In the News: Building trust in digital mental and behavioral health technology

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From Fortune: In a market projected to reach $33 billion by 2030, APA Labs aims to close the standards gap with its evidence-based Digital Badge Program.


In the shifting landscape of digital health, one fact is impossible to ignore: The market for mental and behavioral health technology is booming. However, the speed of innovation has outpaced the development of consistent standards for evaluating safety, usability, and scientific principles—creating uncertainty among consumers, providers, and investors alike. That’s why American Psychological Association Services, Inc. (APASI) created APA Labs. APA Labs was launched to accelerate innovation at the intersection of psychology and technology. Its mission is to support evidence-based, ethical, and scalable innovation in digital mental and behavioral health technology.


A missing signal in a noisy market


Millions of dollars flow into apps, platforms, AI-driven solutions, and services that claim to solve a variety of challenges across mental and behavioral health. Yet for many users, clinicians, health systems, payers, and investors, an important question persists: Which tools genuinely deliver measurable impact and which are driven by market hype? With the digital mental and behavioral health market expected to exceed $33 billion by 2030, the lack of standardized criteria or benchmarks has made it difficult to determine which technologies are reliable and safe. That’s the gap APA Labs is actively addressing and filling.

Fostering market trust with the APA Labs Digital Badge Program

Recognizing the need for greater clarity and trust in digital mental and behavioral health technologies, APA Labs created the Digital Badge Program to help clinicians, health systems, and users navigate the crowded marketplace. The APA Labs Digital Badge Program evaluates technology across six essential domains, awarding badges that align with proprietary criteria in the following areas:

  1. Scene setters: clarity about the product’s intended purpose and audience
  2. Scientific principles: rigorous support for any clinical or behavioral outcomes claimed
  3. Regulation and safety: compliance with relevant laws and inclusion of appropriate safety protocols
  4. Data protection and privacy: responsible data practices and user rights
  5. Technical security and stability: encryption, reliability, and robust software integrity
  6. Usability and accessibility: adherence to accessibility standards and clinical design best practices


“With so many digital mental and behavioral health technologies on the market, it’s difficult for consumers, clinicians, and health care providers to know which ones they can trust,” explained Tanya Carlson, managing director of APA Labs. “At the same time, responsible developers want to build impactful products but often lack clear guidance on best practices to create safe, ethical, and science-based solutions. The APA Labs Digital Badge will provide an evidence-based evaluation that helps the public make informed choices, gives clinicians confidence in what they recommend, and supports developers who are committed to ethical, trustworthy products.”

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Abstract Demand is growing for safe, effective AI systems and digital mental health tools as users increasingly turn to them for support. In this News and Perspectives article, JMIR Correspondent Simon Spichak reports on a new initiative by the American Psychological Association, speaking with Managing Director Tanya Carlson about how the Digital Badge Program is helping developers improve their tools. Key Takeaways: The American Psychological Association (APA) developed the APA Labs Digital Badge Program to help developers improve their mental health apps. When the program presents companies with gaps related to security, usability, or other factors, they work to shore up their product to earn a bronze, silver, or gold badge. The APA is hoping the program will set a de facto standard for developers. Simon Spichak is the cofounder of Resolvve, a low-cost virtual therapy clinic. He has no financial or commercial relationship with APA Labs. Many around the world are turning to AI-powered chatbots for mental health support. These tools aren’t necessarily designed to be safe and effective clinicians and may leak sensitive information to third parties . The American Psychological Association (APA) is hoping to pave the way for safe, evidence-based mental health tech with the rollout of the APA Labs Digital Badge Program and the Digital Badge Solutions Library of apps that have gone through the program. While some libraries, like MindApps.org , provide prospective users with safety and privacy information, and MindBench.ai provides an independent audit of AI systems, the Digital Badge Program also allows companies to earn certification and shore up the quality of their apps. Based on the evaluation, which assesses criteria such as regulation and safety, data protection and privacy, and usability and accessibility, APA Labs provides a bronze, silver, or gold badge. JMIR Publications spoke with Tanya Carlson, MBA—managing director of APA Labs—about the program, how it works, and whether it’s improving the quality of digital mental health apps. The interview was edited for concision and clarity. How would you describe the Digital Badge Program and the Digital Badge Solutions Library? ... Continue reading the full article on JMIR Publications
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