Product Information for Digital Mental Health Services

Smiling Mind App

Date of last service update: May 2024
Date this form was completed: 25 October 2024

1. Is this service for me?

1.1 What health conditions does this service offer help with? 

The Smiling Mind App is a preventive mental health program, designed to help build mental fitness, resilience and wellbeing in adults and children. While it may help users to manage mild cases of stress, anxiety and other mental health concerns, it is not intended to be a therapeutic or treatment tool. If you are experiencing moderate to severe mental health concerns, we suggest you use the Smiling Mind App under the supervision of a qualified health professional.

1.2 Who is the service intended for? 

The Smiling Mind App has a range of resources for adults to build mental fitness and wellbeing, as well as tools for parents to use with their primary school age children.

1.3 What kind of assistance does the service offer? 

The program provides an evidence-based, self-directed program of mental fitness activities that are designed to build mental health,, resilience and wellbeing in those that use them. Resources include psychoeducation, meditations and guided activities based on Smiling Mind’s 5 mental fitness areas: Live mindfully, Embrace flexible thinking, Grow connections, Act purposefully, Recharge your body.

1.4 How is the service delivered? 

The program is accessed via the freely available Smiling Mind App, that can be downloaded from the App Store or Google Play Store. The program is fully self-directed and can be accessed anytime, anywhere via mobile phone or desktop devices.

1.5 Are health professionals involved in delivering the service? 

The program is fully self-directed, however all the resources are developed, reviewed and quality-assured by qualified psychologists, researchers and other mental health professionals.

1.6 When is the service available? 

The service is available 24/7 via downloading the Smiling Mind App on a user's mobile phone or desktop devices via an internet browser.

1.7 How much does the service cost? Is there any ongoing cost? 

The Smiling Mind App is currently available free-of-charge to all service users.

1.8 How can I access the service? 

You can access the service by downloading the Smiling Mind App on the Apple App store, Google Play Store, and creating an account. The App is also accessible via web browsers.

1.9 Can I access the service anonymously? 

You can not access the service anonymously and must create an account using a valid email address. When creating your account, we asked for your name, however you can use a pseudonym. Creating an account allows you to track your favourite activities, monitor your wellbeing over time, and benefit from the personalised features within the App. 

1.10 Does the service allow my carer, family member or support person to work with me to use the service?

The service can be used individually, or in conjunction with a support person. Parents & carers are encouraged to oversee their child’s use of the activities within the app, and resources are provided to guide and support this process.

2. Will I benefit if I use this service?

2.1 Is there any independent scientific evidence of benefit from using this service? 

The Smiling Mind app has demonstrated evidence of usability, acceptability, and efficacy across diverse populations.

Randomised controlled trials with adults and young people have shown reductions in depressive symptoms, university adjustment and resilience (Flett et al., 2018), as well as decreased burnout in working adults (Lanz et al., 2019). A study among healthcare workers showed usage of the Smiling Mind App resulted in reductions in stress at work, and improvements in overall performance and mental wellbeing (Russell & Smyth, 2013). 

The Smiling Mind App has shown high acceptability among children in qualitative research. Children also reported increased calmness, relaxation and focus, supporting skills in stress management and self-regulation (Whitworth & Currie, 2019).

2.2 Is the service endorsed by a government or professional body? 

The Smiling Mind App is  accredited to the National Digital Mental Health Standards, governed by the Australian Commission for Quality and Safety in Healthcare.

3. Could this service do me harm?

3.1 Are there any precautions or safety warnings related to this service?

For the vast majority of program users, the Smiling Mind App presents very low clinical risk and is very safe to use. However, as with any program asking users to reflect on their mental health and wellbeing, may bring up related issues or concerns for the service users. For these instances, we signpost to support services the user may wish to access to manage their concern.

3.2 Has anyone reported concerns or adverse health events after using this service?

We are not aware of any concerns or adverse health events from those using or that have previously used the Smiling Mind App.

4. Should I trust this service?

4.1 What is the business model for the service provider? 

The Smiling Mind App is free-of-charge for service users. Smiling Mind funds the program delivery through government and philanthropic grants, donations and brand partnerships. Smiling Mind is a registered charity under the Australian Charities and Not-for-Profits Commission (ACNC).

4.2 How does the service make money?

Smiling Mind receives funding through government and philanthropic grants, donations and brand partnerships.

5. Is the service easy to use? Will I keep using it?

5.1 Is there any independent research on how easy it is to use this service? 

Smiling Mind strives to meet WCAG level AA. An accessibility review conducted by Intopia in 2020 assessed our apps adherence to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). Intopia identified a pass rate of 74% and Smiling Mind has subsequently resolved or mitigated all actions arising from the review. Smiling Mind iteratively monitors and improves the usability of the App through internal reviews and user feedback.

5.2 How much time will it take me to use this service as suggested? 

The Smiling Mind App is designed to be a mental fitness tool in your pocket. With small amounts of practice at regular intervals (several times a week) users can manage and build their mental fitness and wellbeing. App activities range from as little as 3-5 mins to up to 60 mins.

5.3 How long will it take to get results from using this service? 

For many service users the results are immediate in helping to reduce stress and worry. However we recommend regular use of the activities within the app, to help strengthen mental fitness skills and build resilience and wellbeing.

5.4 Were people with lived experience involved in developing the service? 

Yes - our app has been designed following extensive research with service users, including adults and children. We continue to evolve and adapt the app based on user feedback.

5.5 What do other users think of this service? 

Over 9 million people worldwide have accessed the Smiling Mind App across the web app, the Apple App store, and Google Play.

On the Apple App Store, the Smiling Mind App has over 7k ratings at an average of 4.6/5 stars. On Google Play, the Smiling Mind App has 2.9k ratings, with an average of 4.48/5 stars.

Users specifically note:

• Appreciation that the app is free

• The breadth and variety of content available

• Engaging content for children

• Empowerment to develop a practice

• Approachable and relatable content

• Ease of use

5.6 Will this service link with other health services?

The Smiling Mind App is a tool designed to help anyone build their mental health, resilience and wellbeing through evidence-based mental fitness strategies. However, at times people may need additional support when they are struggling with their mental health. For those who might benefit from additional support beyond the Smiling Mind App, we signpost to a range of support services for adults, children and parents.

6. Who will have access to my personal data?

6.1 What information does the service collect about me? 

Smiling Mind only collects the minimal information required to effectively and safely deliver our program to you. This includes email address, date of birth, gender and wellbeing check-in data. We also request your name, but you are able to be anonymous or pseudonymous. We may also collect your device type, and location (city/country). We do not sell your personal data. However, we may share it with trusted subprocessors who assist in operating our services. A list of the relevant subprocessors can be found below.

6.2 Who owns that data? 

The data we collect is owned by the user. You can request to access the data we hold on you at any time or request that your data is deleted.

6.3 Who is that information shared with and why? 

Data we collect is not shared with third parties without your consent, and only when it is essential to provide our programs to you. You provide consent through agreeing to the Terms of Use of the Smiling Mind App. 

If you agree to participate in specific research studies, you will be asked to provide explicit consent for your data to be used.

6.4 Where is information about me stored? 

Your information is stored in a secure AWS data warehouse in Sydney, Australia.

6.5 Can I easily share my information and results if I want to? 

At this stage, there is not an automated way to share personal information such as wellbeing check-in data. If you wish to access this data for the purposes of sharing, you will need to contact Smiling Mind at info@smilingmind.com.au .

6.6 Can I save the personal information I enter on my device without it being shared with the provider? 

Any data provided through the course of using the Smiling Mind App will be saved to your account and is accessible only to the relevant people at Smiling Mind for the purpose of monitoring and evaluating our programs. Individual data is never accessed, used or shared, unless this is expressly requested by the service user.

6.7 Can I review and/or delete data that has been collected about me? 

Yes. You can request access to review your data by contacting Smiling Mind. You can also delete your account directly from within the Smiling Mind App or by contacting Smiling Mind to request deletion of your account and data. 

Please note that our obligations as a healthcare provider mean that we must legally retain health data for 7 years. When you request deletion of your account, your data will be deidentified and stored in a secure database for this time period, as outlined in our privacy policy.

6.8 Does the service have a data-sharing (privacy) policy? 

Yes. Please refer to the Privacy Policy on our website.

6.9 What security measures are in place to protect my personal information? 

Smiling Mind has various processes and protocols to keep your data safe and secure. These include, but are not limited to:

• Well architected cloud configurations

• Encryption in transit and at rest

• Authentication and authorisation of secured requests

• Frequent data backups

• Independent penetration tests

Subprocessors - Smiling Mind App

7. Who can I contact with questions or concerns about this service?

7.1 How can I contact the service provider? 

If you would like to contact Smiling Mind regarding any matter or concern you can email info@smilingmind.com.au, and your query will be directed to the relevant team member.

Alternatively, our mailing address is:

Smiling Mind
26-28 Easey St
Collingwood
VIC 3066

7.2 Where can I go if I have concerns about this service? 

• For privacy/security issues contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) https://www.oaic.gov.au/privacy/privacy-complaints/ 

• For complaints against a health service contact your state or territory health complaints organisation https://www.ahpra.gov.au/notifications/further-information/health-complaintsorganisations.aspx 

• For complaints against an individual registered health professional contact the Australian Health Practitioners Regulatory Authority (AHPRA) https://www.ahpra.gov.au/Notifications/Raise-a-concern.aspx 

• For complaints about misleading claims contact Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) https://www.accc.gov.au/consumers/complaints-problems/make-aconsumer-complaint