The digital genre I chose to conduct my research on was Mental Health Apps: a subgenre of self-care or health apps. Mental health apps are just one of the many genres of self-care or health applications available to download on smartphones and other mobile devices. What makes them so interesting to me is how their convenience, accessibility, and innovativeness have made life so much easier for persons suffering from mental illness or those who just want to practice stress management and mindfulness.
Throughout my research, I have come across an abundance of thought provoking content that help me better understand the usefulness of mental health apps. For example, The Anxiety and Depression Association of America’s website uses their own rating system for how user friendly and effective the most popular mental health apps on the market are today According to The Anxiety and Depression Association of America, the app, MoodTools, is free and provides “…psychoeducation about risk factors and psychosocial approaches to treatment, a depression symptom questionnaire (PHQ-9), a thought diary, a suicide safety plan, and videos such as meditation guides” (adaa.org).
Just like Kes, I found that conducting research on this topic was not the easiest thing I’ve ever done, but it did help that I had prior knowledge of the way mental health apps were being implemented in society. I’ve recently started using the mental health app known as Welltrack since it is suggested by my university’s counseling center. Because mental health apps are one of the newer subgenres that fall under self-care and health apps, it is a little difficult to find sources that focus on mental health apps and less on physical health.
I was lucky enough to come across an article that was particularly different and attention grabbing. The article, Health professionals’ perspective on the promotion of e-mental health apps in the context of maternal depression, explained how mobile applications for smartphones and other devices are a new innovative way to assist women who are pregnant or have just delivered a child, with maternal depression. One of the benefits for women in this situation would be the fact that they, “…can remain anonymous while using these applications…[and] are more likely to share sensitive information regarding their mental health with reduced feelings of stigma” (Sprenger, et al).
I feel as though I’ve conducted most of the research I need for this topic. All that is left for me to do now is to apply what I’ve learned about digital text and digital genres to my findings so that my wiki entry can have a deeper analysis of Mental Health apps as a digital genre.
Word Count: 438
Word Cited:
Anxiety and Depression Association of America, adaa.org/.
Sprenger, Michaela, et al. “Health Professionals’ Perspective on the Promotion of e-Mental Health Apps in the Context of Maternal Depression.” PLoS ONE, vol. 12, 12 July 2017, pp. 1–17. Ebscohost, eds.a.ebscohost.com/eds/detail/detail?vid=11&sid=69df5f89-1ad7-4357-9760-ed4930889706%40sessionmgr4009&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmUmc2NvcGU9c2l0ZQ%3d%3d#db=asn&AN=124062431.