A new remedy for depression might be as simple as picking up a smartphone and going for a walk through augmented reality.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s the idea behind an app being designed by three University of Central Florida doctoral students in UCF\u2019s Department of Psychology.<\/p>\n
The idea is good enough that it has landed the students \u2014 Catrina Calub, Brittany Stevenson and Brandon Matsumiya \u2014 a place as finalists in Florida Blue\u2019s Healthcare Innovation Competition. They will compete against 11 other Florida teams Wednesday at the GuideWell Innovation Center in Orlando\u2019s Lake Nona Medical City for prizes that include a first-place award of $10,000.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe basic premise behind it is a therapeutic technique called behavioral activation,\u201d Matsumiya said. \u201cWith many people with depression, they\u2019ve stopped doing things that they used to love doing, they withdraw physically from the world. So the idea with the app is for them to start re-engaging with the world.\u201d<\/p>\n
With the app, users could visit preset locations that are likely to elevate moods, such as coffee shops, national parks, springs or an arboretum. While there, users could earn virtual coins as the app senses their presence through GPS tracking. As a result, they would not only be visiting the place in real life, but also through the virtual world of the app. The overlay of the virtual onto real life would create an augmented reality. The coins that users earn from visiting locations would allow them to \u201cpurchase\u201d gear to customize their avatar, their digital identity in the app. They also could socialize with others through the app.<\/p>\n
The app, which is still in the development stage, would also allow users to access resources to help with depression and search for mental-health providers.<\/p>\n
Calub said one of the goals of the app is to eliminate barriers people may have for getting help for depression.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo whether that barrier be cost or whether that barrier be stigma about getting treatment, I think that our app helps circumvent those kinds of problems by making it more accessible and less stigmatizing,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s not this scary office but actually something that\u2019s in the palm of your hand that looks like a game.\u201d<\/p>\n
The students said the app could be useful for people with levels of depression ranging from mild to severe. And users don\u2019t have to be just people who are suffering from depression, Stevenson said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s also just for people who maybe want to prevent a depressive episode or just want to be more active,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
The students said they are excited to have entered the final rounds of competition and that their idea was good enough to be selected.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt feels really purposeful,\u201d Stevenson said.<\/p>\n
The app would be novel because of the game and interactive elements it would offer. While similar apps exist, none offers the game rewards for completing aspects of the app or the social connectivity, Calub said.<\/p>\n
\u201cOther apps, they just create a schedule and you say you did it,\u201d she said. \u201cWhat we\u2019re trying to do is make it a lot more interactive and engaging.\u201d<\/p>\n
The game aspects of being rewarded for visiting locations tap into people\u2019s need for immediate feedback, Matsumiya said.<\/p>\n
This immediate feedback is not something that is always available after a therapy session for depression, Calub said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith this game we\u2019re trying to provide immediate feedback right away, which we know from decades of research that it is a lot more effective than delayed reinforcement,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Competition Coincides with World Mental Health Awareness Day<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":91211,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"template-twocol.php","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"lazy_load_responsive_images_disabled":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":"","_wp_rev_ctl_limit":""},"categories":[5,6,24,27],"tags":[982,3818,14916],"tu_author":[],"class_list":["post-91210","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-colleges","category-community","category-science-technology","category-student-life","tag-college-of-sciences","tag-psychology","tag-research"],"yoast_head":"\n