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New Smartphone App May Help in Schizophrenia Outcomes

by Staff Member on April 24, 2014

The Youth Mental Health Network in the UK is doing some very innovative things in the area of early psychosis and schizophrenia; they’ve developed a new phone app to help people monitor and stay on effective treatment. A large amount of published scientific and clinical research has shown that the earlier you get treatment for psychosis or schizophrenia, the better the outcome for the person. In clinical language the shorter the “Duration of Untreated Psychosis” (DUP), the better. With this in mind, the Youth Mental Health Network has created a new version of their app to help people get and maintain treatment during this early stage of psychosis. Their app is called “My Journey” – and it looks quite valuable, from the videos (above and below) that demo the new version 2.0 they are planning.

According to the developers, the My Journey app is designed to help you keep track of how you’re feeling. By working through the set questions with an easy-to-use rating wheel, My Journey can help you make informed choices about what to do to improve your mental health. Its only for Android-based smart phones right now.

Using My Journey, you can:

Monitor your mood
Set goals and track your progress at your own pace
Receive advice on what to do and who to contact if you need help (this may only help those in the UK)
Keep track of any medication you take
As you work through the app, it also gives you simple tips on things you can do to help you feel better such as sleep, dietary and exercise advice.

The app doesn’t store your ratings, so you can use it repeatedly and receive targeted advice on how you’re feeling day by day. Following are some screen shots of the version 1.0 of the app.