What is Depressed Mood?
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Wysa is an artificially intelligent (AI) chatbot who can coach users to better cope with daily stresses. Wysa is designed to help with a variety of issues, including depression, anxiety, sleep, issues facing the LGBTQ+ community, and more. Users select the areas they want to work on on the home screen. Users can then choose to chat with Wysa or complete other self-care activities. When chatting with Wysa, the user is presented with multiple response options as well as a text box to type customized responses. From there, Wysa guides users through cognitive reframing, breathing exercises, and other strategies depending on how they report feeling and what is appropriate for that situation. Conversations are not saved in the app, so there is no log-in or account required. Users can also connect with a licensed therapist through the app (for an additional payment). There is also an “SOS” section where users can create a safety plan and access crisis helplines.
Available for: Requires iOS 10.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch; Android 4.1 and up, Facebook Messenger
Developer: Touchkin eServices Private Limited
Type of Treatment: Cognitive Behavioral Principles, Mindfulness
Targeted Conditions: Mood Disorders, Stress and Anxiety, Sleep
Target Audience: Adults, Adolescents
Designed to be used in conjunction with a professional? No
Languages Available: English
Cost: Free with in-app purchases
Get it on: Apple App Store, Google Play, Web
129 anonymous global Wysa users were observed who voluntarily installed the Wysa app, engaged in text-based messaging, and self-reported symptoms of depression using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9. The study used mixed-methods approach to evaluate the impact and engagement levels among high engagement and low engagement users. A qualitative analysis measured the app engagement and experience by analyzing in-app user feedback. High users had significantly higher improvement on depression than low users. 67.7% of user-provided feedback responses found the app experience helpful and
encouraging (Inkser et al., 2018. https://mhealth.jmir.org/2018/11/e12106/pdf)
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