I just downloaded Psych Help a free iPhone app designed to help you find a therapist near you. I think it can use a few touch ups, but I'm still impressed it could find several psychologists near me. I hope the next version will include more fields including neuropsychology, and rehabilitation psychology. Psychology boards could certainly use this to help clients find a psychologist suited for them. Micheael Quach also just released DSM-IV Codes. It's free and the disorders can be ordered alphabetically or by codes, making it easy to find the code you need.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Monday, March 28, 2011
If you like this blog, please share it with others...
This blog is there for you, the psychologist, and your clients. It is a personal initiative of mine meant to help you get up to date information about new and innovative applications for your devices, but also to inform developers about the technological needs of our profession. I believe we could all benefit from this project. Don't you?
Saturday, March 26, 2011
STAT NIH Stroke scale for Iphone - Fixed
A new version of the software is available and the bugs have been fixed! It's still free. Download it [here].
Friday, March 18, 2011
The Happy Apps for Iphone - Real effects or placebo?
A new article on CNNTech just boasted the talents of Monica Singh who is the creator of The Happy Apps "a set of mood-enhancement tools that include light and color therapy". While I praise developers who are motivated to create applications aimed at improving the quality of life of others, I often wonder about the scientific evidence that goes into the development of these mobile applications. Is The Happy Apps therapeutic? and if it is, is it due to a placebo effect or the actual properties of the application? These are questions all developers of mental health applications should strive to answer. Her website attempts to do this by citing popular references such as about.com, and the New York times regarding the general benefits of light and color therapy. However, can the Iphone's hardware generate the luminance necessary to produce therapeutic effects? I will try to find out. Here is an article about SAD and light therapy that used, "10,000 lux of white cool fluorescent light". In theory these self help apps are safer than self medicating (i.e. with drugs, alcohol, and other meds) and a lot less costly. However, could this change as the app world starts to generate thousands of self help tools that promise a better life?
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
iCBT Iphone app review coming!
Ever wish you could motivate your clients to work on their difficulties outside the office? I have just downloaded a copy of iCBT, an app based on Dr. David Burns's work, Feeling good handbook, and will be providing a review soon. According to the developer of this application, Bonnie Rind the idea is to 1) express an upsetting event, and the negative thoughts and emotions around that event. 2) Consider if you are being fair and reasonable to yourself and others with these thoughts. Using the common cognitive distortions, reconsider how you talk to yourself and how you look at the event. 3) Rephrase your thoughts avoiding any distortions. 4) Consider your emotions when you are more fair and respectful to yourself. Have others tried this application?
Sunday, March 13, 2011
IPhone apps update
The Iphone app list has been updated.The BDI has been removed and new apps added. If you have tried or decide to try these apps please send us feedback. As you already know, the content of these apps may on the one hand be misleading, fraudulent, or unethical while on the other be gems useful for both patients and clinicians. Your feedback is appreciated!
STAT NIH Stroke scale app for Iphone - Free but buggy.
I just tested a free Iphone application called the STAT NIH stroke scale. The app is relatively easy to use and the interface is well designed. It is an almost exact reproduction of the pamphlet provided by the NIH. The test itself was designed to assess the level of impairment caused by a stroke and measures level of consciousness, vision, language, speech, movement and sensation. In my opinion, this is a great first version, however, a minor bug make this application unusable in the field. A small problem that could easily be fixed is in question 9 "best language". The patient in this question is required to describe a scene, but when we click on the image it opens in the wrong orientation. The app provides a summary of the scores obtained and the clinician is required to provide an interpretation, something an app could easily be designed to do. While I'm sure future versions will correct this little bug, I am impressed by the amount of free apps generated by the group. - The app is now fixed.
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