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7 Affordable and Accessible Mental Health Apps To Download RN

Need to release your back-to-school stress? Look no further.

Headshot of Samantha OlsonBy Samantha Olson
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While going back to school is exciting, it can also bring on a ton of unexpected stress. It may feel overwhelming to head back to campus after 18 months of virtual learning thanks to the global COVID-19 pandemic. For some, getting back into the swing of studying and physical interaction is a lot to handle, and it's totally normal to feel that way. According to a study by the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, 80% of U.S. students feel stressed sometimes or often while 34% feel depressed.

Therapy is a great resource to get help and to release stress and frustrations. Unfortunately, not everyone has access to it, be it because of the cost or physically getting there. On the bright side, we live in a day and age where we (literally) have the world at our fingertips. There are *tons* of mental health and wellness apps that can help with back-to-school anxiety, and I've got you covered with a few that can help ease your mind.

1

Headspace

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If you feel overwhelmed by the world around you, Headspace is a great app to step out of the moment. It was created to help users practice mindfulness and meditation in different areas, like work, kids, sleep, focus, stress and anxiety. Its guided meditations can also help with insomnia. The app is free to download and includes special packages for purchase.

2

Calm

If Calm sounds familiar to you, odds are you've heard guided meditations narrated by your fave celebs like Shawn Mendes and Harry Styles. While Calm has tons of meditation modules for sleep, focusing and anxiety, it also has features for relaxing music and nature sounds. The app is free and tracks daily streaks and time spent meditating, which is great for beginners. Some subscriptions and series within the app may come at an additional cost.

3

BetterHelp

BetterHelp is a subscription service that gives users access to online counseling and therapy services with licensed, trained, experienced, and accredited psychologists. The app also teamed up with Ariana Grande to give away $1 million in free therapy on June 29. Since then, the partnership has provided users with over $3 million in free therapy.

BetterHelp is an affordable option for those who aren't able to see a therapist in person. The cost of counseling through BetterHelp ranges from $60 to $90 per week and is billed every four weeks.

4

DiveThru

DiveThru has a ton of mental health resources that are easy to understand — you won't find any academic or scientific jargon here. While the app works with licensed mental health professionals, everything is super relatable and feels like you're catching up with a friend. "DiveThru whatever you’re going thru" by checking out their resources specially made for students.

5

Sanvello

Created in collaboration with therapists, doctors and researchers, Sanvello is a health and wellness app that gives on-demand access to high-quality virtual coaching, therapy, meditations and more. The app is free to download and is even integrated into the health care system, which means it takes health insurance and includes primary care doctors. WWE Superstar Bianca Belair and Olympic gold gymnast Aly Raisman are a few of the celebrities that have partnered with Sanvello in the past.

6

MindShift

Developed by the Anxiety Canada Association, MindShift is a free self-help anxiety relief app that helps reduce worry, stress and panic by providing a thought journal, coping cards, guided meditations and daily mental health check-ins.

7

Happify

Happify's techniques are based on evidence provided by psychologists, researchers and clinicians. Happify helps users take control back of their thoughts and emotions by providing thought-provoking activities and brain games to help them take their minds off of what's worrying them. The app is free to download, but it costs $11.99 a month to access more advanced options and details.

Headshot of Samantha Olson
Samantha Olson
Assistant News Editor

Sam is an assistant news editor at Cosmo, covering all things pop culture, entertainment, and celebrity news. She previously covered those same topics along with health, lifestyle, and beauty at Seventeen. When she isn't draping her cheeks in blush, you can probably find her live-tweeting awards shows or making SwiftToks.  

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