Smartphone apps become 'surrogate therapists'
September 27, 2012 -- Updated 1621 GMT (0021
HKT)
Apps can help smartphone users recognize the
triggers of bad moods or create ways to enhance positive thinking.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- The Live OCD Free app makes use of OCD therapy techniques
- Live Happy encourages positive thinking and goal-setting
- Many mental health apps are free or cost less than a dollar
In the age when there's an app
for everything, it's no surprise that there are a lot of smartphone tools out
there claiming to help people cope. From informational resources to interactive
mental wellness programs, there's plenty out there to choose from.
And even if you don't have a
diagnosed mental illness, you may benefit from recognizing the triggers of bad
moods or creating ways to enhance positive thinking.
Don't mistake your phone for a
therapist, but some mental health professionals are encouraging their patients
to use mobile apps as a way to supplement their care.
"You can definitely utilize and
capitalize on the smartphone technology to create tools that people have with
them all the time," said Kristen Mulcahy, a psychologist in Falmouth,
Massachusetts.
Mulcahy came up with the idea for
an app for people with obsessive-compulsive disorder that is a fully
comprehensive tool with versions for children and adults.
Patients with OCD
have unwanted thoughts and anxieties that trigger repetitive behaviors.
The Live OCD Free app for iPad
or iPhone makes use of a well-tested treatment for OCD called exposure and
response prevention.
The technique forces patients to
face their fears head-on without engaging in compulsions. Users can practice
this with, for instance, leaving the house without checking the door lock
multiple times, over a given time period. If they give in before the timer is
up, there's a "Just Gave In" button.
The user can also create an
audio recording of an obsessive thought to listen to on loop, in order to
practice enduring it without doing a repetitive behavior.
More than just a tool to use on
your own, the app can help the user's therapist see progress over time by
generating charts that can be e-mailed.
"It holds (patients) a lot more
accountable, because they know I'm going to be able to see everything they are
or aren't doing," she said. The price tag is steep at $79.99, but it may help
patients cut back on their more expensive in-person sessions a lot faster,
Mulcahy said; the app is a "surrogate therapist."
For less than a dollar, there
are a variety of tools available to address other aspects of mental health.
Dr. Rakesh Jain, psychiatrist at
the University of Texas Medical School at Houston, uses a free mood tracking app
called Moody Me. Users can upload photos that correspond with
different moods, from "manic" and "excellent" to "horrible" and "depressed."
You can delve deeper into what's
causing the mood by with a list of relevant emotions, symptoms and events. Users
who are taking medications can also note them in their daily mood entries. The
app also creates graphs of moods over time so users can detect patterns.
Moody Me also has a social
feature, where users can share their moods with their friends. There are "Ask a
Doctor" forums with advice from real experts on a variety of topics and
communities for discussions around specific mental disorders.
Jain also gets his patients to
use a body weight tracker called BMI by NutriSystem to track their body mass index, since
depression is a mind-body disorder. Although BMI is an imperfect
indicator of health, studies have shown that depression and BMI are linked.
His favorite app is called Live Happy, which costs 99 cents. It was developed in
collaboration with Sonja Lyubomirsky, a psychologist at the University of
California, Riverside, and the company Signal Patterns.
The app offers
happiness-boosting activities wherever you go. For example, the "Best Possible
Self" activity asks you to take 15 to 30 minutes in a quiet place and reflect on
what your life will be like ideally in five years, including the life goals you
want to accomplish. There's a "Strive" section where you can identify goals and
characterize them, too.
Part of this app is also
expressing gratitude. You can call, text or e-mail a person whom you appreciate.
A "gratitude journal" allows you to jot down things that you are thankful for in
your life. The "Replay Happy Days" activity leads you through the exercise of
remembering happy moments to replay positive emotions.
"It is extremely scientifically
based and (an) unusually powerful app," Jain said.
If you aren't sure whether what
you're feeling could be classified as depression or anxiety, there's a free tool
called depressioncheck. This app offers a three-minute screening for
anxiety and depression. Of course, it's not meant to replace a real mental
health professional's evaluation; you should seek consultation with a licensed
therapist before trying to make any diagnoses on your own.
For those who have bipolar
disorder, there's an app called Bipolar Disorder Connect. This free app is a gateway into a
community of people living with bipolar disorder. Users ask each other questions
and talk about treatments.
Finally, the National Center for
Telehealth and Technology, part of the U.S. Department of Defense, has put out
an intriguing
suite of mental health apps as well.
PTSD
Coach, co-created by the VA's National Center for post-traumatic stress disorder, includes a
PTSD self-assessment and information about the condition. Relaxation skill tools
and anger management techniques are part of the program. It is intended for
veterans and military service members.
And for a simple guided
relaxation program, check out Tactical
Breather, from the same group. A voice guides you through inhalations and
exhalations that, according to the website, "can be used to gain control over
physiological and psychological responses to stress." It was developed for
combat situations but can be used by anyone for stress management at any time.
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