תפריט
Step Out
Supportive service for depression treatment among teenagers
Introduction
Depression is a common disease worldwide, particular among teenagers. According to studies, one of the contributing causes of this phenomenon is the increased use of screens by teenagers. This often results in a lack of interpersonal social connections and seclusion at home. However, the smart device is constantly available in teenager's lives, and it also has different qualities.
The Challenge
A major method to aid in recovery is a return to normal outside activities. The problem is that a depressed teenager has little motivation to go out and be involved with others in a regular routine of outside activities.
The major challenge in this project was a way to use the smart device to coax its users back to an active and healthy routine.
Research Sources
Professional articles and personal blogs on the Internet
Family members of teenagers suffering from depression
Facebook groups dedicated to parents of problematic teens
Mental health
professionals:
Clinical Psychologist, Psychotherapist,
CBT Therapists
CBT
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
CBT is an exposure therapy in which both the therapist and the patient identify those activities which the patient persistently avoids. They will define an exposure task aimed at having the patient deliberately participate in that activity. For example: If the patient avoids going outside during school recess and instead sits alone in the classroom, the task will be to go into the schoolyard and remain there for ten minutes. The ultimate goal is to increase the level of exposure until the patient feels comfortable doing it and returns to a more engaged and functioning lifestyle.
User Research
In order to understand the users, I spoke with family members and professionals in the field. Here is a list of questions I put to them.
What constitutes an average day in the life of a teenager dealing with depression?
What particular difficulties does he or she face?
What challenges do the teen’s parents and the therapist deal with?
What are the consequences in case of treatment failure or inability to complete a task?
What might motivate the patient to carry out the assigned task?
Meet The Users
Goals
Extricating herself from the depression and enabling herself to return to “normal” teenage activities like other girls of her age.
Pain Points
Sarah’s moods range from wishing to end her suffering and live a normal life to feelings of despair and desire to avoid doing anything positive to change the situation. She doesn’t really understand what she is going through, and she is discouraged about having the ability to improve matters.
Sarah Gordon
A 14 year old girl suffering from depression. During the past year, she has become increasingly withdrawn and isolated from family and friends. She is uncommunicative and usually in a very low mood. Being treated with CBT method at Abigail’s clinic.
Goals
Maintaining the stability, health and optimism of the family.
Keeping in close contact with Sarah and being aware of what she is going through. Doing whatever he can to help in her recovery.
Pain Points
Feeling of helplessness in his inability to ease Sarah’s problems. He very much wants to help her but has no idea how. It’s hard for him to accept not being included in the treatment process. He knows very little of what transpires at the clinic.
David Gordon
Sarah’s father.
A devoted and caring father who is deeply involved in the lives of his children and the cohesion of the family unit.
Goals
Help Sarah return to a healthy, normal lifestyle, give her the tools to help herself and guide her parents on how they can best support her in this process.
Pain Points
She is concerned that Sarah might refuse to cooperate in the treatment itself or in carrying out the tasks she is assigned to do during the week.
She worries that Sarah can be very passive or uncommunicative during the treatment, that she will not discuss or share what she is going through.
Abigail Neeuman
An experienced psychologist who uses the CBT method to treat depression symptoms. Meets with Sarah once a week at her clinic.
Pain Points
Needs and Opportunities
Pain Point
Feeling of being “lost”, lack of a regular routine or schedule
Need
Clarifying and specifying steps to be taken and what can be expected during the therapeutic process
Opportunity
Writing down the tasks during the application and receiving notifications of success or failure
Pain Point
Lack of motivation in the patient to carry out assigned tasks
Need
A sense that progress is being made and that the tasks have become enjoyable
Opportunity
Convert the task into a game with virtual feedback that the smart device can provide
Pain Point
Frustration at the lack of progress in the process
Need
A sense that progress is possible and even likely
Opportunity
A progress diagram which shows a rise in the level of difficulty and an increase in successful completion of tasks
Pain Point
Difficulty in communicating with the patient (parent and therapist)
Need
Trigger that facilitates easier communication
Opportunity
A shared interface between patient and therapist/parent. Something visual which can be looked at together
Pain Point
A feeling of helplessness
Need
Experience of successfully completing assigned tasks
Opportunity
Virtual feedback which is received only when the task is successfully completed. Encouragement in cases that result in failure
Research Conclusion
Creating an application which accompanies and supports the CBT treatment and is used in the treatment clinic. The service will allow the tasks to be re-written and utilize the technology of the smart device. In this way it becomes a game which calls for physical action. Patient will be motivated to perform the tasks by receiving a reward both in physical and virtual space. The application will include documentation of the activities and record any progress the patient makes. The patient receives support and encouragement from a “virtual friend” who accompanies her throughout the process.
Desired User Scenario
Receiving virtual feedback of the success or failure of the task
Attempts by the patient to perform and complete the task
During the week the patient receives a reminder and incentive to perform the task
Following the session, the therapist will enter the defined task into the application
In the therapy meeting: Definition and explication of the first task
Patient's Wireframe
Therapist's Wireframe
User Scenario
Add New Activity
After defining the task orally, Abigail the therapist will enter it in the app
Personal Customization
Abigail will be able to select the activity and adjust it according to what has been defined in the session
Pending Activity
Now an activity awaits Sarah that she needs to perform! Bella- the virtual friend who accompanies her during the experience will support and encourage her
Performance
When Sarah performs the activity, virtual feedback will be received that encourages her to continue being active
Save & Share
Sarah can share the feedback results with Abigail or with her parents and return to watch it again
Emotional Support
Sometimes there are activities that are more difficult to perform or Sarah goes through difficult days. When Bella recognizes this, she will share that she, too, sometimes faces a similar difficulty
Suggestions For AI Based Activities
The service offers activities according to data collection and identification of tasks that Sarah has been avoiding
Expanding Task's Database
Abigail can add new tasks, thereby increasing the range of options for other therapists
Conclusion And Farewell
At the end of the treatment, Sarah and Abigail will be able to observe together the process which Sarah has gone through. They will be able to write a farewell letter to Bella and summarize the process
eden.shaanan.attia@gmail.com | +972 52 6923427
תפריט
Step Out
Supportive service for depression treatment among teenagers
Introduction
Depression is a common disease worldwide, particular among teenagers. According to studies, one of the contributing causes of this phenomenon is the increased use of screens by teenagers. This often results in a lack of interpersonal social connections and seclusion at home. However, the smart device is constantly available in teenager's lives, and it also has different qualities.
The Challenge
A major method to aid in recovery is a return to normal outside activities. The problem is that a depressed teenager has little motivation to go out and be involved with others in a regular routine of outside activities.
The major challenge in this project was a way to use the smart device to coax its users back to an active and healthy routine.
Research Sources
Mental health professionals:
Clinical Psychologist, Psychotherapist,
CBT Therapists
Family members of teenagers suffering from depression
Facebook groups dedicated to parents of problematic teens
Professional articles and personal blogs on the Internet
CBT
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
CBT is an exposure therapy in which both the therapist and the patient identify those activities which the patient persistently avoids. They will define an exposure task aimed at having the patient deliberately participate in that activity. For example: If the patient avoids going outside during school recess and instead sits alone in the classroom, the task will be to go into the schoolyard and remain there for ten minutes. The ultimate goal is to increase the level of exposure until the patient feels comfortable doing it and returns to a more engaged and functioning lifestyle.
Users Research
In order to understand the users, I spoke with family members and professionals in the field. Here is a list of questions I put to them.
What constitutes an average day in the life of a teenager dealing with depression?
What particular difficulties does he or she face?
What challenges do the teen’s parents and the therapist deal with?
What are the consequences in case of treatment failure or inability to complete a task?
What might motivate the patient to carry out the assigned task?
Meet The Users
Sarah
Gordon
A 14 year old girl suffering from depression. During the past year, she has become increasingly withdrawn and isolated from family and friends. She is uncommunicative and usually in a very low mood. Being treated with CBT method at Abigail’s clinic.
Goals
Extricating herself from the depression and enabling herself to return to “normal” teenage activities like other girls of her age.
Pain Points
Sarah’s moods range from wishing to end her suffering and live a normal life to feelings of despair and desire to avoid doing anything positive to change the situation. She doesn’t really understand what she is going through, and she is discouraged about having the ability to improve matters.
David
Gordon
Sarah’s father. A devoted and caring father who is deeply involved in the lives of his children and the cohesion of the family unit.
Goals
Maintaining the stability, health and optimism of the family.
Keeping in close contact with Sarah and being aware of what she is going through. Doing whatever he can to help in her recovery.
Pain Points
Feeling of helplessness in his inability to ease Sarah’s problems. He very much wants to help her but has no idea how. It’s hard for him to accept not being included in the treatment process. He knows very little of what transpires at the clinic.
Abigail
Neeuman
An experienced psychologist who uses the CBT method to treat depression symptoms. Meets with Sarah once a week at her clinic.
Goals
Help Sarah return to a healthy, normal lifestyle, give her the tools to help herself and guide her parents on how they can best support her in this process.
Pain Points
She is concerned that Sarah might refuse to cooperate in the treatment itself or in carrying out the tasks she is assigned to do during the week.
She worries that Sarah can be very passive or uncommunicative during the treatment, that she will not discuss or share what she is going through.
Pain Points
Needs and Opportunities
Pain Point
Frustration at the lack of progress in the process
Need
A sense that progress is possible and even likely
Opportunity
A progress diagram which shows a rise in the level of difficulty and an increase in successful completion of tasks
Pain Point
Lack of motivation in the patient to carry out assigned tasks
Need
A sense that progress is being made and that the tasks have become enjoyable
Opportunity
Convert the task into a game with virtual feedback that the smart device can provide
Pain Point
Feeling of being “lost”, lack of a regular routine or schedule
Need
Clarifying and specifying steps to be taken and what can be expected during the therapeutic process
Opportunity
Writing down the tasks during the application and receiving notifications of success or failure
Pain Point
A feeling of helplessness
Need
Experience of successfully completing assigned tasks
Opportunity
Virtual feedback which is received only when the task is successfully completed. Encouragement in cases that result in failure
Pain Point
Difficulty in communicating with the patient (parent and therapist)
Need
Trigger that facilitates easier communication
Opportunity
A shared interface between patient and therapist/parent. Something visual which can be looked at together
Research Conclusion
Creating an application which accompanies and supports the CBT treatment and is used in the treatment clinic. The service will allow the tasks to be re-written and utilize the technology of the smart device. In this way it becomes a game which calls for physical action. Patient will be motivated to perform the tasks by receiving a reward both in physical and virtual space. The application will include documentation of the activities and record any progress the patient makes. The patient receives support and encouragement from a “virtual friend” who accompanies her throughout the process.
Desired User Scenario
In the therapy meeting: Definition and explication of the first task
Following the session, the therapist will enter the defined task into the application
During the week the patient receives a reminder and incentive to perform the task
Attempts by the patient to perform and complete the task
Receiving virtual feedback of the success or failure of the task
Therapist's Wireframe
Patient's Wireframe
User Scenario
Add New Activity
After defining the task orally, Abigail the therapist will enter it in the app
Personal Customization
Abigail will be able to select the activity and adjust it according to what has been defined in the session
Pending Activity
Now an activity awaits Sarah that she needs to perform! Bella- the virtual friend who accompanies her during the experience will support and encourage her
Performance
When Sarah performs the activity, virtual feedback will be received that encourages her to continue being active
Save & Share
Sarah can share the feedback results with Abigail or with her parents and return to watch it again
Emotional Support
Sometimes there are activities that are more difficult to perform or Sarah goes through difficult days. When Bella recognizes this, she will share that she, too, sometimes faces a similar difficulty
Suggestions For AI Based Activities
The service offers activities according to data collection and identification of tasks that Sarah has been avoiding
Expanding Task's Database
Abigail can add new tasks, thereby increasing the range of options for other therapists
Conclusion & Farewell
At the end of the treatment, Sarah and Abigail will be able to observe together the process which Sarah has gone through. They will be able to write a farewell letter to Bella and summarize the process
