Healthy Mind

Description:

Healthy Mind is part of a free smartphone app called ‘My Life Guide Toolbox’ which includes nine evidence-based tools to help the user deal with stress and improve their mood. The tools are developed based on mindfulness-based approaches and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). The app uses a game-based element to encourage adherence. Initially, the app delivers four starter tools and the user is able to unlock five further tools by rating the helpfulness of each previous tool. Once unlocked, tools are accessible to the user at their own pace with no restrictions placed on how often and when they may be used. The app uses a notification system which consists of three notification categories: tool suggestions, tool announcements and general reminders. Tool announcements invite participants to test a newly unlocked tool. A short teaser invitation encourages the user to use one of the tools and if clicked on, leads the user to a page including further information about how and why the new tool may be helpful to them. Tool suggestions encourage re-use of tools that participants had previously found helpful while General reminders invite the participant to re-use the app as a whole. Suggested tools are tailored to participants’ prior usage of the app.  

Service URL:

http://www.healthymindapp.org/

Agency Responsible:

University of Southampton.

Mobile Platform:

Android.

Details

Format:

Smartphone Application.

Intervention Type:

Stress management including relaxation. The app is based on mindfulness-based approaches and cognitive behavioral therapy

Course Structure:

No Set Course. App provides a collection of tools

Course Length:

Other. Four starter tools (with five further tools to unlock) are available for the user to use at their own pace

Support Option:

Automated only. Three categories of notifications: tool announcements, tool suggestions, and general reminders

Target Audience

Primary Category:

Stress.

Target Audience:

Adult.

Language:

English.

Access

Mobile platforms:

Android:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.ubhave.ubhavedynamicapp

Fee:

Free.

Access:

Open: No registration required.

Contact Details:

 

ubhave@soton.ac.uk

 

Research evidence

Research Trials:

0

Research RCTs:

0

Outcome Summary:

 No research trials have been conducted testing the efficacy of the Healthy Mind app, however, one study has tested the effect of timing and frequency of push notifications on the app's usage. The results of this study suggest that frequent notifications may encourage higher usage of the intervention without deterring engagement although tailored notifications may not always enhance app usage.

Recommended rating, reviewer 1:

Recommended rating, reviewer 2:

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Research paper citations

Morrison, L. G., Hargood, C., Pejovic, V., Geraghty, A. W. A., Lloyd, S., Goodman, N., . . . Yardley, L. (2017). The Effect of Timing and Frequency of Push Notifications on Usage of a Smartphone-Based Stress Management Intervention: An Exploratory Trial. PLoS ONE, 12(1), e0169162. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0169162