Choosing an app and what it costs
What should I look for in a mental health AI app?
By Siri Bandagiriye · Look for honesty about being AI, crisis numbers that are easy to find, a clear privacy policy with easy deletion, a tone that listens before it advises, no guilt-driven streaks, encouragement of your real relationships, and real practices like breathing and grounding.
- Honesty. It tells you it's AI and what it can't do.
- Safety. Crisis numbers are easy to find.
- Privacy. Clear storage, no data sales, easy deletion.
- Tone. It listens before it advises. It doesn't lecture or rush to fix you.
- No hooks. No guilt-trip notifications or streaks you're afraid to break.
- People first. It encourages your real relationships instead of replacing them.
- Real practices. Breathing, grounding and guided reflection, not just chat.
What the research says
The American Psychiatric Association's App Evaluation Model checks apps step by step: background, access, privacy and security, evidence, ease of use, and whether the app fits your care goals.1
Canada's national app framework adds two standards for the Canadian context: cultural safety, social responsibility and equity, and stronger data sovereignty.2
The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada advises reading an app's privacy policy before you download it and checking which permissions it asks for.3
Written by Siri Bandagiriye
I've been a Buddhist monk and mindfulness teacher for 30 years, and for six years a chaplain with Correctional Service Canada, sitting with people in crisis. I built Saati in Halifax as a companion for the ordinary hard days. If you'd like to see what it's like, it's free to try.