Digital mental health is a rapidly evolving field, attracting increasing interest from health practitioners, support workers, organisations, and individuals alike. One area gaining particular attention is mental health apps, which provide people with flexible, on-demand support—anytime, anywhere.
These apps offer numerous benefits: they’re often low-cost, easy to access, and can complement traditional therapy by providing support between sessions. For individuals hesitant to seek help due to stigma, mental health apps may also offer a more private and approachable alternative. Many users find these tools engaging, convenient, and empowering as part of their mental health journey.
As the demand for digital mental health tools continues to grow, so too does the need to assess their safety and quality. Read our guide for health practitioners here to learn how to evaluate digital mental health apps effectively.
To help you get started, we’ve curated a list of 10 free, evidence-based Australian mental health apps designed to support both your practice and your patients’ wellbeing.
An app and web-based safety planning template to cope with suicidal thoughts from Lifeline Australia. It should be used as part of a wider program of support.
A Social and Emotional Wellbeing (SEWB) app developed with and by young Indigenous People (12-25yrs) on Bundjalung Country (Murwillumbah and Tweed) to strengthen wellbeing.
A self-guided app from Black Dog Institute for young people (12-17yrs) providing bite-sized CBT skills, coping strategies and mood tracking to support low mood, negative thoughts, low motivation and difficulties relaxing.
An app from Hello Sunday Morning providing community support and self-monitoring tools to help people change their relationship with alcohol.
An app from Oygen Digital to help young people (16-25yrs) break free of repetitive negative thoughts such as worry or rumination. The tool incorporates evidence-based strategies from CBT, ACT, and DBT.
A CBT and mindfulness-based app to help new and expectant mothers manage emotional challenges.
An online and app-based peer and professional webchat support service from Orygen Digital, with modules to help young people (12-25yrs) with depression, anxiety or sleep problems. Available through participating youth mental health services in VIC, QLD, NSW, ACT and WA.
An app from Black Dog Institute to help young people (12-16yrs) improve their sleep quality using CBT-I strategies.
A website and app teaching mindfulness meditation to young people and adults to improve mental wellbeing. Includes a series of meditations in Ngaanyatjarra and Pitjantjatjara languages.
Stay Strong and AIMhi-Y
An app that facilitates conversations to support the social and emotional wellbeing of First Nations Australians, using a strengths-based approach. Stay Strong is available in various languages.
The AIMhi-Y app, was developed based on the Stay Strong program, on the lands of the Larrakia and Arrernte People, for young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People (12-25yrs) at risk of distress and suicide.
You can also start by exploring some of the apps listed in our dMH Directory, which links health practitioners to free or low-cost, Australian, evidence-based digital mental health resources and services developed by reputable organisations. While the apps listed above and in our directory have been reviewed by our team, you should independently investigate, evaluate and verify the content and credentials of any service of resource before choosing to use it or refer a user to it.
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