People are looking for tools and tricks to apply at home before they engage in treatment. Mental Health America is actively working to develop and research tools that can increase motivation and engagement towards self-care, building skills and abilities, and transitions to traditional mental health care.
This tool started as a pilot project with the University of California, Irvine to explore how crowdsourcing responses could support learning and skills in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. We applied the specific lessons from the development of our pilot tool to create this module that combines insight building, crowdsourcing, and user control to support cognitive reframing. Our work and the development of this tool combines psychological theory and lived experience as the underpinnings for how to explore reframing negative thinking.
The development and research of MHA’s past DIY tools explored the use and viability of single-session, self-led, online micro-inventions. Through our recent research, we have learned that helping youth develop cognitive behavioral skills like cognitive reframing has proved difficult when relying on the individual to identify and internalize reframes on their own, without support. This tool integrates an artificial intelligence-assisted component to our modules that will help nudge users to develop cognitive strategies that are more compassionate and reduce the likelihood that users might abandon self-led efforts to develop these all-important skills.
Results from a pilot study in collaboration with the University of California Irvine show that seeing and reacting to others’ answers helps normalize experiences to reduce internalized stigma and builds insight into one’s firsthand experiences. Driven by models such as motivational interviewing, dialectical behavioral therapy, and trauma-focused therapy, we want to extend the research and development of crowdsourced-based tools online by creating a substance use and psychosis module.
Applying principles of Motivational Interviewing, this tool provides an opportunity for users to share their experiences with addictions, work through questions that help them explore the ongoing challenges and consequences of addiction, and figure out next steps. Users can also compare others’ thoughts to their own experiences with substance use and abuse.
This tool provides users with an opportunity to share what their experience with possible psychosis is like. This enables users to clarify what about the experience is important to them; help others by sharing their lived experience; and explore the answers of others. The goal of the tool examines how validating experiences can reduce shame and fear associated with psychosis.