!: Simple app to track all the habit/addiction you are trying to quit. Find
out how many hours, days, minutes, weeks, or years it has been since you quit
each habit/addiction. Need extra motivation? You can also keep track of how
much money you have saved since quitting!
Take a Break! Guided Meditations for Stress Relief: From the developers of
relaxation apps at Meditation Oasis comes this free app to quickly recharge. Listen
to a seven-minute Work Break or 13-minute Stress Relief recording with or
without music or nature sounds.
Relax and Sleep Well with Glenn Harold (FREE): Twenty-nine minute guided
meditation with music to help you fall and stay asleep. Relaxing and gentle,
another free App available is: Relax with Andrew Johnson Lite (14 minute
meditation).
Sleep Bug: Can’t fall asleep to the sound of noisy neighbors or honking cars? Sleep
Bug is the perfect on-demand white noise machine. Get transported to the beach,
a zen garden, or the middle of a jungle with the push of a button. There’s also a
custom timer and even the ability to add noises—like rain or a whale’s call—to the
scene.
US DEPARTMENT OF VETERAN AFFAIRS SMARTPHONE APPS, NON-MENTAL HEALTH APPS
The 311VET: App was designed for Veterans to ask general VA Benefits questions
and receive answers 24/7/365 from any mobile device, allowing answers at any
time and from anywhere. 311VET allows Veterans to gather information on Health
Care Benefits, Pensions, Life Insurance, Dependents and Survivors Benefits, and
much more.
Web-
based
Launchpad: The VA Mobile Launchpad houses all Apps for Veterans that connect
to VA’s Electronic Health Record (EHR) and access your personal VA health
information. By signing into the VA Mobile Launchpad once with a DS Logon Level
2 (Premium) Account, you can access multiple resources without logging in to
each App or website individually. **Web app (link to website)
https://veteran.mobilehealth.va.gov/launchpad/
New phone resources are routinely becoming available for our Veteran and Active Duty Service Members.
You may wish to check the following websites for additional or new smart phone applications:
The Department of Veteran Affairs App Store: https://mobile.va.gov/appstore/all
The National Center for Telehealth & Technology (T2) is part of the Defense Centers of Excellence for
Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury (DCoE). The mission of T2 is to lead the innovation of health
technology solutions for psychological health and deliver tested, valued health solutions that improve the lives
of our nation’s warriors, veterans, and their families. http://www.t2health.dcoe.mil/products/mobile-apps
