Can an app help keep the dark clouds of depression at bay? There is no simple answer to this, but a team of doctors at the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS) believe that technology can be used to help battle depression and improve one’s sense of well-being. With this goal in mind, they have conceptualised and launched a pilot version of an app that can be accessed on cellphones.
Called PUSH-D (Practice and Use Self-Help for Depression), the mobile app is still in a beta version and the doctors are in the process of testing its efficacy. For this reason, those who wish to access the app have to visit NIMHANS for a single session of screening, after which they will get a user name and password to access it.
Seema Mehrotra, professor, Department of Clinical Psychology, NIMHANS, said the aim of PUSH-D is to reach out to people who have been diagnosed with clinical depression and those who may be suffering from depressive symptoms.
The doctors hope that the app will de-stigmatise depression. Although it is a common health condition, people are reluctant to reach out for help. “This could be because of time constraints, stigma, lack of access, or awareness,” said Dr. Mehrotra.
The app’s features are classified into ‘essential’ and ‘optional’ zones. While essential sections include 10 sections such as understanding depression and re-gaining mastery, optional zones offer coping tools to help people deal with grief, suicidal thoughts, and sleep-related problems that may accompany depression.
Along with Dr. Mehrotra, Paulomi Sudhir, Jagadisha and Girish N. Rao from NIMHANS partnered with the International Institute of Information Technology (IITB) Bengaluru, which provided technical assistance.
