The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration announced the creation of an app that will assist people in need of resources create a crisis plan (announcement available here). “The My Mental Health Crisis Plan app provides a simple, convenient and effective way to create and share a psychiatric advance directive,” said American Psychiatric Association CEO and Medical Director Saul Levin, MD, MPA.
COVID-19 has caused shutdowns and isolation, increasing mental health distress for many people and making it difficult to access in-person treatment for mental health disorders. Many providers and health care professionals are turning to digital treatments and resources to help people struggling amid the pandemic. CDC data has shown that up to half of all Americans have experienced "significant mental health disorders" this year and there have been reports of increases in the rates of deaths by suicide, as well as overdoses.
My Mental Health Crisis Plan is available in the Apple App Store and Google Play.