Advice and resources : Apps to help with children and young people's mental wellbeing
How can we help
Supporting yourself or somebody else with mental health difficulties
Young people often have to cope with many different situations and unfamiliar challenges, and the other pressures of growing up.
Learn moreHow can we help
Supporting yourself or somebody else with mental health difficulties
Young people often have to cope with many different situations and unfamiliar challenges, and the other pressures of growing up.
Learn moreOverview
Lots of these apps are also suitable for adults.
Other ways you can help a child or young person to feel better:
Little Blue Book of Sunshine explains some things a child or young person can try to feel better and who they can turn to if things feel too much
The #Coping guides series (opens in new window) has information about local services and national helplines. There's advice for family life, wellbeing of primary and secondary school aged children, and specific resources for young people. Find it at the bottom of the page.
Kooth offer children and young people online counselling until 10pm and peer support 24/7
Anxiety and stress
Chillpanda
Suitable for age: 6-12 years (can also benefit over 12s)
Learn to relax, manage your worries and improve your wellbeing by measuring your heart rate and following tasks to suit your state of mind. It helps children and their parents and carers understand different emotions, and introduces skills to help regulate these including breathing techniques and calming games.
Getting started: Visit the Chill Panda website
Clear fear
Suitable for age: 11-19. Younger uses can use the app with the support of a parent, carer or teacher.
Uses mindfulness, relaxation and breathing techniques to help young people learn ways to reduce their physical responses to threat.
Getting started: Visit the Clear Fear website
FearTools – Anxiety aid
Suitable for age: 12+
Helps you combat anxiety, aiding you on your road to recovery. It’s especially useful for those suffering from Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Phobias, and Social Anxiety Disorder.
Getting started: just download the app and go.
Mindshift CBT
Suitable for age: Young people and adults
Uses scientifically proven strategies based on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) to help you understand what anxiety is, learn to relax and be mindful, develop more effective ways of thinking, and use active steps to take charge of your anxiety.
Getting started: Download the app, create an account and go. Visit the Mindshift CBT website.
Molehill Mountain
Suitable for age: 12+
For young people with autism, it provides daily evidence based tips on how to understand and manage anxiety. Track your worries and the situations that trigger anxiety, get evidence-based daily tips to understand more about anxiety, and feel more confident to self-manage your anxiety.
Getting started: Visit the Molehill Mountain website
Mental health support
Combined minds
Suitable for age: Aimed at family and friends of teenagers who have a diagnosed mental health condition, but can also be used for other age groups and for those who may show symptoms without formal diagnosis.
Aimed at helping family and friends build the right environment for the young person to better manage their mental health recovery, as well as empower family and friends in their strength to support them.
Getting started: Visit the Combined Minds website
Tellmi
Suitable for age: 11-17
The Tellmi app is available for 11-17 year olds (up to their 18th birthday) living and studying in Reading, West Berkshire and Wokingham. Providing 365 day access to an age-banded, anonymous space to discuss feelings and seek support.
Getting started: Visit the Tellmi website
Think Ninja
Suitable for age: 10-18
Educates young people about mental health, emotional wellbeing and provides skills young people can use to build resilience and stay well. It covers issues including stress, anxiety, low mood, or having unhelpful thoughts. The user is coached by the WiseNinja, powered by artificial intelligence and the skills of a clinical psychologist.
It also contains specific Covid-19 related content including fears relating to the virus, isolation worries and how to connect with your family and friends, worries about yours or your families health, and coping techniques that can be used.
Getting started: ThinkNinja is being made free until July. Visit the ThinkNinja website
WRAP - Wellness Recovery Plan
Suitable for age: 4+
WRAP lets you create your own personalised plan to help keep you well by recording what makes life more difficult for you and what helps you - you can then email this to anyone you want to have a copy.
Getting started: just download the app and go.
Mindfulness, your mood and depression
Catch it
Suitable for age: 12+
Helps young people change the way they feel and think about themselves. It teaches you to look at problems in a different way, turn negative thoughts into positive ones and improve your mental wellbeing.
Getting started: Visit the Catch it website
Cove
Suitable for age: 4+
Described as a musical journal for your mental health. Using music you can capture your feelings and emotions in sound to create a musical mood journal. Helps with anxiety, using journaling and melodies to improve mood.
Getting started: Visit the Cove website
Headspace: Meditation and Sleep
Suitable for age: Any age. Children's meditations are separated into age groups 5 and under, 6 to 8, 9 to 12, 12+
Headspace is a science-backed app in mindfulness and meditation. Learn to reduce stress, build resilience and sleep more peacefully through age specific mindfulness and meditation.
Getting started: Download the app and after the free trial there is a subscription fee.
Insight timer
Suitable for age: 13+
Learn to relax and manage everyday life in the present moment through one or more of the 1,000s of free meditations available from a variety of countries and renowned mindfulness teachers.
Getting started: just download the app and go (courses are paid).
MoodTools - Depression Aid
Suitable for age: 12+
MoodTools lets you easily track and record your mood, helps identify what things are having an impact on your mood, and suggests activities you could try to improve your mood.
Getting started: just download the app and go.
Smiling mind
Suitable for age: 3+
Helps with anxiety and overall mental wellbeing. Using mindfulness and meditation to help young people and their parents and carers focus on areas such as stress, relationships, sleep, and concentration.
Getting started: Visit the Smiling Mind website
Self harm
Calm Harm
Suitable for age: 12+
Find practical tips and strategies for managing and resisting the urge to self-harm and reducing suicidal thoughts, including a personal journal and self-monitoring tools.
Getting started: just download the app and go.
Self-heal
Suitable for age: 12+
Includes activities and other resources to take charge of your behaviour and reduce self-harming right now and in the long term. Suggestions for ways to distract yourself, useful contacts and information on self-harm.
Getting started: Visit the Self Heal website
Sleep
Headspace: Meditation and Sleep
Helps with: Mindfulness
Suitable for age: Any age. Children's meditations are separated into age groups 5 and under, 6 to 8, 9 to 12, 12+
How can it help: Headspace is a science-backed app in mindfulness and meditation. Learn to reduce stress, build resilience and sleep more peacefully through age specific mindfulness and meditation.
Getting started: Download the app and after the free trial there is a subscription fee.
Pzizz
Helps with: Sleep
Suitable for age: 4+
How it can help: Calm your mind, fall asleep fast, stay asleep, and wake up refreshed using audio and dialogue to aid sleep.
Getting started: Download, create account and go. Sleep and nap tracking features are free, advanced features are paid for. Visit the Pzizz website.
Sleepful
Helps with: Sleep
Suitable for age: 12+
How it can help: Follow a self-help sleep improvement program using explanatory videos, a digital sleep diary, alarms and daytime prompts, deep relaxation procedures, as well as bite-sized chunks of useful information and receive continuous feedback on progress.
Getting started: Download, create and account and go. Visit the website.
COVID-19 specific support
Rafi-Tone
Suitable for age: 4+, targeted at those under 8
For those with asthma concerned about how Covid-19 affects them. It helps to make using an inhaler with a spacer easier and more fun for young children with wheeze or asthma symptoms.
Getting started: Visit the Rafi-tone website
Think Ninja
Suitable for age: 10-18
Educates young people about mental health, emotional wellbeing and provides skills young people can use to build resilience and stay well. It covers issues including stress, anxiety, low mood, or having unhelpful thoughts. The user is coached by the WiseNinja, powered by artificial intelligence and the skills of a clinical psychologist.
It also contains specific Covid-19 related content including fears relating to the virus, isolation worries and how to connect with your family and friends, worries about yours or your families health, and coping techniques that can be used.
Getting started: ThinkNinja is being made free until July. Visit the ThinkNinja website