Short answer. In one survey, most young women reported fatigue, worry, and tension, but only 31% had tried a mental health app (Schröder et al., 2026). Asked what held them back, women most often said they did not know which apps were available (Schröder et al., 2026). In an interview study, users described using apps in phases, and some skills outlasted the app (Suchý et al., 2026). Stopping an app, the interviews suggest, doesn't always mean failure.
Disclosure. Soula publishes this blog and makes a mental health companion app. This article draws on independent research only.
Key facts
- 79% of the women surveyed said they felt fatigue and 79% said they felt worry, but 60% had turned to self-help books and only 31% had ever used a mental health app (Schröder et al., 2026).
- In an open question about what got in the way (305 answers), the most common answer was not knowing about available apps (32.5%). Worries about effectiveness (9.8%) and cost (9.6%) came next. Among women who had never used an app, 85.5% said they would be willing to use one (Schröder et al., 2026).
- In an interview study of 31 app users, the researchers argue that stepping away from an app can reflect successful self-care rather than failure (Suchý et al., 2026).
Where women turn for support
In the 2026 survey, women most often turned to self-help books (60%), primary care (51%), and psychotherapy (51%) for support. Only 31% had ever used a mental health app. App use went along with more psychological distress, especially anxiety and appetite or weight problems (Schröder et al., 2026).
What held women back
Not knowing was the top answer: about a third of the 305 women who answered the open question (32.5%) said they weren't aware of available apps and their options. Worries about effectiveness (9.8%) and cost (9.6%) followed. Most women who had never used an app (85.5%) said they'd be willing to. Asked what makes an app professional and helpful, women named ease of use, data security, and personal and technical support (Schröder et al., 2026).
Using an app in real life
A Czech interview study spoke with 31 app users (23 women, aged 18 to 56, with at least two weeks of use). It found three motivational patterns of use and four paths of engagement over time (Suchý et al., 2026):
Usage mode | What it means |
Regular | Using the app to look after well-being and head off problems |
Reactive | Opening it when you're in intense distress |
Temporary | Using it for a while to understand or work on one specific difficulty |
Path over time | What it means |
Emancipation | The app keeps going as self-care support after therapy is cut back or ends |
Independence | People use techniques learned in the app in daily life, without the app |
Reliance | Users keep going even though they get little out of it, sometimes putting off other help |
Episodic use | On-and-off use during certain periods of life |
The people interviewed also described how hard it was to keep using an app, and the emotional cost of constantly tracking themselves.
Does stopping mean failure?
Not according to the researchers, who argue that stepping away from an app can reflect successful self-care. They recommend that apps expect on-and-off use, and suggest stronger links to human support, with guidance on where to find further help (Suchý et al., 2026).
Workplace programs
A 2025 meta-review of 29 reviews (a review that sums up other reviews) found that digital wellness programs offered by employers show promise across health areas, with mental health the most studied. It also points to gaps: how long benefits last, what part the technology plays, and how people change their behavior (Amirabdolahian et al., 2025). The review isn't about women specifically.
New US state laws on AI in mental health care
Some US states have started to limit AI in mental health care, so what an app may offer and claim is changing. This is a summary of five laws that have passed, not legal advice. Rules in other states differ.
State | What the law does |
Illinois (Public Act 104-0054, 2025) | No one may provide, advertise, or offer therapy or psychotherapy to the public, including through internet-based AI, unless a licensed professional conducts it. Licensed professionals may use AI only for administrative and supporting tasks. They may not let AI make independent therapeutic decisions or interact directly with clients in therapeutic communication. They may not let AI generate treatment plans without their review and approval, or detect emotions or mental states. The civil penalty is up to $10,000 per violation. Self-help materials and educational resources that don't claim to offer therapy are excluded (Illinois General Assembly, 2025). |
Nevada (AB 406, effective July 1, 2025) | AI providers may not offer a system specifically programmed to provide a service that would be professional mental or behavioral health care if a person provided it. They also may not state or imply that an AI system can provide such care. Nor may they state or imply that it is a therapist, counselor, psychiatrist, or similar provider. Licensed providers may not use AI in connection with providing care directly to a patient. They may use it for administrative support such as scheduling, billing, and notes. The civil penalty is up to $15,000 per violation. Self-help material that doesn't claim to offer professional care isn't covered (Nevada Legislature, 2025). |
Maine (LD 2082, signed April 13, 2026) | No one may provide, advertise, or offer therapy or psychotherapy to the public, including through internet-based AI, unless a licensed professional provides it. A violation counts as a violation of the Maine Unfair Trade Practices Act. Licensed professionals may use AI only for administrative or supplementary support. They must give the client written notice, and they need the client's consent for supplementary use. They may not let AI make independent therapeutic decisions or directly interact with clients in therapeutic communication. They may not let AI generate recommendations or treatment plans without their review and approval. AI used solely within an approved research project is excluded (Maine Legislature, 2026). |
Tennessee (SB 1580, Public Chapter 647, effective July 1, 2026) | Narrower than the Illinois or Maine laws. A person who develops or deploys an AI system may not advertise or represent to the public that it is, or can act as, a qualified mental health professional. A violation is a violation of the Tennessee Consumer Protection Act. The civil penalty is $5,000 per violation (Tennessee General Assembly, 2026). |
Vermont (H.816, Act 156, signed June 17, 2026, effective on passage) | A corporation or entity may not provide, advertise, or offer mental health services to the public, including through AI. This is allowed only if a mental health professional provides the services or they are part of an approved research study. A violation is a violation of the Vermont Consumer Protection Act. The Attorney General enforces that Act, and private parties have the same rights and remedies. Professionals may use AI tools that meet US health-privacy rules (HIPAA) if they review and approve the services (Vermont General Assembly, 2026). |
Illinois, Maine, and Vermont restrict who may provide therapy. Tennessee restricts how an AI system may be advertised. Nevada covers both. Rules differ by state and are still changing. Check the current text for your state.
What the research can’t tell us
- The 521-woman survey looked at one point in time (it's cross-sectional), so it can't show what causes what. The researchers found women through German-speaking social media and a university mailing list. That makes it a convenience sample (women who were easy to reach), so it may lean toward women with more education and digital experience.
- The Czech study is small (23 of 31 were women) and local. The researchers found some participants through snowball sampling, where people who took part passed the word on to others.
- The meta-review isn't about women or about apps for personal use.
- None of these studies tell us which app features keep people engaged, or whether apps improve mental health for these women.
Reading helps.
Talking helps more
Get personalized support, trusted guidance, and answers whenever you need them
When should you talk to a professional?
Apps can support self-care, but they aren't clinical care. If distress lasts or gets worse, it's worth seeing a doctor or therapist.
Where Soula can fit in
We read this research with our own product in mind. In the survey, women named ease of use, data security, and support as marks of a good app. The interview researchers point to on-and-off use and links to human support. Soula is meant to be a place to come back to when you need it. It doesn't replace therapy or the people in your life.
FAQ
Are AI mental health apps legal?
It depends on the state. Illinois, Nevada, Maine, Tennessee, and Vermont restrict AI that provides therapy or presents itself as a therapist or mental health professional (Illinois General Assembly, 2025; Nevada Legislature, 2025; Maine Legislature, 2026; Tennessee General Assembly, 2026; Vermont General Assembly, 2026).
What do women say they want from a mental health app?
Ease of use, data security, and personal and technical support came up when young women were asked what makes an app professional and helpful (Schröder et al., 2026).
Why might people stop using an app?
Interviewees said constantly tracking themselves had an emotional cost, and that keeping up with an app took effort. For some, the skills had moved into daily life (Suchý et al., 2026).
Why do people stop using mental health apps?
Interviewees followed different paths. Some used techniques from the app in daily life without it, some kept going despite getting little out of it, and some used it on and off during certain periods of life. Stopping because the skills have moved into daily life is what the researchers count as successful self-care (Suchý et al., 2026).
Do mental health apps work?
A 2019 meta-analysis (a study that pools the results of many trials) of 66 randomized trials found that app-supported smartphone interventions did better than comparison groups for depressive symptoms, generalized anxiety, and stress, though the effects were small. It found no clear benefit for panic or post-traumatic stress symptoms (Linardon et al., 2019). The studies of women's app use cited here didn't test effectiveness. A 2025 review of employer digital wellness programs, which aren't personal mental health apps, found promise, with open questions about how long benefits last (Amirabdolahian et al., 2025).
What do women want from a mental health app?
Among women who had never used an app, 85.5% said they would be willing to, and the survey's answers about quality centered on usability, data security, and personal and technical support (Schröder et al., 2026).
Why don't more women use mental health apps?
Most often because they didn't know which apps exist: that was the top answer in the survey's open question, at 32.5% (Schröder et al., 2026). Effectiveness worries (9.8%) and cost (9.6%) were smaller reasons.
Can an app replace therapy?
These studies don't show that. Some interviewees used apps alongside or after therapy, and the authors recommend stronger links to human support (Suchý et al., 2026).
References
- Schröder J, Miethe S, López L, Emde A, Trautmann S. Barriers and facilitators of mental health app use among young women: a multimethod study. BMC Women's Health. 2026;26:477. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12905-026-04934-w
- Suchý V, Scott Z, Boštíková B, Janoušek M, Josková E, Ševčíková A. How people integrate mental health apps into everyday self-care: qualitative study. JMIR mHealth and uHealth. 2026;14:e95414. https://doi.org/10.2196/95414
- Amirabdolahian S, Paré G, Tams S. Digital wellness programs in the workplace: meta-review. Journal of Medical Internet Research. 2025;27:e70982. https://doi.org/10.2196/70982
- Illinois General Assembly. Public Act 104-0054 (HB 1806): Wellness and Oversight for Psychological Resources Act. 2025. https://www.ilga.gov/Documents/legislation/publicacts/104/PDF/104-0054.pdf
- Nevada Legislature. Assembly Bill 406 (83rd Session, 2025), enrolled. https://archive.leg.state.nv.us/Session/83rd2025/Bills/AB/AB406_EN.pdf
- Linardon J, Cuijpers P, Carlbring P, Messer M, Fuller-Tyszkiewicz M. The efficacy of app-supported smartphone interventions for mental health problems: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. World Psychiatry. 2019;18(3):325–336. https://doi.org/10.1002/wps.20673
- Maine Legislature. (2026). LD 2082 (HP 1397), An Act to Regulate the Use of Artificial Intelligence in Providing Certain Mental Health Services. https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP1397&item=3&snum=132
- Tennessee General Assembly. (2026). Public Chapter 647 (SB 1580). https://publications.tnsosfiles.com/acts/114/pub/pc0647.pdf
- Vermont General Assembly. (2026). Act 156 (H.816), An act relating to regulating the use of artificial intelligence in the provision of mental health services. https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2026/Docs/ACTS/ACT156/ACT156%20As%20Enacted.pdf