David Brudö, CEO of digital platform Remente, explains how COVID-19 has accelerated the need for technology to proactively address the mental health crisis
For the past few years, there have been almost daily reports on how mental health issues affect lives, societies, and businesses. As a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, calls to mental health crisis and suicide hotlines have soared and reports indicate a rise in mental health conditions. The need to address mental health proactively and in a scalable way is more important than ever, and technology can play a vital role.
In Sweden, which probably is one of the more technologically advanced nations in the world and happens to be my birthplace, up to half of the population will experience mental health conditions during their lifetime. More people die from workplace-related stress than workplace-related injuries and globally, mental health issues cost more than cancer, cardiovascular disease and diabetes. These statistics were all made before the COVID-19 pandemic. Indications from the World Health Organization show that the pandemic has accelerated this development further.
COVID-19 puts mental health in the limelight
The good thing about the current times is that they have put mental health in a whole new limelight, as it will be impossible to continuously disregard the impact it has. Society, governments, businesses and individuals now better understand the urgent need to take proactive measures in regard to mental health. Otherwise, the uncertainty, increased unemployment rates and anxiety that the pandemic brings, risk result in a shadow pandemic of societal and psychological issues and injuries.
There are already great mental health treatments and therapy available to help people, and advancements in telemedicine have improved accessibility. But already prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the support systems were not available to everyone due to costs, regulations, lack of accessibility or simply due to demand outnumbering the supply. In addition, available help and support is in general designed to be available first when things have gone too far, and is available first from a health care perspective, rather than proactively.
Technology leads the way
We know that the smartphone, digital devices, and apps can be used to affect us deeply, both emotionally and mentally. They distract us and can evidently make us depressed, but they can also help us distribute knowledge, support and create engagement in a previously unprecedented way. And these times call for unprecedented solutions.
At Remente, we believe that proactivity and scalability through the help of technology are keys to addressing the now accelerating mental health crisis. We have spent the past 10 years researching and developing an app that can support as a proactive tool for the mental wellbeing of individuals, society and businesses, as a digital tool for blended mental health treatments (before, during, after treatment) and maintenance of such treatments.
By providing anyone anywhere in the world, as long as they have a smartphone, with actionable tools and insights based on cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), our ambition is to help individuals better manage their lives and stress less, reach goals and form good habits, in line with WHO’s definition of mental health as: “a state of well-being in which an individual realises his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and is able to make a contribution to his or her community.”
A globally available and tested mental health platform
The Remente app has been tested on close to 2 million people globally and was recently approved by ORCHA, the world’s leading health app evaluation and advisor organisation. The team behind Remente consists of experts in psychology, brain training and mental coaching, who came together with one purpose in mind, to democratise mental wellbeing.
The app and the platform can be customised to serve different communities and user groups, to address their specific mental health and wellbeing needs proactively, as a pure digital therapeutic tool or as part of a blended treatment.
At Remente, what matters to us is our ability to help individuals with their mental wellbeing and enable mental health support to everyone that needs it, instantly. That’s why our team and I are very grateful and proud, when users who just downloaded our app and started using it, get back to us with feedback like this:
“With Remente, I’m recovering from 4 years of sick leave, towards a more balanced life. This app is for everyone that wants more balance in life, gain self-awareness, or feel more joy.”
“I have terrible adhd/anxiety/depression syndrome & chronic pain from fibromyalgia… etc. Remente helps me stay focused and finish the zillion projects that I begin and keeps my mood in check.”
“As someone who struggles with depression, this app is amazing. Not only does it keep me motivated, but it helps me understand what I’m feeling.”
For more information on how Remente could assist and scale your mental health initiatives already today, feel free to get in touch.
Please note: This is a commercial profile
