‘Noxiety’ is an App that helps you tackle your anxiety.
For this project the aim was to analyze the existing spectrum of mental health apps and apply new therapy research to engineer a therapy supplement for the mental health field. Take the research done in repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation and apply it to a digital product to produce a non-invasive brain stimulation tool using only one’s personal hand held device.
Overview
This app is designed for people who are suffering from or curious about anxiety. For users seeking a non-invasive method to aid in anxiety therapy, they can get a tailored experience based on their user input. As users interact with Noxiety they are able to view and track their moods. The behavior model is based off of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation, with the goal of using non-invasive brain stimulation to help reduce fear and anxiety.
Main Behavior Model
For Ease of use, the onboarding process has been minimized to a few quick and simple steps. This allows anxious users to quickly start using the app. After a few quick questions, the app is initiated. Randomized notifications via sound or vibrations are sent to the user. The user then interacts with the stimulation by selecting an emoticon that correlates to their current mood. All user interactions are logged for user’s to review and assess on a stats page.
Problem Identification
WHO?
Anxiety disorders affect nearly 1 in 5 adults in the United States. Women are more than twice as likely as men to get an anxiety disorder in their lifetime. Anxiety disorders affect about 40 million American adults every year. Anxiety disorders also affect children and teens. About 8% of teens ages 13 to 18 have an anxiety disorder, with symptoms starting around age 6.
WHY?
An estimated 31.1% of U.S. adults experience any anxiety disorder at some time in their lives.
Current Treatments include: Generalized anxiety medication options, Generalized anxiety psychotherapy (Cognitive Behavior Therapy)
HOW?
In 2018, researchers have reported success in a preliminary effort to use non-invasive brain stimulation to reduce fear and anxiety. The placebo-controlled trial involved 19 healthy human subjects who were exposed to stimuli designed to activate their “startle” response to an experienced or anticipated threat.
Using (rTMS) to reduce excitation in a part of the brain called the parietal lobe. Specifically, they targeted a section called the IPS (intraparietal sulcus), which their past research had shown to be “hyper-excited” when individuals are experiencing or perceiving a threat.
The team found that when rTMS was being directed to the IPS, there was a measurable reduction in the “startle” response caused by both fear and anxiety, compared with the startle response with placebo rTMS and no-rTMS.
The researchers think these results indicate that the parietal cortex plays a causal role in a state of elevated arousal that regulates the startle response. Further, they suggest that using rTMS to reduce excitability in the IPS can “reduce physiological arousal associated with fear and anxiety during threat.”
Based on its findings, the team thinks low-frequency rTMS is a potential treatment for anxiety disorders.
Sources: https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/su6003a1.htm, https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/anxiety-disorders/index.shtml ,https://www.bbrfoundation.org/content/non-invasive-brain-stimulation-reduced-fear-and-anxiety-preliminary-trialResearch
Looking at the existing space in mental health apps, I was able to compare and contrast different features and functions. From there, using virtual sticky notes, I analyzed and plotted out themes and insights to help brainstorm ideas.
