Best podcasts to stream for your mental health

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Best podcasts to stream for your mental health

Mental health podcasts are not only a popular form of media, but they can also positively impact listeners’ mental health literacy and awareness. Research shows that mental health podcast listeners have improved attitudes around mental illness and reduced feelings of self-stigma.

From helping to destigmatize common struggles to feeling connected with others in similar situations, mental health podcasts have the potential to help listeners improve their own lives. Want to incorporate quality mental health podcasts into your own library rotation? Hers set out to find the best shows available by ranking 30 popular podcasts based on the following metrics:

• Average review: Ratings reveal how listener engagement, indicating better content show quality. Negative reviews can be a major red flag, especially with a topic as important as mental health.
• Number of reviews: Leaving a review is an extra step that listeners aren’t required to take. If more people take the time to write one, they’re clearly a passionate audience.
• Total episodes: Consistency is important, especially if you want a mental health podcast you can listen to regularly. Since 47 percent of podcasts don’t make it past the third episode, the group was rated based on the number of shows published. 

Key Findings

• Reviews are consistently high among mental health podcasts, indicating listeners are interested in the genre as a whole.
• Podcasts with larger catalogs tend to rank higher, with many of the top shows publishing more than 500 episodes.
• Smaller shows with fewer reviews can still rank well, especially when they consistently post episodes.

Discover the 10 best mental health podcasts to consider adding to your listening library.

1. “The School of Greatness with Lewis Howes”

2. “On Purpose with Jay Shetty”

3. “The Dr. John Delony Show”

4. “Feel Better Live More”

5. “The Narcissists’ Code”

6. “The Psychology of Your 20s with Jemma Sbeg”

7. “Being Well” and “The Peter Attia Drive Podcast” (tied)

9. “On Being with Krista Tippett”

10. “Therapy for Black Girls”

Top 30 Mental Health Podcasts Ranked By Reviews and Audience

1. “The School of Greatness with Lewis Howes”

2. “On Purpose with Jay Shetty”

3. “The Dr. John Delony Show”

4. “Feel Better Live More”

5. “The Narcissists’ Code”

6. “The Psychology of Your 20s with Jemma Sbeg”

7. “Being Well” and “The Peter Attia Drive Podcast” (tied)

9. “On Being with Krista Tippett”

10. “Therapy for Black Girls”

11. “10% Happier with Dan Harris’

12. “Thanks for Asking with Nora McInerny”

13. “Radio Headspace”

14. “Calm It Down” and “How to Fail with Elizabeth Day” (tied)

16. “The One You Feed”

17. “Therapy and Theology”

18. “A Slight Change of Plans”

19. “Chasing Life with Dr. Sanjay Gupta” and “Mayim Bialik's Breakdown” (tied)

21. “Judging Meghan”

22. “Sh!t That Goes On n Our Heads”

23. “The mindbodygreen podcast”

24. “Office Hours with Arthur Brooks” and “We're Out of Time with Richard Taite” (tied)

26. “The Art of Being Well with Dr. Will Cole”

27. “Decoded: Unlock The Secrets of Human Behavior, Emotion and Motivation”

28. “Latinx Therapy with Adriana Alejandre”

29. “The Optimist Project”

30. “My So-Called Midlife with Reshma Saujani”

Podcasts to Stream for Mental Health: Trends and Insights

Find out how 30 popular mental health podcasts stack up according to individual ranking categories.

Which Mental Health Podcasts Have the Highest Reviews?

Mental Health Podcasts With the Highest Reviews

1. “Judging Meghan” and “Office Hours with Arthur Brooks” (4.9/5)

2. “Being Well”, “Feel Better Live More”, “The Narcissists’ Code”, “The School of Greatness with Lewis Howe”, and “Therapy and Theology” – TIED (4.85/5)

Mental Health Podcasts With the Lowest Reviews

1. “My So-Called Midlife with Reshma Saujani” (4.35/5)

2. “The Art of Being Well with Dr. Will Cole” (4.4/5)

3. “The mindbodygreen podcast” (4.5/5)

Which Mental Health Podcasts Have the Most Reviews?

Mental Health Podcasts With the Most Reviews

1. “On Purpose with Jay Shetty” (70,200)

2. “The School of Greatness with Lewis Howe” (38,600)

3. “The Psychology of Your 20s with Jemma Sbeg” (36,800)

Mental Health Podcasts With the Fewest Reviews

1. “Decoded: Unlock The Secrets of Human Behavior, Emotion and Motivation” (111)

2. “Office Hours with Arthur Brooks” (147)

3. “Judging Meghan” (153)

Which Mental Health Podcasts Have the Most Episodes?

Mental Health Podcasts With the Most Episodes

1. “The School of Greatness with Lewis Howe” (1,900)

2. “The Narcissists’ Code” (1,600)

3. “Radio Headspace” (1,500)

Mental Health Podcasts With the Fewest Episodes

1. “Office Hours with Arthur Brooks” (4)

2. “Decoded: Unlock The Secrets of Human Behavior, Emotion and Motivation” (14)

3. “The Optimist Project” (29)

Methodology: How Scores Were Calculated

Hers gathered 30 popular podcasts based on mental health category recommendations on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. From there, we ranked each one based on three categories: average reviews on both podcast platforms, total number of reviews, and total episodes.

Get the data.

3 Tips for Incorporating Podcasts Into Your Mental Health Routine

Listening to a mental health podcast comes with personal benefits, which you can compound even more by following these three tips.

• Curate your podcast library: Be mindful of the types of mental health podcasts you listen to, especially if there is triggering content. Find a balance between heavier episodes and more uplifting ones that leave you feeling in a good headspace.
• Pair with a well-rounded self-care routine: In addition to giving yourself emotional support through a podcast, explore other areas of self-care, including physical, spiritual, and financial practices.
• Schedule time for action: It’s easy to listen to a mental health podcast while doing other things, like commuting to work or doing chores around the house. But it’s also important to find the time to implement what you’ve learned, like scheduling your first therapy session or meditating.

This story was produced by Hers and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.