MovemberGentlemen, start…growing your moustaches?

Yep, it’s November again which means you might see a little more facial hair around the office this month as men around the world grow moustaches in an effort to raise awareness regarding men’s health during what is called “Movember.”

According to the official Movember website, the funds raised during the month go to support “world-class men’s health programs that combat prostate and testicular cancer and mental health challenges.” The website also states that the programs “directed by the Movember Foundation, are focused on awareness and education, living with and beyond cancer, staying mentally healthy, living with and beyond mental illness and research to achieve our vision of an everlasting impact on the face of men’s health.”

As a leading provider of furniture solutions to the behavioral healthcare industry, Norix would like to help spread awareness regarding Movember and highlight multiple mobile apps that focus on keeping its users mentally healthy. Mental health apps are growing in numbers and are becoming an integral part of users’ assessment of their own mental health.

A surge in these types of apps shouldn’t come as a surprise as the world becomes more mobile and we learn more about mental health issues. For example, a 2012 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration report found that one in five American adults suffer from some kind of mental health issue.

“It is clear that a significant effort is underway to develop, adapt, adopt and integrate simple tools in a cost-effective manner for the entire continuum of health care, and mobile health adds value to mental health patients as these tools translate services to patients’ everyday lives in appealing, accessible and personalized ways, regardless of their location.” That’s from University of Cincinnati Research Professor Charles Doarn in an article on the school’s website regarding a grant that UC received to study the effectiveness of mental health mobile apps.

Norix does not recommend that these apps replace a visit to a mental health practitioner, but they can be used to help the user gauge their current mental health status, among other services. Please share these apps and spread awareness regarding Movember and men’s mental health.

iPhone

depressioncheck – “The M3 is a state-of-the-art, research validated screen that in 3 minutes assesses your risk of depression, bipolar and anxiety disorders (including PTSD. After completing the short checklist you receive a personalized confidential report sharing how much burden these symptoms may be causing you.”
iPhone app

Live OCD Free – “Shown to reduce OCD symptoms by 34% in 8 weeks time and endorsed by world-renowned OCD expert, Dr. Michael Jenike, Live OCD Free is an interactive application designed to guide users through the only evidence-based treatment, Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.”
iPhone app

Optimism – “Optimism is a mood charting app that helps you develop strategies for managing depression, bipolar or other mental health conditions.”
iPhone app

Android and iPhone

Operation Reach Out – “Military Community Awareness – introduces OPERATION REACH OUT, a smartphone app aimed at preventing suicide among military personnel and veterans. Developed by a team of suicide prevention experts, under the supervision of the primary author, Lawrence Shapiro, Ph.D., the app is available free.”
iPhone | Android

PTSD Coach – “PTSD Coach was designed for Veterans and military Service Members who have, or may have, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). This app provides users with education about PTSD, information about professional care, a self-assessment for PTSD, opportunities to find support, and tools that can help users manage the stresses of daily life with PTSD.”
iPhone | Android

T2 Mood Tracker – “T2 Mood Tracker allows users to monitor their moods on six pre-loaded scales (anxiety, stress, depression, brain injury, post-traumatic stress, general well-being). Custom scales can also be built. Users rate their moods by swiping a small bar to the left or to the right.”
iPhone | Android

WhatsMyM3 – “WhatsMyM3 is a primer to help you take control of your mental health. M3 is a 27 question confidential screen that you can complete at WhatsMyM3.com. After you finish the questions you to receive an overview of your potential risk of anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder or PTSD based on research published in the Annals of Family Medicine.”
iPhone | Android

Dustin Coleman is a brand journalist for Norix Furniture and a contributor to the Safe Environments blog.