Bumble launches mental health features for dating app

Bumble, the women-first dating app, has released a new suite of profile prompts and interest badges centred around mental health and selfcare.

It is hoped that the addition of profile prompts and badges will give people on Bumble the space to easily highlight what’s most important to them and encourage an open dialogue around mental health from the offset. 

This comes as data from Bumble has found that the majority of men in the UK (59%) are actively taking steps to look after their emotional and mental health. This rises to over two-thirds (63%) for Black British men.

From today, people on Bumble can now select from two new mental wellness-related Profile Prompts including “My mental health game changer was…” and “I’m prioritising my mental health by..,” as well as six new interest badges that can be added to their profile, showcasing their priorities, such as ‘Therapy’, ‘Mindfulness’, ‘Deep Chat’, ‘Nutrition’, ‘Sleeping Well’ and ‘Time Offline’. 

Bumble’s data also revealed that over a quarter (29%) of people in the UK are either going to, or considering going to, therapy. This rises to over a third (35%) for Black British people. 

This follows Bumble’s trend of ‘Guardrailing’ which found that more than half (52%) of people on the app have established more boundaries over the last year. This includes being clearer about our emotional needs and boundaries (63%), being more thoughtful and intentional about how we put ourselves out there (59%), and not overcommitting socially (53%).

For those who are looking to prioritise time offline during Mental Health Awareness Month, Bumble’s Snooze Mode offers the ability to pause your activity on the app without losing any connections or chats. With Snooze Mode, you can hide your profile from potential matches for either 24 hours, 72 hours, or even weeks at a time. 

Says Naomi Walkland, Bumble’s VP of Europe says:

“Over the past couple of years there has been a positive societal shift in how we prioritise and talk about mental health. We’re seeing this mirrored when it comes to dating, with people demonstrating that they really value emotional maturity and communication, often over physical attributes. 

“Bumble’s research shows that not only are people looking for an empathetic and emotionally mature partner, they are also doing the work themselves by educating themselves, going to therapy, and learning to set boundaries and communicate them. Our latest self-care features are designed to encourage this conversation about mental health, share what’s important to you and find others who share a similar approach.” 

Ahead of Mental Health Awareness Week (15th – 21st May), Bumble’s Sex & Relationship Expert, Dr Caroline West, gives her five tips to protect your mental health whilst dating:

• Set yourself a time limit – Spending a lot of time searching through dating apps can be a demotivating experience. Instead, why not set aside time in the day where you’ll intentionally look for a partner on a dating app. Spend time really absorbing people’s profiles to understand their interests and values to see if they are someone you’d be interested in pursuing
• Take your time to get to know each other better. If you’ve got a case of the pre-date jitters, spend a little longer getting to know a potential date before meeting in-person. Try a video date before meeting IRL to get a feel for their personality and see whether there is an initial spark.  
• Set boundaries – Whilst it’s great to be open about mental health, it’s also important that you feel safe to do so. By setting boundaries such as ‘I’m not comfortable talking about this today’ or, ‘I need some time’, you’re able to protect your mental well-being and talk about sensitive topics at a time when you feel less vulnerable. 
• Take time off if you need to – We all have busy lives and dating can often feel like just another thing to do and tick off, adding to the overwhelming feeling. On Bumble, there is a snooze option which allows you to pause your activity and come back to it when you’re ready 
• Talk to your support system – If you’re feeling anxious or overwhelmed whilst dating, talk to friends and family. They can offer an outside perspective which might help you see things more clearly and alleviate some pressure. They’ll want to hear all the good stories too, so keep them updated on that too!