The next great mental health app will look like Pokemon Go, according to a Silicon Valley psychologist – Business Insider

You probably wouldn't think of chugging a glass of water, or talking to another person as "power-ups," but app SuperBetter is reframing mental health upkeep as a game.

Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the US, affecting 40 million adults, a potentially huge market for apps that claim to help alleviate symptoms to tap into. Anxiety is already a big business, with the rise of products including fidget spinners, weighted blankets, coloring books, and more.

Other apps, like Happify, also use the trend of gamification as a way to market anti-anxiety practices, like meditation and overcoming negative thoughts. In Happify, you get silver or gold medals for successfully completing steps, while in SuperBetter you can do power-ups, battle bad guys, and complete quests.

Dr. Cameron Sepah, a psychologist who works primarily with tech executives and VCs in his San Francisco private practice, believes that "digital therapeutics," like these apps, are the future of mental healthcare, because they are more easily scaleable and accessible than traditional therapy. He says that the next generation of mental health apps won't look like traditional treatments, instead they will be more like games.

"The next great mental health app will look like Pokemon Go, and SuperBetter is the closest I've seen so far," he told Business Insider in a phone call.

Here's how these game-like mental health apps work:

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The next great mental health app will look like Pokemon Go, according to a Silicon Valley psychologist - Business Insider