These days you can do anything from a phone application; buy theater tickets, order groceries, and watch television. So why not do something better for your health? Here is a list of apps to assist veterans and active-duty service men and women in improving their overall wellness via smart phones.
1. CBT-i Coach
Created through a collaboration of the VA National Center for PTSD, the DoD National Center for Telehealth and Technology, and Stanford School of Medicine, the cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-i) application assists users with symptoms of insomnia by improving their sleep habits for a better daytime experience.
2. ACT Coach
The Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) Coach app is a tool for use while receiving face-to-face ACT treatment. It assists the user in coping with emotions and symptoms related to mental health conditions by providing mindfulness and acceptance strategies.
Breathe2Relax is a stress management tool designed by the National Center for Telehealth and Technology (T2) to help the user focus on “diaphragmatic breathing.” Through exercises in the app, the user learns to concentrate on breathing to provide deep relaxation and a stable mood that could be strained from PTSD or traumatic brain injury.
T2 MoodTracker allows the user to record their daily mood and psychological health. Within the app users can rate their mood, set daily reminders to keep track of their daily health, record new events such as starting therapy, and share information with health care providers.
5. Parenting2Go
As part of the DoD/VA Integrated Mental Health Strategy the Parenting2Go app was designed to assist service members and veterans build closer and healthier relationships with their families after a deployment. The app provides tips and tools on how to be more “present,” how to deal with being overwhelmed by the demands of parenting, and how to get support for their parenting efforts.
Developed by psychologists the Mindfulness Coach app aids the user in learning mindfulness to help focus their attention on the present experience to reduce worrying and stress. The app provides walkthroughs of various forms of mindfulness activities, a log for tracking practice, and educational materials.
7. CEMM Virtual Medical Center
The Center of Excellence for Medical Multimedia (CEMM) app provides TRICARE customer service to service members and their families. By providing an educational resource tool, information on the nearest medical treatment facility, news, and information on various TRICARE plans users can access TRICARE services anywhere.
The MOVE! Coach App helps veterans, service members, and their families in their weight loss journeys. The app provides self-management guides on a 19-week program, weight and diet diaries, a progress tracker, and other resources on how to breakthrough personal barriers to a healthier lifestyle.
In collaboration between the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology this app calculates the patient risk for developing atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). Although primarily for health care providers veterans can assess their cardiovascular risk by indicating lifestyle choices, cholesterol levels, and body weight to determine the 10-year and lifetime risk for developing ASCVD.
10. 311VET
311VET is a tool designed for veterans who have questions and need answers about VA Benefits anytime and anywhere. The app allows veterans to receive information on survivors benefits, pensions, life insurance and more from the convenience of their smart phone or through text messaging if the user doesn’t have a smart phone.
Visit your Android or Apple iOS app store to download these apps.