Are mental health apps useful or a distraction from real help?

They can be genuinely useful for specific, bounded things and are frequently oversold beyond that. Where evidence is reasonable: structured CBT-based programmes for mild to moderate anxiety and insomnia, and guided practice for meditation. Where it is weak: general mood-tracking apps and chat-based support marketed as therapy replacement. Practical guidance — prefer apps with a defined evidence-based programme over open-ended tools, check what happens to your data, and treat them as supplements. For moderate or severe difficulty, an app is not a substitute for a professional, and delaying on that basis is the real risk.