Synopsis of the App
Targeting people who struggle with depression and anxiety, TruReach wants to teach skills to help reduce anxiety and stress.
Platform and Price
Free: Apple, Android
RDN Score
4 out of 5
Pros
Simple design with a cool blue color scheme and no distractions.
Content developed by scientists and based on cognitive behavioral therapy.
Starts with a page of disclaimers encouraging users to seek medical treatment before using the app for the best course of action.
Delivers quick 3 to 5 minute lessons one at a time via engaging animated videos.
Includes 18 lessons to cover a range of potential emotions and situations allowing the user to unlock lessons and activities in sequence.
The thoughts journal encourages healthfully moving through and exploring and moving through emotions. It includes sections to record a situation, the coinciding emotion and intensity rating. The videos explain and guide the user through problematic thoughts, thinking traps, alternative thoughts and emotion and re-rating for a positive outcome.
Includes tests to assess progress at checkpoints in the app. Tests are sharable with mental health professionals and evaluate on a scale of 0-3 for anxiety, concentration difficulties, depression, sleep difficulties and stress.
App completers may return for the thought journal as a tool to track progress.
Assessments are built using industry assessment and screening tools such as the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-21).
Cons
You don't have to watch the entire video lesson for it to be marked as complete – allowing you to run through the app watching only a few seconds of each video lesson.
Getting your test results may leave you with more questions than answers and no clear direction on what to do next.
Bottom Line
TruReach measures up to its "mental wellness on-the-go" tagline. The friendly voice of the narrator helps encourage those experiencing depression and anxiety and the app delivers tangible skills to deal with difficult thoughts and emotions that can hinder every day life.
Marisa Moore, MBA, RDN, LD, is based in Atlanta and specializes in culinary nutrition, communications and consulting. She blogs at marisamoore.com. Follow her on Instagram and Twitter.
