Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Mental Health Apps'

This work gathers a research carried out on the use of context-aware technologies in their application to the field of mental health. It starts performing a review of mobile technologies used in psychological interventions and extracting the characteristics and disorders most discussed; it continues to propose considerations to take into account in the development of this type of technologies to increase its chances of success, focusing on three areas of study: Context, Mental Health and Technology; The next contribution is the process of developing a platform that allows therapists to create their own mobile applications with geolocation to customize their own intervention tools, the development is based on the learning obtained in the first two contributions, it is described as an intervention example a hypothetical case of depression; Finally, the platform is validated with three patients suffering from two different disorders: Panic disorder and agoraphobia; and gambling disorder.
Este trabajo describe la investigación realizada sobre el uso de tecnologías sensibles al contexto en su aplicación al campo de la salud mental. Comienza realizando una revisión sistemática del uso de smartphones en intervenciones psicológicas y extrae las características y trastornos más analizados; continúa proponiendo unas consideraciones a tener en cuenta en el desarrollo de este tipo de tecnologías para aumentar sus posibilidades de éxito, centrándose en tres áreas de estudio: contexto, salud mental y tecnología; la siguiente contribución es el proceso de desarrollar una plataforma que permita a los terapeutas crear sus propias aplicaciones móviles con geolocalización para personalizar sus propias herramientas de intervención, el desarrollo se basa en el aprendizaje obtenido en las dos primeras contribuciones; finalmente, la plataforma está validada con tres pacientes que sufren dos trastornos diferentes: trastorno de pánico y agorafobia; y trastorno del juego.

In the United States, stigma surrounding mental illness is ever present. With a large misrepresentation from the media, those suffering with mental illnesses, like eating disorders, often face different types of social rejection. Due to the stigma surrounding mental illness, and eating disorders, the disclosure of such an illness to another person can result in a negative impression of the sender. There is little research looking at how mental illness disclosures can affect the formation of a romantic relationship, specifically from the perspective of the receiver of a disclosure. Looking specifically at the format of mobile dating apps, this study looks at how a receiver?s initial attraction to a person changes, based on the presence of an eating disorder disclosure. Results found a correlation between stigma and attraction, however, disclosure type had no effect on attraction, or stigma.

Bakgrund: Ungdomar i Sverige mår allt sämre psykiskt. Få söker hjälp hos vården när de mår dåligt. BUP har långa väntetider och därmed får få hjälp direkt när de behöver det. Ungdomar riskerar att försämras i sitt mående vid utebliven kontakt med vården. En app skulle kunna vara ett alternativ för dessa ungdomar innan de får möjlighet att komma till vården. Syfte: Studiens syfte är att belysa hur ungdomar som använder appen ”Här ligger jag…” uttrycker sitt mående. Metod: Studien har en kvalitativ ansats. Efter godkännande från användarna samlades data in från appen under en veckas tid, i mars 2020. Kvalitativ innehållsanalys användes för att analysera de 414 insamlade inläggen. Resultat: Resultatet består av fem kategorier av måenden. Det visade att ungdomarna har ett behov av att uttrycka sig kring ångest, depressiva symtom, ensamhet, hat och välbefinnande. Slutsats: Ungdomars behov att uttrycka sitt mående skulle kunna tillgodoses av en sjuksköterska med kunskap om ungdomar som ger vägledning till att hälsoappar finns att tillgå 24 timmar om dygnet. Ämnet psykisk ohälsa kan uppfattas som ett känsligt ämne att tala om och därför kan det vara lättare i ett forum där alla är anonyma.
Background: Mental health problems are increasing for adolescents in Sweden. Few of them seek help from health care when they are feeling unwell. Children and adolescents psychiatry in Sweden have excessive waiting lists for help seekers and therefore few who require help are getting it directly when needed. Adolescents are at risk of worsening their mental health status without available professional help. An mhealth app have the potential to be an alternative for adolescents with mental health problems before they have a chance to receive professional help. Objective: The aim of the study is to highlight how adolescents express their mood in the ”Här ligger jag…” app. Methods: This study has a qualitative approach to the field. The collection of data was carried out during one week in March of 2020 with consent from the users. A total of 414 posts was collected and analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Results: The result consist of five categories with expressions of feelings. It shows that adolescents have a need to express themselves about anxiety, depressive symptoms, loneliness, hatred and well-being. Conclusions: Nurses with knowledge about adolescents needs to express their mood could guide them to find mhealth apps which are available 24/7. Talking about mental health may be perceived as a difficult topic to discuss and therefore it may be easier in an anonymous forum.

Den psykiska ohälsan ökar internationellt och även i Sverige, samtidigt rapporteras den psykiatriska vården vara bristfällig på grund av sin låga tillgänglighet. Ett sätt att öka tillgängligheten av vården kan vara genom en smartphone-applikation. Men oavsett hur effektiv en app är, så tillför den ingenting om den inte används. Syftet med denna studie är därmed att utreda attityder till denna typ av digitalisering samt undersöka vilka appfunktioner som skulle möta psykiatripatienters behov. Studien baseras på kvalitativa intervjuer med personer som fått vård vid psykiatrin vid Akademiska sjukhuset i Uppsala och vi analyserar sedan empirimaterialet utifrån det teoretiska ramverket Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). Studiens resultat visar på att samtliga av de deltagande psykiatripatienterna har överlag positiva attityder till konceptet att använda appar vid vård av psykisk ohälsa. De positiva attityderna grundar sig dock på förutsättningen att en sådan app ska utgöra ett komplement till den psykiatriska vård som finns idag. Slutligen presenterar studien även att det tyder på att de funktioner som lämpar sig väl för att möta psykiatripatienters behov är sådana som tillgängliggör psykiatrin genom att förmedla information snarare än att erbjuda behandling genom mobilapplikationen.
Mental illness is increasing, both globally and in Sweden. Meanwhile it is reported that the psychiatric care is inadequate because of its low availability. A solution to this problem is to increase the availability of care through a smartphone application. But no matter how effective an app might be, it will not solve anything if it is not used. The purpose of this study is therefore to investigate attitudes towards this kind of digitalization and to examine what kind of app functions that can meet patients needs. The study is based on qualitative interviews with persons that have received care from the psychiatry at Akademiska sjukhuset in Uppsala, Sweden. Furthermore, we analyze the empirical material by using the theoretical framework Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). The results show that all of the participating patients generally have positive attitudes towards the concept of using apps for mental health care. Although, these positive attitudes require that a mental health app should be complementary to the psychiatric care available today, not replace it. Finally, the study also suggests that application functions that are well suited to meet the needs of the patients are those who make the mental health care more available by providing information rather than offering treatment through the application.

Background: One in five Canadians experience mental health issues with university students showing significantly higher rates of mental health problems than the general public. Current university support services are limited by factors such as available staff and finances, and social stigma has frequently been identified as an additional barrier that prevents students from accessing these resources. Mobile health (mHealth) apps are one form of alternative health support that is discrete and accessible to students, and while they are recognized as a promising alternative, there is limited research demonstrating their efficacy. Objective: To evaluate a mindfulness-based app’s (“DeStressify”) efficacy on stress, anxiety, depressive symptomology, sleep behaviour, work/class absenteeism, work/school productivity, and quality of life among university students. Methods: Full-time undergraduate students at a Canadian university with smartphones and internet access were recruited through in-class announcements and on-campus posters. Participants randomized into an experimental condition were given and instructed to use the Destressify app five days a week for four weeks. Control condition participants were wait-listed. All participants completed pre- and post-intervention online surveys to self-assess stress, anxiety, depressive symptomatology, sleep quality, and health-related quality of life. Results: 206 responses were collected at baseline with 163 participants completing the study (86 control, 77 experimental). Using Destressify was shown to reduce trait anxiety (P = .005) and improve general health (P = .001), energy (P = .005), and emotional wellbeing (P = .005) in university students, and more participants than expected by chance in the experimental condition believed their productivity improved between baseline and post-intervention measurements (P = iii .01). The app did not significantly improve stress, state anxiety, physical and social functioning, role limitations due to physical or emotional health problems, or pain (P > .05). Conclusions: Mindfulness-based apps may provide an effective alternative support for university student mental health. Universities and other institutions may benefit from promoting the use of Destressify or other mindfulness-based mHealth apps among students who are interested in methods of anxiety management or mindfulness-based self-driven health support. Future steps include examining Destressify and similar mHealth apps over a longer time period and in university staff and faculty.
Graduate Studies, College of (Okanagan)
Graduate

Mental and emotional health concerns among college students are prevalent and diverse in their symptom presentations. With increasing demands on counseling centers to provide efficient care and to address students with higher acuity or risk for harm, there has been an increased focus on identifying therapeutic targets that underlie a wide breadth of concerns to broaden the scope and impact of mental health services. Psychological inflexibility is one such target and refers to a combination of excessive avoidance of internal experiences coupled with a lack of actions that align with a person’s values. Interventions for psychological inflexibility aim to support people in reducing actions that are mostly about avoiding unwanted thoughts and feelings and actions that involve moving towards chosen values. Such interventions may produce changes in people’s actions in part through helping people notice and label the different roles their actions play in relation to thoughts, feelings, and personal values. However, the skill of noticing and labeling the purposes of one’s actions has not been studied in interventions for psychological inflexibility despite being discussed in theoretical writings. Training this skill may serve as a direct means of reducing psychological inflexibility and as a foundation for other interventions, thus it may be a relevant target in interventions for psychological inflexibility among college students. Given this, the present study developed and tested an intervention focused on noticing and labeling one’s actions as an intervention for psychological inflexibility in a college student sample, as delivered through web and app-based media. The study recruited 106 students with symptoms of depression and anxiety from a medium sized university in the Mountain West of the United States, and then randomly assigned them to either wait for eight weeks or receive a three-week online and app-based training for noticing and labeling avoidant and values-consistent actions. The results of the study indicated short-term effects on symptoms of depression and anxiety for participants who received the online and app-based training as compared with participants who were asked to wait, although both groups showed reductions in symptoms by the end of the study period. Participants did not report changes in the target skill of noticing and labeling their actions although the study did find larger reductions in psychological inflexibility among participants who received the training as compared with those asked to wait. Further, changes in psychological flexibility were related to changes in behavioral activity and life satisfaction, but not life quality. The results raise questions about the necessity of training the ability to notice and label one’s actions as a direct intervention mechanism for psychological inflexibility. The findings also suggest that changing inflexible patterns of behavior may be more important than the capacity to notice such changes. These results are further interpreted in relation to interventions for college student mental and emotional health.

Mestrado em Enfermagem em Associação, Área de especialização: Enfermagem de Saúde Mental e Psiquiátrica
A perturbação mental é um dos principais problemas das sociedades atuais, preponderante na morbilidade das populações. Neste sentido, é importante que se definam estratégias e ações a desenvolver, visando contrariar esta tendência e edificar uma melhoria na saúde mental das pessoas. Neste prisma, a continuidade de cuidados surge como um dos contribuintes para a promoção da saúde mental e reabilitação psicossocial. Com este trabalho pretendemos compreender este fenómeno nosológico e quais as ferramentas para combater o incremento das perturbações mentais. Utilizamos a metodologia de projeto que foi concretizada através de uma revisão integrativa da literatura. A literatura evidencia que existe uma relação entre as intervenções do EEESMP, a continuidade de cuidados e a melhoria da condição de saúde da pessoa com perturbação mental. Conclui-se que o EEESMP tem um papel muito importante nos ganhos em saúde tanto para as pessoas acometidas por esta nosologia como para a sociedade onde se insere.
Mental disorder is one of the main problems of today's societies, preponderant in the morbidity of populations. In this sense, it is important to define strategies and actions to be developed to counteract this tendency and build an improvement in people's mental health. In this perspective, continuity of care emerges as a contributor to the promotion of mental health and psychosocial rehabilitation. With this work we intend to understand this nosological phenomenon and which tools to combat the increase of mental disorders. We used the project methodology that was performed through an integrative literature review. The literature shows that there is a relationship between EEESMP interventions, continuity of care and improvement of the health status of the person with mental disorder. It is concluded that the EEESMP plays a very important role in health gains, for both the people affected by this nosology and the society where it is inserted.

Introdução: O trabalhador de enfermagem que passa por afastamento de trabalho por transtorno mental enfrenta preconceitos e dificuldades, desde seu adoecimento e afastamento até o momento que retorna ao trabalho. As dificuldades e limitações sentidas para realizar as atividades e se reinserir na equipe de trabalho, ainda, são pouco estudadas, evidenciando a necessidade de uma maior compreensão sobre a problemática. Objetivo: O presente estudo teve por objetivo analisar a percepção dos trabalhadores de enfermagem oncológica afastados por transtornos mentais, sobre o retorno ao trabalho e elaborar propostas de intervenção que facilitem este retorno. Metodologia: O estudo foi desenvolvido na linha compreensiva e na abordagem qualitativa. A população foi de 564 trabalhadores de enfermagem de um hospital especializado em oncologia no Estado de São Paulo. A amostra intencional foi constituída por oito trabalhadores de enfermagem, sendo seis mulheres e dois homens, incluindo as categorias profissionais de técnicos de enfermagem e enfermeiros, que atenderam ao critério de inclusão, ou seja, que retornaram de afastamento por transtorno mental há, no máximo, seis meses. Após aprovação do projeto pelo Comitê de Ética, a coleta dos dados foi realizada através de questionário de caracterização dos sujeitos e entrevista individual, no período de junho a outubro de 2013. Para tratamento dos dados qualitativos foi utilizada a técnica da Análise Temática. Resultados: As categorias que emergiram dos relatos dos trabalhadores evidenciaram as relações entre o trabalho e o adoecimento psíquico: condições de trabalho, situações que os trabalhadores viviam na época do afastamento, situações enfrentadas ao retornar ao trabalho, estigma da doença mental e as propostas de intervenção. Com relação às condições de trabalho, observou-se que um dimensionamento inadequado e características inerentes ao trabalho em oncologia são percebidos pelos trabalhadores como fatores que levam ao degaste pelo trabalho. Quanto às situações que os trabalhadores viviam na época do afastamento, os relatos mostram que mesmo havendo uma sobreposição de problemas pessoais aos de trabalho, o trabalho foi fator decisivo para o adoecimento. Sobre as situações enfrentadas ao retornar ao trabalho, evidenciou-se as dificuldades em voltar atuar na assistência direta ao paciente e trabalhar em equipe. O estigma da doença mental se mostrou tanto antes quanto depois do afastamento, denotando dificuldades de compreensão dos sintomas e da cronicidade dos transtornos mentais. Os trabalhadores só tiveram acesso à assistência à saúde dentro da instituição, quando se tronou necessário entrar em afastamento de trabalho. As sugestões de propostas de intervenção de melhorias: na rotina de trabalho; no trabalho em equipe; no suporte à saúde do trabalhador. Conclusões: Os resultados apontam as seguintes necessidades: redimensionamento da equipe, levando em consideração as particularidades do trabalho de enfermagem em oncologia; minimizar o estigma da doença mental dentro da instituição, através esclarecimento das equipes; elaborar propostas de atendimento à saúde do trabalhador portador de transtorno mental.
Introduction: The nursing workers who live the sick leave by mental disorder face prejudices and difficulties, since the illness until the moment which returns to work. The restrictions for work in consequence of illness and reinsertion of worker in the daily life of work and in the team after this sick leave are still little studied, evidencing the need to a greater understanding about the theme. Objective: This study aimed to analyze the perception of oncology nursing workers after sick leave by mental disorders, about the return to work and elaborate proposals of intervention to facilitate this return. Methodology: This is a comprehensive study with qualitative approach developed with the nursing staff of an oncology hospital in São Paulo state. The sample consisted of 8 nursing workers, being 6 women and 2 men, which returned to sick leave by mental disorders in a maximum of six months. After project approval by the ethics committee, data collection began with a socio demographic questionnaire and after, an individual interview. The data collection was performed from June to October of 2013. The quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and the qualitative data analysis was conducted by Thematic Analysis technique. Results: The categories that emerged from reports of workers showed the relations between work and the psychic illness. With respect to the working conditions, was observed that the nursing staffing is inappropriate and inherent characteristics to work in oncology are perceived by workers as factors of strain processes by the work. About the situations that workers lived at the time of the sick leave, the reports show that although there an overlay of personal problems and work problems, the work was the deciding factor for the illness. About the situations faced to returning to work, was evident that the difficulties for back to act on patient assistance and for back to work in a team. The stigma of mental disorders, both before and after of the sick leave, showed the difficulties of understanding the symptoms of mental disorders and the chronicity of these diseases. The workers only had access to occupational health in the institution, when it was necessary to request the sick leave. Intervention proposals suggestions for improvements: in the routine of work; teamwork; in supporting workers \' health. Conclusion: The results show the following needs: changes in the nursing staffing considering the particularities about the oncology nursing work; minimize the stigma of mental disorders in the institution, through the clarification of the teams; elaborate proposals for occupational health, for workers with mental disorders.

A maioria dos estudos sobre o papel da família na continuidade do tratamento após o primeiro episódio psicótico investigam os casos de abandono de tratamento e apontam para aspectos \"negativos da família\". Poucos estudos investigam o papel da família nos casos de pacientes que se mantém no tratamento. Objetivo: Compreender a experiência de cuidar de um familiar no PEP e evidenciar as motivações para manter-se no cuidado. Método: Trata-se de pesquisa qualitativa que utilizou a teoria sistêmica familiar como referencial teórico e a narrativa como referencial metodológico. Foram entrevistados 13 familiares cuidadores de 12 pacientes. Para a realização das entrevistas em profundidade com enfoque narrativo foi utilizada a seguinte questão norteadora: Nós sabemos que poucos familiares se mantêm no tratamento em saúde mental junto ao seu jovem familiar adoecido após o primeiro episódio psicótico. Se manter no tratamento conjuntamente ao paciente e cuidar do mesmo é chamado por nós de engajamento. São ações como levar nas consultas, administrar a medicação, modo de se relacionar, cuidar da higiene e assim por diante. Sendo assim, gostaríamos que você nos contasse sobre o que te motiva a permanecer cuidando e tudo que você e sua família fazem pelo seu familiar adoecido. Para a exploração das narrativas foi utilizada a técnica de análise de conteúdo indutiva. Resultados: A análise das narrativas definiu o engajamento familiar em três grandes categorias interdependentes. Uma é relacionada ao contexto de sentimentos envolvidos no cuidar denominada \"Motivações para o engajamento\", as outras duas referem-se às ações relacionadas ao cuidar denominadas \"As ações de engajamento\" e \"Avaliação constante do cuidar\". Conclusão: A pesquisa contribui com o conhecimento ao apresentar famílias ativamente envolvidas no cuidado com o jovem em tratamento para o primeiro episódio psicótico. O referencial teórico - metodológico possibilitou destacar e valorizar as histórias, experiências e as relações familiares envolvidos no cuidado de um ente querido. Os cuidados foram descritos e contextualizados nos valores culturais das famílias. Verificamos que os familiares percebem o cuidado como uma responsabilidade do seu papel na família
Most studies of the family\'s role in the continuity of treatment after the first epidode psychosis investigate cases of abandonment treatment and point to \"negative aspects of family\". Few studies have investigated the role of the family in cases of patients who remain in treatment. Objective: Understand the experience of caring of a familiar in PEP and highlight the motivations to remain in care. Method: This is a qualitative research that used the systemic family theory as the theoretical framework and the narrative as a methodological framework. 13 family caregivers of 12 patients were interviewed. To carry out the interviews with narrative approach was used the following question: We know that few families remain in mental health treatment of their sick young familiar after the first episode psychosis. Maintain the treating and taking care of the patient is called engagement. These are actions like take into consultations, administer medications, so as to relate, take care of hygiene and so on. Therefore, we would like you to tell us what motivates you to stay caring after everything you and your family are sickened by his family. For the exploration of the narratives was used the inductive content analysis technique. Results: The analysis of the narrative set the familiar engagement in three major interdependent categories. One is related to the context of feelings involved in the care called \"Motivations for engagement,\" the other two refer to actions related to care called \"The engagement actions\" and \"The assessment of care.\" Conclusion: The study contributes to the knowledge to present actively involved families in caring of the young in treatment of first episode psychosis. The theoretical - methodological possible highlight and enhance the stories, experiences and family relations involved in the care of a loved one. Care were described and contextualized in the cultural values of families. We found that family members perceive care as a responsibility of their role in the family

En el presente trabajo, se ejecutó un plan de negocios sobre una aplicación móvil para realizar consultas psicológicas de forma virtual, creado por cinco estudiantes de la facultad de Negocios de la Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas (UPC). El proyecto se desarrolló en base al aumento de afecciones psicológicas vistas durante el periodo del 2020 -2021 a causa de la pandemia del Covid-19 que ha afectado a la población peruana de forma relevante, llegando así a generar cambios significativos en el desarrollo de su día a día, cambio que se ve reforzado por la falta de herramientas para acceder a una consulta psicológica siguiendo las reglas de prevención contra esta enfermedad. Al analizar este sector podemos ver que existe un alto potencial de crecimiento debido a la tendencia de uso de teleconsultas en el sector salud, en especial, consultas psicológicas. Luego de evaluar las necesidades y requerimientos de nuestro público objetivo, desarrollamos una aplicación móvil que sirve como nexo entre el psicólogo y el paciente, que permite obtener una comunicación más fluida y accesible al brindar una plataforma exclusiva para realizar psicoterapia. Al finalizar nuestro proyecto de ventas, se analizaron los diferentes planes presupuestales del área de RR.HH., de operaciones, marketing y ventas para tener una proyección, en términos monetarios, de lo que necesitamos para llevar a cabo nuestra idea de negocio. Con ello, seremos capaces de saber si es aceptable invertir en él o en todo caso, aprender y crear nuevas ideas de negocio.
In the present work, a business plan was executed on a mobile application to carry out psychological consultations in a virtual way, created by five students from the Business School of the Peruvian University of Applied Sciences (UPC). The project was developed based on the increase in psychological conditions seen during the 2020 -2021 period due to the Covid-19 pandemic that has affected the Peruvian population in a relevant way, thus generating significant changes in the development of their day by day, change that is reinforced by the lack of tools to access a psychological consultation following the parameters of prevention against this disease. When analyzing this sector, we can see that there is a high growth potential due to the trend of teleconsultations in the health sector, especially psychological consultations. After evaluating the needs and requirements of our target audience, we developed a mobile application that serves as a link between the psychologist and the patient, which allows for more fluid and accessible communication by providing an exclusive platform for psychotherapy. At the end of our sales project, the different budget plans of the HR, operations, marketing, and sales areas were analyzed to have a projection, in monetary terms, of what we need to carry out our business idea. With this, we will be able to know if it is acceptable to invest in it or in any case, learn and create new business ideas.
Trabajo de investigación

Introdução:Os transtornos mentais (TM) são a terceira princip al causa de incapacidade laborativa de longa duração no Brasil. Existem dive rsos fatores que influenciam o tempo para o retorno ao trabalho (RT) e a efetividade da reint egração laboral após um episódio de afastamento por TM. É considerado um retorno ao tra balho eficaz (RTE) quando o trabalhador se mantém no exercício das suas ativida des profissionais por prazo superior a trinta dias após a volta ao trabalho. No Brasil não há estudos que descrevam fatores associados ao RT de trabalhadores afastados por TM incapacitante. Objetivo: Analisar os fatores que influenciam o tempo para o retorno ao t rabalho após afastamento de longa duração por TM e a efetividade da reintegração do trabalhad or após o período de afastamento. Métodos:Um estudo longitudinal realizado na cidade de São Paulo entre 2014-2016 que incluiu trabalhadores do mercado formal que requeri am benefício por incapacidade. Foram conduzidas quatro fases: a) adaptação transcultural de um instrumento holandês que avalia a expectativa para o RT entre afastados por TM (N=411 ); b) coleta de informações sociodemográficas, comportamento de risco para a sa úde, características do trabalho, condições de saúde e histórico previdenciário (N=20 4); c) entrevista sobre o processo de RT na empresa (N=128); d) verificação da situação do t rabalhador no mercado de trabalho após 365 dias do afastamento. Foram realizadas análise d e sobrevida para verificar os fatores que influenciavam o tempo para o RT e regressão logísti ca para analisar os fatores que contribuíam para o RTE. Resultados: O grupo da fase longitudinal era composto na sua maioria por mulheres (71 por cento ), pessoas com idade infer ior a 40 anos (68 por cento ), alta escolaridade (78 por cento ), trabalhadores em atividade de atendimento (4 4,1 por cento ) e diagnóstico de quadro depressivo (52 por cento ). O tempo médio para o RT foi de qu ase seis meses entre os 63 por cento que tentaram voltar ao trabalho no período do estudo. O s fatores que influenciaram um retorno mais precoce foram: faixa etária entre 30-39 anos, escolaridade de mais de 12 anos de estudo, baixo consumo de álcool e ausência de sintomas ansi osos. A taxa de efetividade entre os que tentaram o retorno foi de 74 por cento . Os fatores que influ enciaram o retorno ao trabalho eficaz foram: maior tempo de trabalho na função, menor exp ectativa sobre o retorno ao trabalho durante o afastamento e a realização de exame médic o de retorno ao trabalho. A avaliação psicométrica da versão para o português brasileiro do questionário de autoeficácia sobre o trabalho após afastamento por TM demonstrou substan cial (0,64) a quase perfeita (0,86) estabilidade temporal ajustada por prevalência, boa confiabilidade interna (0,76) e estrutura bidimensional. Conclusão: Fatores relacionados a características sociodemogr áficas, ao comportamento de risco para a saúde e à condição cl ínica no afastamento influenciaram o tempo para o RT. Fatores relacionados a aspectos ps icológicos, características da história ocupacional e o processo de acolhimento do trabalha dor na empresa influenciam a efetividade do retorno. A versão para o português brasileiro do questionário de expectativa sobre o trabalho demonstrou ser adequada para o uso em popu lações similares à da pesquisa. Desejamos que o estudo possa contribuir para a disc ussão e formatação de ações públicas e privadas voltadas tanto para a prevenção terciária, quanto para intervenções em nível primário e secundário da atenção integral à saúde mental dos trabalhadores
Introduction: Mental disorders (MD) are the third leading cause of long-term disability in Brazil. There are several factors that influence th e time to return to work (RTW) and the effectiveness of labor reintegration after an episo de of sick leave due to MD. When workers remain working more than 30 days after back to work is known as sustained return-to-work (S-RTW). In Brazil, there are no studies describing factors associated with the RTW of workers in sick leave due to MD. Objectives: To analyze factors associated to time to RTW after an episode of long-term sickness absence due to MD and the effectiveness of those RTW. Methods: A longitudinal study conducted in the city of São Paulo, Brazil, from 2014- 2016 included formal workers requiring disability b enefit. We had four phases: a) the cross- cultural adaptation of a Dutch instrument that asse sses the RTW-SE among absentees due to MD (N = 411); b) collecting demographic information , health risk behaviors, work characteristics, health conditions and social secur ity history (N = 204); c) interview on the employer s RTW process (N = 128); check worker\'s si tuation in the labor market after 365 days of absence. Survival analysis was performed to identify factors influencing the time for the RTW and multiple logistic regression to analyze the factors that contributed to the S- RTW. Results: The group of longitudinal study was composed mostl y by women (71 per cent ), people aged under 40 (68 per cent ), 12 or more years of edu cation (78 per cent ), customer service jobs (44,1 per cent ) and diagnosed as depressed (52 per cent ). The avera ge time for the RTW was almost six months among the 63 per cent who tried the resumption of wo rk activities. Factors that influence an earlier return were: aged between 30-39 years, 12 o r more years of education, low alcohol intake and lack of anxiety symptoms. The effectiven ess rate among those who tried to return was 74 per cent . Factors influencing the sustained RTW were job working time, return-to-work self- efficacy (RTW-SE) in baseline, and to be evaluated by a physician before RTW. The psychometric evaluation for Brazilian Portuguese ve rsion of RTW-SE questionnaire showed substantial (0.64) to almost perfect (0.86) tempora l stability adjusted by prevalence, good reliability (0.76) and a two dimensions structure. Conclusion: Factors related to sociodemographic characteristics, risk health behav iors and medical condition influenced the time for RTW. Factors related to psychological and occupational aspects, and also the RTW process influence the effectiveness of the return. The Brazilian Portuguese version for RTW- SE showed to be suitable for use in similar populat ions of our research. We hope to contribute to the discussion and to stimulate public and priva te intervention policies on tertiary prevention, focused in early RTW, and also in prima ry and secondary level of integral attention to the workers mental health

Social media is valuable when searching for information or to ease communication but what about the health risks, loss of productivity and physical activity, imaginary ideals and addiction? One third of women 16-29 years old suffer from a lower mental health and according to a large number of studies, social media has a big part in it. This study investigates how Instagram can be modified in order to reduce the nega- tive effects on young women caused by the app. Through interviews and a workshop, five concepts were produced and tested. The preferred solution for the users was to add a symbol if the image has been retouched, this was made to be able to separate the fake from the authentic uploads in Instagram. Totally removing the phone from the process was not an option since it is used in more situations like communication. Another concept that was instantly popular was the option to keep follow or unfollow recently added accounts. This makes the user aware of the content and is given the possibility to evaluate the accounts. Along with these concepts, it could be suggested that people need to be more aware of the problems caused by social media. It could also be suggested for users to work on their self-compassion, to not critique oneself too much, since fitspo-accounts affect users substantially. It is not the time spent on social media that matters but what people are actually engaging with.

The arising of stigma associated with mental disorders constitutes a threat to society these days, as patients struggle daily to overcome their condition and sometimes avoid seeking for help, thus perpetuating their suffering. Moreover, society is bearing the costs of these people not getting properly treated, which comprises not only social costs, but also economic burdens. This research attempts to address whether a mental health app could reduce the mental stigma and provide a wide and amplified solution to mentally ill people. To do so, a survey was conducted in which respondents were given several questions and scenarios where they report the existence of stigma and how they react to the emergence of a mental health app, specially how they perceive their effects and how much are they willing to use and pay for an app. The results obtained suggest that stigma is indeed present in our society and that people seem receptive to this alternative method. Finally, effectiveness and whether the app is scientifically approved or not emerge as main predictors of the willingness to use a mental app while stigma seems to have no impact on it. Therefore, mental health apps could thus be a promising toot to mitigate the mental health stigma.
O surgimento de estigma associado a doenças mentais constitui uma ameaça à sociedade atual, uma vez que os pacientes travam uma luta diária contra a sua condição e, por vezes, evitam procurar ajuda, perpetuando o seu sofrimento. Adicionalmente, a sociedade suporta custos elevados por não tratar adequadamente estes doentes, sendo esses custos não só de cariz social, mas também económico. Esta investigação procura determinar se uma aplicação de saúde mental pode atenuar o estigma associado à doença mental e fornecer uma solução ampla e massificada para pessoas com doenças mentais. Para isso, foi realizado um questionário no qual os inquiridos foram expostos a diversas perguntas e cenários em que suportam a existência do estigma e reagem ao surgimento de uma aplicação móvel de saúde mental, percebem os seus efeitos e quanto estão dispostos a usá-la e a pagar por ela. Os resultados obtidos sugerem que o estigma é uma evidência na nossa sociedade e que as pessoas parecem recetivas a esse método alternativo. Finalmente, a eficácia da aplicação e o facto de ser cientificamente comprovado surgem como principais preditores da disposição para usar um aplicativo mental enquanto o estigma parece não ter impacto, o que atesta que o uso de uma aplicação pode ser realmente um meio de diminuir o estigma.

Dissertação para obtenção do grau de Mestre no Instituto Universitário Egas Moniz
Introduction:Dementia is one of the examples where currently mobile applications (MA) can be an asset, allowing patients or caregivers to improve their disease management (including medication management - MM). Many of the available MA come from other countries, so it’s important to explore what are the needs of caregivers and health professionals (HCPs), making it possible to adapt them. Aims: a) identify MA available to caregivers and people with dementia in the literature and in digital stores; b) explore the difficulties perceived by caregivers and characteristics to include in a new MA; c) explore the needs perceived by the PS on the characteristics considered most relevant to be included in an MA. Methods: Three steps: a systematic literature review (PRISMA guidelines) was carried out, complementing with a search in digital stores to identify tools already available; individual interviews were conducted with informal caregivers, asking them about difficulties in managing the disease, in MM and experience of using MA; finally, a nominal group technique with HCPs was performed to explore characteristics to be included in a MA. Results: 12 references were included, extracting a total of 47 MA. Complementing the digital stores, 29 MA were extracted. Only 19.7% MA had any resource related to MM. Most difficulties perceived by the three interviewed caregivers were related to disease management and MM. For HCPs, the main characteristics identified included communication with HCPs and MM, with a tie (23 points). Conclusion: Most of the MA identified in the literature were not available in digital stores and many did not consider MM as a characteristic. Some caregivers were unaware of the existence of MA and HCPs recommended that MA that are easy to use and more personalized can be useful for users and may lead to the adaptation of a tool to the Portuguese reality.
Introdução: A demência é um dos exemplos onde atualmente as aplicações móveis (AM) podem ser uma mais valia, permitindo ao doente ou ao cuidador uma melhoria na gestão da doença (incluindo gestão da medicação – GM). Muitas das AM disponíveis são oriundas de outros países, sendo importante explorar quais as necessidades dos cuidadores e dos profissionais de saúde (PS), tornando possível uma adaptação. Objetivos: a) identificar soluções de AM disponíveis para cuidadores e pessoas com demência na literatura e lojas digitais; b) explorar as dificuldades percecionadas pelos cuidadores e características a incluir numa nova AM; c) explorar as necessidades percecionadas pelos PS sobre as características consideradas mais relevantes a serem incluídas numa AM. Métodos: Três etapas: realizou-se uma revisão sistemática da literatura (guidelines PRISMA), complementando com uma pesquisa em lojas digitais para identificar ferramentas já disponíveis; foram conduzidas entrevistas individuais com cuidadores informais, questionando-os sobre as dificuldades na gestão da doença, na GM e experiência do uso de AM; por fim, foi realizada uma técnica de grupo nominal com PS para explorar características a ser incluídas numa AM. Resultados: Foram incluídas 12 referências, extraindo um total de 47 AM. Complementando com as lojas digitais, extraíram-se mais 29 AM. Apenas 19,7% AM tinham algum recurso relacionado à GM. A dificuldades mais percecionadas pelos três cuidadores entrevistados relacionaram-se com a gestão da doença e GM. Pelos PS, as principais características identificadas incluíram a comunicação com os PS e a GM, com um empate (23 pontos). Conclusão: A maioria das AM identificadas na literatura não se encontravam disponíveis nas lojas digitais e muitas não consideravam a GM como característica. Alguns cuidadores desconheciam a existência de AM e os PS recomendaram que AM fáceis de utilizar e mais personalizadas podem ser úteis para utilizadores, possibilitando uma adaptação de uma ferramenta para a realidade Portuguesa.

Dissertação de Mestrado apresentada no ISPA– Instituto Universitário para obtenção de grau de Mestre na especialidade de Psicologia Clínica.
Com o crescimento das novas tecnologias muito se tem vindo a desenvolver no que toca às suas várias utilidades em relação à saúde das pessoas. Objetivos: perceber a perceção das pessoas acerca da utilização de apps de saúde psicológica, comparativamente com o uso de apps de saúde física e a sua influência no bem-estar. Como tal, foram criados objetivos mais específicos: fazer uma comparação entre os usos relativamente à adesão e utilização: analisar a adesão ou não adesão, fatores facilitadores e inibidores do uso e da adesão e analisar a nível da experiência pessoal, a utilização de apps, tendo em conta a sensação de bem-estar pessoal percebida pelo próprio. Resultados: mostrou-se não existir diferenças significativas a nível da utilização de apps entre os dois grupos, no entanto, foi interessante verificar alguns aspetos em particular, como o facto de os participantes que indicaram utilizar apenas apps de saúde física atribuírem uma classificação mais baixa à sua saúde mental do que os participantes que indicaram apenas utilizar apps de saúde psicológica ou utilizar ambas. Conclusões: ao utilizarem apps de saúde psicológica, os participantes têm um suporte positivo a nível da sua saúde mental e, como tal, fazem uma melhor classificação da mesma. Seria interessante para estudos futuros, analisar uma possível relação a nível da saúde física e da saúde mental e de que forma afetam mutuamente a saúde psicológica do sujeito.
With the growth of new technologies, a lot has been developed in terms of their various uses in relation to people's health. Objectives: understand people's perception about the use of psychological health apps, compared to the use of physical health apps and its influence on well-being. As such, more specific objectives were created: making a comparison between uses regarding adherence and use: analyzing adherence or non-adherence, facilitating, and inhibiting factors of use and adherence and analyzing the level of personal experience, the use of apps, considering the sense of personal well-being perceived by the self. Results: it was shown that there were no significant differences in the use of apps between the two groups, however, it was interesting to verify some aspects, such as the fact that participants who indicated that they only use physical health apps attributed a lower rating to their mental health than participants who indicated only using psychological health apps or using both. Conclusions: when using psychological health apps, participants have a positive support in terms of their mental health and, as such, make a better classification of it. It would be interesting for future studies to analyze a possible relationship in terms of physical and mental health and how they mutually affect the subject's psychological health

Recent advance in health and technology has made mobile apps a viable approach to delivering behavioral interventions in areas including physical activity encouragement, smoking cessation, substance abuse prevention, and mental health management. Due to the chronic nature of most of the disorders and heterogeneity among mobile users, delivery of the interventions needs to be sequential and tailored to individual needs. We operationalize the sequential decision making via a policy that takes a mobile user's past usage pattern and health status as input and outputs an app/intervention recommendation with the goal of optimizing the cumulative rewards of interest in an indefinite horizon setting. There is a plethora of reinforcement learning methods on the development of optimal policies in this case. However, the vast majority of the literature focuses on studying the convergence of the algorithms with infinite amount of data in computer science domain. Their performances in health applications with limited amount of data and high noise are yet to be explored. Technically the nature of sequential decision making results in an objective function that is non-smooth (not even a Lipschitz) and non-convex in the model parameters. This poses theoretical challenges to the characterization of the asymptotic properties of the optimizer of the objective function, as well as computational challenges for optimization. This problem is especially exacerbated with the presence of high dimensional data in mobile health applications. In this dissertation we propose a regularized greedy gradient Q-learning (RGGQ) method to tackle this estimation problem. The optimal policy is estimated via an algorithm which synthesizes the PGM and the GGQ algorithms in the presence of an L₁ regularization, and its asymptotic properties are established. The theoretical framework initiated in this work can be applied to tackle other non-smooth high dimensional problems in reinforcement learning.

碩士
國立臺灣大學
法律學研究所
100
This paper aims to conduct a complete constitutional-research on involuntary treatment of mental-disorderly patients regulated by the Mental Health Act. Mental Health Act contains regulations such as Involuntary Hospitalization treatment, Mandatory Community treatment, and so on. Involuntary Hospitalization treatment is an important method that protects both serious patients and the safety of society, but it also poses immense interference to the freedom of patients. On the other hand, Taiwan is the first Asian country to ever practiced Mandatory Community treatment, hence the damage caused by this method on patients’ rights must be concerned. While discussing whether “involuntary treatment” conforms to the civilian rights given by the Constitution, the main point should be focused on if the National interference on imposing involuntary treatment on mental-disabled patients is necessary. Only when this prerequisite is confirmed true, can we examine whether these involuntary treatments conform to the Constitution, and subsequently offer advice. Consequently, this paper will follow this sequence to analyze the damage done to the rights of mental-disorderly patients by the involuntary treatment imposed by Mental Health Act in Taiwan, and hence propose relief plans as well as improvement methods, in hope to secure sufficient rights and welfares for the mental-disabled patients.

博士
國立臺灣大學
健康政策與管理研究所
104
In addition to physical discomforts, work-related injuries and illnesses often result in various forms of hardships, including impaired ability to work, economic hardships, and conflicts and legal disputes with employers. Workers’ psychological health conditions are likely to be worsened when social supporting systems are fragmented. This study aimed to examine the experiences of injured workers when interacting with the social systems, and the associations between the experience of occupational injury or illness and mental health. In the first part, the researcher utilized existing survey data to examine the association between the experience of occupational injuries or diseases with mental health outcomes. In the second part, the researcher conducted in-depth interviews with injured workers to understand workers’ experiences concerning employment and labor conditions before and after injury, experiences with workers’ compensation system and other social welfare systems, and their physical and psychological consequences. Methods: Mixed-methods were used in this study. For the quantitative study, data from a national survey of a representative sample of general working people of Taiwan was analyzed, consisting of 12,528 male and 8,396 female workers. A standardized questionnaire was used to obtain information regarding the experiences of occupational injuries or diseases encountered over the previous 12 months. Mental health status was measured by the Brief Symptom Rating Scale (BSRS-5). Also obtained were participants’ age, educational level, and employment grade. For the qualitative study, participants were referred by the Centers for Prevention and Treatment of Occupational Injury and Disease. In-depth interview with52 workers who had experienced occupational injuries and illnesses were conducted, including 28 males and 24 females. Among them, 15 experienced occupational injuries and 37 occupational diseases. Results: In the survey, the results showed that after controlling for age, employment grades and education level, workers who had experienced occupational injuries over the previous 12 months were at a higher risk for poor mental health (OR men 3.08, women 3.19), poor self-rated health status (OR men 5.03, women 6.23). In the qualitative study, among the 52 participants, 19 workers reported having mental health problems. Reasons for poor mental health can be categorized as the following: physical health problems, impaired work ability, economic hardships, conflicts with employer or management, difficulties in returning back to work or reaming employed, stress in social relationships, disrupted life pace, lower self-esteem, frustration in the workers’ compensation process. Conclusion: Study findings showed that workers with occupational injuries or diseases experiences multiple hardships and were at high risks for developing mental health problems. Psychosocial consequences of work-related injuries or illnesses deserve further investigation and interventions.

碩士
國立雲林科技大學
休閒運動研究所碩士班
102
The main purpose of this research is to explore the current situation on job burnout, leisure coping, and the physical and mental health for the Yun-lin County primary school teachers as well as to compare the disparity among these teachers with different backgrounds so as to further explore the relationship among these three variables. This research is based on questionnaires completed by Yun-lin County primary school teachers. A total of 400 questionnaires were distributed and 382 of them were returned resulting in a completion rate of 95.5%. Within the 382 questionnaires returned, 373 of them were valid resulting in an actual completion rate of 93.25%. Descriptive statistics, T-test, One-way ANOVA, Pearson Product-moment Correlation Analysis, and Multiple Regression Analysis were applied to the research data. The results of this study were shown in the following summary: 1. Feeling on job burnout for the Yun-lin County primary school teachers has shown a medium degree, and “low morale” scored the highest. 2. Feeling on leisure coping for them was beneath the average, and “increase positive energy” was the most positive one. 3. Feeling on the physical and mental health for them appeared to be a medium level, and “signs of depression” was the healthiest. 4. Job burnout and leisure coping have been shown to be significantly negatively correlated with one another. 5. Job burnout and the physical and mental health were highly correlated. 6. Leisure coping and the physical and mental health were significantly correlated. 7. Yun-lin County primary school teachers’ job burnout, leisure coping, and the physical and mental health were significantly predictable.

A presente investigação tem como principais objectivos a compreensão da vivência de uma Interrupção Voluntária da Gravidez (IVG) um anos após a sua realização e a percepção pessoal do seu impacto efectivo na saúde mental, na saúde sexual e nas relações íntimas. A orientação metodológica aqui proposta é do tipo qualitativo, baseando-se, para a recolha de dados, na realização de entrevistas semi-estruturadas via telefónica a 6 mulheres que realizaram uma IVG há um ano, recrutadas através do Serviço de Ginecologia Obstetrícia de um hospital da área metropolitana do Porto. Após a sua transcrição integral, o conteúdo das entrevistas foi tratado e analisado, com o apoio do software NVIVO 9.0. Desta análise de conteúdo semi-indutiva emergiram cinco grandes temas: Impacto da experiência de IVG, Suporte Social, Planeamento Familiar, Processo de IVG e Importância da investigação sobre IVG. O impacto da IVG na saúde mental centra-se na manifestação temporária de reacções emocionais negativas, mas também positivas, não havendo relatos de recurso a acompanhamento psicológico, medicação psiquiátrica ou a alterações significativas no consumo de substâncias após a IVG. Todas as mulheres afirmam ter comparecido na consulta de planeamento familiar e todas alteraram a postura e o comportamento adoptado em relação à contracepção. O posicionamento face à IVG após a experiência é tendencialmente a favor, ainda que com sensibilidade face à dificuldade do processo acrescida. Quanto às relações interpessoais e ao suporte social, a sua influência na adaptação da mulher à IVG é variável, embora dependa, essencialmente, da percepção do apoio prestado. A generalidade das mulheres, passado um ano, afirma ter lidado bem com a experiência.
The present study's main objectives are to understand the experience of a Voluntary Interruption of Pregnancy (IVG) one year after its completion and the personal perception of its actual impact on mental and sexual health and intimate relationships. The methodological orientation proposed here is a qualitative approach, based on semi-structured interviews via telephone. The study includes six women who had an abortion a year ago, recruited through the Department of Obstetrics Gynecology, from a hospital in the metropolitan area of Porto, Portugal. After the transcript of the interviews, the content was analysed with the support of NVIVO 9.0 software. From the semi-inductive analysis five major themes emerged: Impact of the Abortion Experience, Social Support, Family Planning, Abortion Process and Importance of Abortion Research. The results showed that the impact of abortion on mental health focuses on the temporary manifestation of negative and positive emotional reactions, without reports of psychological counselling, psychiatric medication or significant changes in substance use after the abortion. All women have attended to the family planning counselling and they all changed their attitude and behaviour related to contraception. After the experience of an abortion, women tend to develop or maintain a favourable opinion about the women’s right to choose an abortion, although there is an increased sensitivity related to the difficulty involved in the process. In regards to the impact of the interpersonal relationships and social support on adjustment to abortion, there are positive and negative responses. However, it depends on the perceived support. Generally speaking, one year after the abortion, women say that they coped well with the experience.

L’anxiété et l’insomnie représentent des affections parmi les plus répandues, avec plusieurs conséquences négatives pour les personnes qui en souffrent, leur famille et la société en général. Parmi les solutions les plus communément utilisées pour la prise en charge de l’anxiété et de l’insomnie, nous avons l’option pharmacologique qui, malgré une certaine efficacité initiale présente plusieurs conséquences à long terme comme la présence d’effets indésirables et l’installation progressive du phénomène de tolérance. Une autre possibilité thérapeutique est la psychothérapie et dans cette catégorie, le traitement de choix recommandé pour la solution à long terme de ces troubles est représenté par la thérapie cognitivo- comportementale. Mais, malheureusement, les ressources pour l’administrer sont limitées et couteuses et les temps d’attente sont souvent longs. Il a été alors question de trouver des alternatives pour permettre à plus de personnes souffrant d’anxiété et d’insomnie d’avoir accès rapidement à des solutions pour leur problème. C’est ainsi que notre réflexion s’est tournée vers les nouvelles technologies qui se sont répandues à grande échelle dans la population et qui montrent progressivement leur utilité pour remédier à la difficulté d’accès à certaines ressources traditionnelles dans la prise en charge de problématiques reliées à la santé mentale. Notre équipe, déjà impliquée dans le développement de plusieurs approches thérapeutiques par internet, a pris l’initiative de tester l’efficacité de l’application Muzzz, conçue pour réduire l’anxiété et améliorer le sommeil et qui consiste en l’écoute de suggestions positives inspirées du training autogène de Schultz. Ces suggestions ont la particularité d’être progressivement masquées par une musique relaxante et deviennent donc préconscientes. Muzzz est une dérivée du programme APAP (Augmentation de la Psychothérapie Par Amorçage Préconscient) dont le concept, basé sur l’écoute de suggestions positives personnalisées masquées par de la musique relaxante, a été évalué positivement en termes de validité et de faisabilité dans l’étude de Borgeat et collaborateurs réalisée en 2013 [augmentation des cognitions positives (d = 0,53) et diminution des cognitions négatives (d = 0,73) au Test d’Auto-Évaluation des Pensées en Interaction Sociale (TAPIS)]. Pour évaluer l’efficacité de l’application, 20 personnes (parmi lesquelles 10 hommes et 10 femmes, qui avaient un âge moyen de 41,25 ans, variant de 20 à 67 ans avec écart-type de 15,82) ont été recrutées dans les CLSC (centre local de services communautaires) Saint-Michel et Rosemont de la région de Montréal et ont été invitées à utiliser l’application pendant 4 semaines, dans un contexte de psychoéducation. Les effets ont été mesurés en les soumettant à l’index d’anxiété de Beck (mesure principale) ainsi qu’à l’index de sévérité de l’Insomnie et au questionnaire pour les inquiétudes du Penn State (mesures secondaires), respectivement au début de l’étude, puis après 2 et 4 semaines. L’anxiété, l’insomnie et les inquiétudes ont aussi été mesurées quotidiennement avec l’application Emax qui sert à recueillir les données en temps réel. Nous avons aussi évalué les processus cognitifs avec la mesure idiosyncratique de la conviction dans les pensées au début et à la fin de l’étude. Les résultats ont montré une réduction statistiquement significative de l’anxiété (d=0,78) au terme de la période d’intervention. Le même résultat a été observé avec les autres variables avec une amélioration de la qualité du sommeil (d=0,78) et une réduction des inquiétudes (d=0,77) toutes deux significatives. Une amélioration des cognitions, reflétée par la diminution significative des valeurs de la mesure idiosyncratique de la conviction dans les pensées (d=1,59), a aussi été observée. L’utilisation de l’application Muzzz dans un contexte de psychoéducation a montré son utilité pour soulager temporairement les symptômes de personnes souffrant d’anxiété et d’insomnie, dans l’attente de consulter un professionnel de la santé. Notre étude ne disposait que d’une faible taille d’échantillon. Ces résultats devraient donc être confirmés par d’autres études futures de plus grande ampleur.
Anxiety and insomnia are among the most common mental health disorders with negative consequences for patients, their families and society as a whole. Pharmacological treatment options with initial efficacy are available but are associated with unwanted side effects and tolerance in the longer term. Cognitive-behavioral therapy is a treatment of choice that provides an effective and longer-term solution, but availability is limited with long waiting-lists. Alternative effective options are needed to address the needs of all those suffering from anxiety and insomnia in a cost effective and timely manner. In particular, the development of new applications of technologies that are already widely used in the general population hold the potential to address the lack of access to traditional resources for those with mental health problems. Our team took the initiative to evaluate the efficacy of the Muzzz app, which consists of listening to positive suggestions inspired by Schultz's autogenic training., and is designed to reduce anxiety and to improve sleep These suggestions are masked by relaxing music and delivered in a subliminal format as a derivative of the APAP (Augmentation of Psychotherapy through Alternative Preconscious Priming) program. The APAP program developed by Borgeat et al. (2013) consists of listening of positive personalized suggestions masked by relaxing music, which has previously shown effectiveness in increasing positive cognitions (d = 0.53) and decreasing negative cognitions (d = 0.73). To assess the effectiveness of the Muzzz app and its application among those with anxiety and insomnia a total of 20 participants (10 men and 10 women were recruited at the Saint-Michel and Rosemont CLSCs (local community service centers) and invited to use the app for 4 weeks in a psychoeducational context. To measure the effects of the app they were administered the Beck Anxiety Inventory, the Insomnia Severity Index and the Penn State Worry Questionnaire at the beginning of the study and then at 2 and 4 weeks respectively. Anxiety, insomnia and worry was also assessed with the Emax app which is used to collect data in real time. In addition, change in cognitions were assessed with the Idiosyncratic Measure of Convictions in Thoughts at the beginning and at the end of the study. The results showed a statistically significant reduction in anxiety (d=0.78) at the end of the intervention period. In addition, there was a significant improvement in the quality of sleep (d=0.78) and reduction in worries (d=0.77). Finally, a significant improvement in cognitions was observed with the decrease in negative cognitions as assessed by the Idiosyncratic Measure of Convictions in Thoughts (d=1.59). We can therefore conclude that the use of the Muzzz app in a psychoeducational context is effective for temporarily relieving symptoms of people with anxiety and insomnia, while they are on waiting-list to see a healthcare professional. Results are limited by a relatively small size and await confirmation in future larger-scale studies.

Dissertação de Mestrado em Design e Multimédia apresentada à Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia
Na sociedade há um grande estigma e desvalorização da saúde mental. Os adolescentes sofrem grandes mudanças, o que pode interferir na saúde mental deles, não procurando ajuda na maior parte dos casos. Os educadores, por sua vez, acabam por não se aperceberem da situação em que os jovens se encontram. Isto pode acabar por causar insucesso escolar, sofrimento e isolamento, que causa grande impacto no futuro do adolescente. O projeto SMS foi desenvolvido por um grupo de psicólogos investigadores do Centro de Investigação em Neuropsicologia e Intervenção Cognitivo-Comportamental - CINEICC - da Faculdade de Psicologia e Ciências da Educação da Universidade de Coimbra e tem como objetivo principal promover a saúde mental na adolescência. Este trabalho tem como objetivo melhorar a plataforma utilizada pelo projeto SMS - Sucesso, Mente, Saúde através das ferramentas de UX Design que têm como foco a experiência do utilizador.Para criar a plataforma utilizaram-se as tecnologias HTML, CSS, JavaScript, PHP e MySQL. Foi desenvolvida uma identidade visual, que inclui a cor, tipografia, logotipo e estilo de desenho a ser utilizado pelo projeto, para poder ser aplicada na plataforma. Para a criação desta identidade fez-se uma pesquisa sobre o impacto emocional da cor e da tipografia no utilizador. A plataforma foi testada utilizando as Heurísticas de Nielsen e o Walkthrough Cognitivo de Wharton. A plataforma foi desenhada para ser utilizada no telemóvel devido ao foco principal da dissertação ter sido dada aos adolescentes que são quem mais vai beneficiar desta aplicação. Na plataforma tens a possibilidade aceder e criar a tua própria conta, mas também tem uma parte independente meramente informativa.
In society, we see a great stigma and devaluation of mental health. Teenagers undergo major changes, which can interfere with their mental health, and in most cases, they don’t seek any help. On the other hand, educators end up not being aware of the situation in which these teenagers people find themselves and can end up causing school failure, suffering and isolation, which has a great impact on the adolescent's future.
The project SMS was developed by a group of psychologists investigators of the Center of Investigation on Neuropsychology and Cognitive-Behavioral Intervention - CINEICC - of the Faculty of Psychology of the Coimbra University and its main goal is to promote mental health in teenagers. The goal of this work is to create a platform to be used by the project SMS - Sucesso, Mente, Saúde with the tools that UX Design provides which have its focus on the experience of its user.To create this platform we used HTML, CSS, JavaScript, PHP and MySQL technologies. We developed a visual identity, including the colour, typography, logo and design style to be used by the project, to be applied on the platform. To create this identity, we carried a research on the emotional impact of colour and typography on the user. The platform was tested using Nielsen's Heuristics and Wharton's Cognitive Walkthrough.The platform was designed to be used on mobile phones due to the main focus of the dissertation being given to teenagers who will benefit most from this application. On the platform, you have the possibility to access and create your own account, but it also has an independent part for information only.

Although expected to be beneficial to society, development projects, such as dam construction and mining, often result in the physical displacement of marginalized groups. This is known as Development-Induced Displacement and Resettlement (DIDR) and often has far-reaching negative consequences for the affected peoples (APS). These include further marginalization, increased poverty, identity deprivation and socio-psychological stress. While decades of knowledge inform theory and practice on the mitigation of these consequences, the psycho-socio-cultural (PSC) impoverishment that may result from DIDR is often left unaddressed. Furthermore, qualitative knowledge of the experiences of people affected by DIDR is lacking. This research study aimed to produce an in-depth understanding of how DIDR affects the PSC well-being and identity construction of APS. The research took the form of a qualitative case study, whereby a social constructionist, narrative method of inquiry was used to analyse and gather data. This involved undertaking in-depth, individual interviews with a small sample of APS who had been resettled from a farm to a town in Mpumalanga by a mining house. Briefly, it was found that, contrary to the prevalent finding that DIDR causes further impoverishment, the resettlement actually resulted in development for the APS and as such enhanced their PSC well-being and contributed positively to their identity construction. However, the complexity inherent in resettlement was highlighted, as the participants revealed that the resettlement had not come without some socio-economic costs. It is believed that the findings from this study will complement existing knowledge on DIDR, and inform the design and implementation of Relocation Action Plans (RAPs) that better mitigate the negative PSC effects of DIDR.

The world health organization has predicted that by 2030, depression will cause more early deaths and disability than cancer, stroke, or accidents. The number of burnouts has been increasing during the past years since we are so focused on our materialistic needs, educating ourselves in managing our devices. Meanwhile, we have not learned how to manage our own emotions. In our Swedish society today, we have people from different backgrounds and linguistic skills that find it difficult to talk about their emotional states and ask for help. At the same time, most of the methods used in therapy are done verbally or in writing that can be hard, even for those who speak the same language. In my project, I have interviewed psychotherapists and individuals who have attended therapy sessions. Speaking to a therapist, I realized the lack of physical objects in this field where almost everything is communicated verbally or on paper. During my process, I have learned about the importance of three-dimensional objects for a patient and how these objects can be used as aids to help one open up and express emotions. In this area, I have explored the following question: Whether or not emotions would abstract into forms? Can we describe our mixed emotions by using shapes, objects, and colors? What can I, as a designer, contribute to the two-dimensional world of therapy and mental health? Based on the results from several workshops and studying Robert Putchik’s theory of emotions, I created a set of tools. These aiding tools help the patient to open up about mixed feelings and break them down into primary emotions. These tools aim to help the patient to address and categorize emotions and easily communicate with the therapist.
Världshälsoorganisationen har förutspått att vid 2030 kommer depression att orsaka mer tidiga död och funktionshinder än cancer, stroke eller olyckor. Antalet utbrändhet har ökat under de senaste åren eftersom vi är så fokuserade på våra materialistiska behov, lär oss att hantera tekniken men vi har inte lärt oss hur vi ska hantera våra egna känslor.   Detta är aktuell idag i det svenska samhället där folk med olika bakgrund som har språksvårigheter lyckas inte uttrycka deras känslomässiga tillstånd för att få det hjälp det behöver. Samtidigt, de flesta metoderna som används i terapi sker muntligt eller skriftligt, vilket kan vara svårt även för dem som pratar samma språk.   I mitt projekt har intervjuat psykoterapeuter och individer som har varit på terapisessioner. Under processens gång har jag insett betydelsen som ett tredimensionellt objekt kan ha för patienten och hur detta kan användas som hjälpmedel och stöd. Inom detta område har jag bearbetat följande frågor: Huruvida skulle känslor abstraheras i former? Kan vi beskriva våra blandade känslor med hjälp av objekt? Vad kan jag som designer bidra till den tvådimensionella världen av terapi och psykisk hälsa?