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MIAMI VALLEY: Smartphones and tablets have changed the way we live, work and play.

Now, they’re starting to impact the way millions receive mental health services.

Dozens of new apps are being released every day…But are they legitimate… Or just looking to cash in…

According to mental health professionals, there are more than 20-thousand mental health apps out that you can download instantly, most of them free of charge.

But just like picking a doctor, some apps are better than others. Some are just plain bad.

According to the CDC, 1 in 5 Americans will have a mental health issue at some point in their lives.

With the current population, that adds up to more than 65 million people.

However, the number of patients is growing faster than the number of doctors available.

That’s one reason why doctors see mental health apps as a new way for patients to get help and get it faster.

“Recent studies have shown that something like 70% of Americans would like to use mental health apps in their healthcare,” said Joshua Magee, assistant professor of Psychology at Miami University.

Magee recently lead a “study of studies” mental health apps, taking thousands of reports and narrowing them down to 70 evaluations of thousands of apps.

“We wanted to take a snapshot of what’s out there and how people may be using it so we could get better recommendations for how people and their healthcare providers could work more responsibly with health care apps,” Magee said.”

Dr. Jackie Warner at Dayton Children’s is already using apps in her psychiatric services.

“I use them for therapeutic purposes. For example, i might use a breathing app or something if I have a teenager who’s engaged in that platform,” Warner said. “A lot of times, we’ll take devices and use apps for distraction for pain management or anxiety management and that tends to work really, really well if the kid’s going in to a procedure or about to get a shot or something like that.”

Both Magee and Warner agree on the benefits of the apps.

“Many people may be willing to use apps who wouldn’t be willing to talk about that information with a therapist. It could be a great way to address stigma,” Magee said

“Increasing accessibility is a really exciting pro. Increasing engagement is a definite pro. I think a lot of us, especially for those of us working with kids and teenagers, know they live on their devices,” Warner said.

But a lot of personal data also lives on your device and mental health apps could be asking for some of the most personal knowledge about you.

Unlike the traditional doctor-patient relationship, where that data goes depends on the app.

“We can’t ensure privacy over apps in the same way that we can in our office. When patients come into my office, I close the door and we’re done. I don’t have to worry so much about somebody else getting that information.” Warner said.

Privacy is one aspect of mental health apps that Magee looked into.

“So, it’s really hard to find good, effective, privacy protecting apps,” he said. “Some apps don’t even tell you how they’ll handle the information. Others give you some information, but are actually sharing it with third parties for advertising or other purposes.”

It’s not far-fetched to imagine a future where you complain about your job to your digital therapist and shortly after, receive an advertising email for a vacation.

“It’s really important for consumers to know that when they may be disclosing information about their depression or their anxiety, that some of this information may be going to third parties,” Magee said.

“With apps, we don’t really know where that data’s going, who’s collecting it. A hospital? People might think they’re getting services in one way but they might not actually be getting what they think they’re getting.” Warner warned.

In fact, the person providing psychological or psychiatric care might not even be a doctor at all.

“Anyone can make an app. It could be your neighbor, it could be a mental health professional. So part of the challenge is figuring out who made it and are they a credible creator of the content you’re seeing,” Magee said.

I reached out to several app developers to ask them about how their app works and what their privacy policies are. Only a few responded, and the ones that did, declined to be interviewed for this story.

I also reached out to the Department of Health and Human Services to see if there are any regulations on these apps, but no one responded.

Sometimes, a bad mental health app won’t respond either…a dangerous situation in a mental health emergency.

“Part of the problem is there’s a lot of non-functional apps littering the marketplace. People may sign up for an app and it simply doesn’t work,” Magee said.

Researchers at the University of California, Irvine have started to take on the challenge of bad apps with their website “Psyberguide.”

They review apps based on three metrics – credibility, usability and privacy.

Some apps fail at all three and could even make things worse.

“There are some apps that have critically wrong self management advice,” said Martha Neary, PsyberGuide’s Project Manager. “One particular app – which was for bipolar disorder – instructed people if they were having a manic episode to a shot of hard alcohol before bed.”

But every expert we spoke to agreed – these apps aren’t going anywhere.

You just have to be cautious in which ones you choose to use.

“Someone should always see a professional if they need help. But we do see apps as something that could act as a good first step in someone’s help seeking. They provide accessible and affordable support for mental health and some other benefits are they can be used on the go and they can be used discreetly,” Neary said. “Different people value different things. So it’s really important for everyone to find an app that works for them individually.

“The idea of having an app that can be integrated into your every day life, helping you work through problems outside of a therapist’s office – it’s great potential,” Magee said.

A company in Cincinnati is trying to make good on the potential of combing tech and health.