Using MyCompass to monitor Mood Disorders
With Associate Professor Judy Proudfoot
"The idea [of MyCompass] is to teach people skills to manage their
mental health."
MyCompass is a new web-based, mobile internet program of the Black
Dog Institute aimed at helping people with mild to moderate stress,
anxiety, depression or low mood. It provides users with the ability
to monitor their mood and behaviour during their daily activities
and it provides graphical data as feedback. It also incorporates
tips, fact sheets, motivational messages and a journal. Users are
prompted to seek further help if the program suspects that further
assistance is required. The use of information technology makes
MyCompass especially accessible to the digital generation, who are
almost always connected to the internet through social media and
schoolwork.
Associate Professor Proudfoot has been in the e-mental health field
for over 15 years and became excited about the far-reaching
possibilities of the internet when it started to disseminate
through the public sphere. She found that face-to-face
interventions were often considered inconvenient by the public and
saw the internet as a way to improve services to those who needed
them most. MyCompass is the product of this feedback from consumers
and much work from many people in the field.
"It's a tool to help people manage their own health."
The program is a public health tool aimed at maintaining or
improving the mental health of a wide range of Australians through
monitoring daily activities and moods such as worry, exercise,
concentration, irritability and drinking.. MyCompass hopes to reach
the 98% of the Australian population possessing a mobile phone and
the 80% having access to the internet. It is available to anyone
between the ages of 18 and 75, with modules and case studies suited
towards each generation. It also incorporates information suited to
different cultural groups. MyCompass is designed for the 65% of
people who suffer from mental health issues without seeking
help.
This program is a self-help tool. Associate Professor Proudfoot
does stress that the program is not intended for people who are
seriously ill or with suicidal ideas. The program may be used in
conjunction with psychiatric or psychological services,however, if
the person's health care professional agrees to it.
"[Users] can select their own issues or problems to work on using
MyCompass… or positive aspects as well."
MyCompass aims to give users the skills to manage their own
difficulties through its monitoring system. By reading the
graphical feedback, users get an idea of which situations in their
life have positive or negative effects on their mood. The feedback
given is related to actual tasks completed by each individual.
There is also "homework" for users to do experiments and tasks in
their day-to-day activities.
"People use myCompass on their own mobile phone and it's free
."
The nature of the MyCompass program means that it has a low
data-usage that is generally included on mobile phone plans. Users
will be sent free SMS prompts as a reminder to enter their mood.
Each mood test also asks the user's location, activity and who they
are with in order to track which activities are positive or
negative for their wellbeing. The program also incorporates ten
10-minute Cognitive Behavioural Therapy modules to complete on a
home computer, as additions to the standard mobile platform. The
user can choose which modules and themes interest them, rather than
following a prescribed program. This means that the user can tailor
it to
their needs.
The techniques used on the MyCompass program are based on both
clinical research and the previous MyCompass pilot program. It aims
to expand over the coming months and years with more modules and
tasks based on user feedback.
If you would like to participate in the MyCompass Australia-wide
research
study, go to this link:
http://www.blackdoginstitute.org.au/public/research/participateinourresearch/mycompasstrial.cfm
Interview with Associate Professor Judy Proudfoot
"The idea [of MyCompass] is to teach people skills to manage their
mental health."
MyCompass is a new web-based, mobile internet program of the
Black Dog Institute aimed at helping people with mild to moderate
stress, anxiety, depression or low mood. It provides users with the
ability to monitor their mood and behaviour during their daily
activities and it provides graphical data as feedback. It also
incorporates tips, fact sheets, motivational messages and a
journal. Users are prompted to seek further help if the program
suspects that further assistance is required. The use of
information technology makes MyCompass especially accessible to the
digital generation, who are almost always connected to the internet
through social media and schoolwork.
Associate Professor Proudfoot has been in the e-mental health
field for over 15 years and became excited about the far-reaching
possibilities of the internet when it started to disseminate
through the public sphere. She found that face-to-face
interventions were often considered inconvenient by the public and
saw the internet as a way to improve services to those who needed
them most. MyCompass is the product of this feedback from consumers
and much work from many people in the field.
"It's a tool to help people manage their own health."
The program is a public health tool aimed at maintaining or
improving the mental health of a wide range of Australians through
monitoring daily activities and moods such as worry, exercise,
concentration, irritability and drinking.. MyCompass hopes to reach
the 98% of the Australian population possessing a mobile phone and
the 80% having access to the internet. It is available to anyone
between the ages of 18 and 75, with modules and case studies suited
towards each generation. It also incorporates information suited to
different cultural groups. MyCompass is designed for the 65% of
people who suffer from mental health issues without seeking
help.
This program is a self-help tool. Associate Professor Proudfoot
does stress that the program is not intended for people who are
seriously ill or with suicidal ideas. The program may be used in
conjunction with psychiatric or psychological services,however, if
the person's health care professional agrees to it.
"[Users] can select their own issues or problems to work on
using MyCompass… or positive aspects as well."
MyCompass aims to give users the skills to manage their own
difficulties through its monitoring system. By reading the
graphical feedback, users get an idea of which situations in their
life have positive or negative effects on their mood. The feedback
given is related to actual tasks completed by each individual.
There is also "homework" for users to do experiments and tasks in
their day-to-day activities.
"People use myCompass on their own mobile phone and it's free
."
The nature of the MyCompass program means that it has a low
data-usage that is generally included on mobile phone plans. Users
will be sent free SMS prompts as a reminder to enter their mood.
Each mood test also asks the user's location, activity and who they
are with in order to track which activities are positive or
negative for their wellbeing. The program also incorporates ten
10-minute Cognitive Behavioural Therapy modules to complete on a
home computer, as additions to the standard mobile platform. The
user can choose which modules and themes interest them, rather than
following a prescribed program. This means that the user can tailor
it to their needs.
The techniques used on the MyCompass program are based on both
clinical research and the previous MyCompass pilot program. It aims
to expand over the coming months and years with more modules and
tasks based on user feedback.
If you would like to participate in the MyCompass Australia-wide
research study, go to this link:
http://www.blackdoginstitute.org.au/public/research/participateinourresearch/mycompasstrial.cfm