Apps and hotlines aren’t enough to solve the mental health crisis

There is an entire universe of people stuck in fear, desperate for help but too paralysed or exhausted to engage with new people, processes or technology. When it comes to serious issues such as mental health, domestic violence or emergency aid, the evaluative thinking required by an individual to choose the right path forward is daunting.

We push forward apps, lists of people to call, and articles to read as crisis solutions and forget how paralysing anxiety can be. These aren’t meaningful solutions for people who feel paralysed by fear and uncertainty.

Access to health or support services can’t solve this problem alone. We can’t just hand people a number to call, we need to equip them to recognise crisis symptoms and take action to support themselves or others in need. The power lies in support structures, community and systematic change.

Digital has a deep interconnectedness with our lives but still offers no holistic solutions for our wellbeing. It’s time for us to design for the anxious experience and if there isn’t a digital solution, let’s make a human one.