The development of an activity app for mood self-management, the I-ACT

Four years ago a bachelor students project started in narrow collaboration with clients, therapists, nurses and psychiatrists of the ward for mood disorders of the hospital of the University of Amsterdam. The project was... [ view full abstract ]

Four years ago a bachelor students project started in narrow collaboration with clients, therapists, nurses and psychiatrists of the ward for mood disorders of the hospital of the University of Amsterdam. The project was aiming for the development of an aftercare self-help application for clients who were hospitalized for depression and received occupational therapy based on a cognitive behavior approach. The development of this application was based on two findings: the risk for falling back into depression and the fact that being active and being involved in meaningful occupations has positive influence on the mood. Students started the project by interviewing ex-clients of the ward about things that stimulated them to activity. This led to 42 "tips" written on little cards placed in a carousel. The intervention was presented to clients and staff members of the ward and especially clients were positive. The next step meant a pilot study, started with 14 clients, divided in an intervention and a control group. The clients of the intervention group received instructions how to make use of the intervention. After a period of ten weeks the clients were asked whether they were stimulated to activity by the self-help intervention and whether they experienced positive effects on their mood. The clients of the control group received (after)care as usual. Because the results were very promising, further development seemed valuable, and finally, after several sequential pilot studies carried out by our students, the application is ready for use around the summer of 2016.