Our researchers
Chris Greenhalgh (University of Nottingham), Kapil Sayal (University of Nottingham), Jim Warren (University of Auckland), Vajisha Wanniarachchi (University of Auckland),Kevin Glover (University of Nottingham), Glenn McGarry (University of Nottingham)
In this theme a ‘digital intervention’ is something like an app or website that is meant to help someone’s mental health. A digital ‘platform’ is a computer system or website that brings together different kinds of people – in this case we are bringing together researchers, providers of digital interventions and current or potential users of those interventions. ‘Precision-medicine’ is about selecting and tailoring treatment for the specific individual who will receive it.
Practically, we are working on a number of interactive websites and apps. This includes the SPARX app (our Research Project 6) and CaTS-APP (Research Project 8), our own Mango app (see below), as well as a simple ‘dashboard’ for people who are taking part in studies to test mental health apps and websites (this links to ‘REDCap’, a database and survey tool that lots of researchers use).
We particularly want to find ways to encourage someone to continue using a digital intervention that might be working for them. This is because we know that lots of people give up very quickly (if they use it at all). We think that a virtual agent might be a good way to help with this. With input from Sprouting Minds and local teenagers we have designed and made a prototype app called ‘Mango’ which features a talking gecko. We are planning to test Mango alongside a widely used mindfulness app. We hope that a young person talking to Mango once each day about the mindfulness app and how they are feeling will encourage them to keep using the app. We also want to find out what they think of this kind of virtual agent, and when it is appropriate to use one.
Project partners
