Enter MoodTools. This no-frills free app — with optional paid premium features — provides a sizeable amount of psychoeducation on different types of depression, various treatments for depression, and what to do in situations such as suicide safety.
And no-frills makes the app seem like a no-brainer. Although the interface, at first glance, seems plain, I quickly grew to appreciate how responsive the user interface was. There were no mystery-meat icons, no unconventional interface quirks, no surprise pixel-hunting. There were a few odd dialog boxes and grammar issues here and there, such as this one that confusingly asks people two diametric questions in which the choices are “yes” or “no.” What exactly does it mean to “continue”? Continue the entry, or continue throwing the entry away? And what does having a “5” for “Distress” mean? 5%? 5 out of 10? Distress isn’t even a standard numeric scale in psychiatry, so you can bet that both doctor and user will be baffled. But, I am nitpicking. These issues don’t occur much in the interface.
2015-08-30