“Technology is taking over humanity, letting people fall into depression and mental disorders” these lines are often printed somewhere in any newspaper or displayed in TV health episodes.
Contradictory to the above assumptions, scientists from the prestigious American ‘North Western University’, Chicago claim that there are certain mini mobile applications that help people to fight depression and anxiety.
They entitled those 13 mini applications on `IntelliCare` which surprisingly waived off the 50% of depression and anxiety in the participants, who used the apps on their smartphones up to four times a day using psychotherapy or with antidepressant medication.
These survey details were mentioned in the ‘Journal of Medical Internet Research. The various exercises that help in stepping towards de-stress, reduce self-criticism and worrying are mentioned in the apps. It is believed that these methods help people to feel about themselves as more meaningful, certain mantras to highlight the strengths, strategies for a good night`s sleep and more are also included.
“We designed these apps so they fit easily into people`s lives and could be used as simply as apps to find a restaurant or directions,” said lead study author David Mohr from Northwestern University`s Feinberg School of Medicine.
“Some of the participants kept using them after the study because they felt that the apps helped them feel better,” Mohr added.In the study, 105 participants were enrolled and 96 of them completed the study.
The 13 mini applications together called as the subsidaries of ‘Intellicare’:
- Thought Challenger: This helps you gain control of how you feel and what you do by teaching you to notice and challenge negative and unhelpful thoughts. Get the application here:
- Day to Day: Delivers a daily stream of tips and tricks to boost your mood. Work on a particular theme each day; every week, learn more about how to effectively cultivate gratitude, activate pleasure, increase connectedness, solve problems, and challenge your thinking. Get the application here:
- Worry Knot: Teaches you to manage your worry with lessons, distractions and a proven worry management technique. Get the application here:
- iCope: Sometimes we all need a helping hand or a motivational push to get us through the tough spots. Use iCope to automatically send yourself inspirational messages and reassuring statements, in your own words, to help you cope when you need it most. Get the application here:
- Aspire: What do you want your life to be about? What do you aspire to? Use Aspire to identify the values that guide your life and the actions you take to live that value. Aspire will help you track those actions throughout the day and support you in living a more purpose-driven and satisfying life. Get the application here:
- Boost Me: When feeling down or stressed, people tend to lose motivation for doing rewarding things. Boost Me is here to help reverse that trend! Notice a drop in your mood? Boost Me can provide positive activities that have worked for you in the past or give you suggestions, based on how you’re feeling. Get the application here:
- Slumber Time: Slumber Time is a comprehensive sleeping app to help you get a good night’s rest. Start a sleep diary to track how well you are sleeping and use the bedtime checklist to clear your mind before going to sleep. Get the application here:
- My Mantra: Mantras are phrases we repeat to ourselves that highlight our strengths and values, and can motivate us to do and feel good. A mantra helps you become your best possible self. My Mantra is designed to help you get there. Get the application here:
- Purple Chill: Chill out with Purple Chill’s relaxation exercises! Take a timeout to listen to audio recordings that guide you through various techniques to de-stress and worry less! Get the application here:
- Daily Feats: Daily Feats motivates you to incorporate worthwhile and productive activities into your life. Whether it’s going to the gym or just getting out of bed, accomplishments big and small are added to the Feats calendar where you can track your positive activity streaks. Get the application here:
- Social Force: Feeling down, depressed, or withdrawn from your family? Do you need help getting started socializing again? We built Social Force to improve your mood by helping you increase positive contact with people who matter most to you. Get the application here:
- Move Me: MoveMe is an app designed to boost your mood through bursts of activity. MoveMe is based on science that tells us 10 to 15 minutes of regular bursts of activity can improve your mood and well-being. MoveMe is designed to help you select the best exercises to improve your mood. Get the application here:
- Purple Robot: Purple Robot is a sensing and scripting application that enables the creation of context-aware experiences. Purple Robot does include any interventions or experiences by itself – it must be paired with additional infrastructure. Get the application here: