App Reviews /

Positive Penguins Review

Positive Penguins Screenshots
Credibility

Credibility

1.33 / 5.00

Overall Score: 4/15

Consumer Ratings: 0/2
Proposed Goal: 2/2
Evidence-Based Content: 1/1
Software Updates: 0/2
Clinical Input in Development: 0/1
Research on Development Process: 0/1
Efficacy of Other Products: 0/1
Research Independence and Review: 0/2
Research Base: 1/3

Rating Date: April 2023

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User Experince

User Experience

4.26 / 5.00

Engagement: 4.15 Functionality: 4.56 Aesthetics: 4.17 Information: 4.18 Subjective quality score: 3.06 Perceived impact score: 3.33 Rating date: December 2019 Rated by: Queensland University

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Transparency

Transparency

Unacceptable

Overall Score: Unacceptable

Does the app have a privacy policy?: No/Can’t Tell

Does the policy describe the information storage and sharing procedures related to user entered information OR state that user information is stored locally: No/Can’t Tell

Does the app provide the option of a pin entry or log-in process to view and enter user data?: No/Can’t Tell

Does the privacy policy state that the app/server encrypts the entered data OR state that user information is stored locally?: No/Can’t Tell

Does the privacy policy state whether or not users can delete entered information OR state that user information is stored locally?: No/Can’t Tell

Does the privacy policy state whether or not users can edit entered information OR state that user information is stored locally?: No/Can’t Tell

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Professional Reviews

Professional Review

Not Yet Available

Positive Penguins aims to teach mindfulness and relaxation skills to children and to help them challenge negative thinking. In addition to guided meditations, Positive Penguins offers interactive psychoeducation about thoughts and feelings and a game mode. The game mode aims to distract users from current stressors. Additional features include check-ins (once or twice a day), emailing yourself a summary of your progress, the ability to dictate responses in the interactive sections, and having the text read aloud for those who have trouble reading.

Technical Details

Available for: Requires iOS 6.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. Web
Developer: HR INSIDE PTY LTD
Type of Treatment: Cognitive Behavioral Principles, Mindfulness, Psychoeducation & Information
Targeted Conditions: Stress & Anxiety
Target Audience: Adults, Children
Designed to be used in conjunction with a professional? No
Languages Available: English
Cost: $0.99
Get it On:Apple App Store , Web

Research on this App

The study “Mental Health Resources for the Pediatric and Adolescent Populations in a Rural Setting”, examines the effectiveness of introducing CBT applications to pediatric patients in conjunction with therapy. The study consisted of seventeen participants who ranged from the age of six to eighteen year olds. All of the participants were diagnosed with anxiety disorders and six were diagnosed with depression disorders. Additionally, all patients had high SCARED and PHQ-9 questionnaire scores. Participants were all assigned to use the mobile applications Positive Penguins and Mindshift, from the months of June to September. Patients twelve and under were assigned to use the app Positive Penguins whereas older patients were assigned the app Mindshift. At the end of the study, participants completed the SCARED and PHQ-9 questionnaires to compare their scores. Of the participants assigned to Positive Penguins, only three completed the study. All participants saw lowering of their SCARED and PHQ-9 Scores. (Shafer, Aldridge, & Lilly, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1016/0272-7358(92)90005-S)

How we evaluate

We review apps against rating criteria developed by experts in the field. Some of those criteria are:

icon-Credibility

Credibility

We look at the research supporting the technology and the credibility of the development process.

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Transparency

We review privacy policies to see if key pieces of information about what happens with entered data are addressed.

UserExperiencePG

User Experience

We explore how fun, functional, easy-to-use, engaging, and interesting the technology is.

ProfessionalReviews

Professional Reviews

A professional in a relevant field downloads and uses the technology and writes a narrative review, highlighting pros & cons and some recommendations for use.

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