Date of Award

Winter 2021

Document Type

Thesis (Undergraduate)

Department or Program

Department of Computer Science

First Advisor

Xing-Dong Yang

Abstract

The mental health of young adults in America is worsening. Technology-based interventions may offer an accessible way to help with this problem. The objective of the study was to determine the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of an informative journaling application to reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression for young adults. In an unblinded trial, 20 individuals age 18-22 were recruited from Dartmouth College and were randomized to either participate in using the informative journaling application (Unwind) (n=10) or were directed to a National Institute of Mental Health pamphlet as part of the control group (n=10). All participants completed the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and the 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale (GAD-7) at the beginning and end of the one-week study period. The results from the pre-test of PHQ-9 and GAC-7 and post-test of PHQ-9 and GAC-7 indicate that the use of the Unwind application resulted in a reduction of anxiety and depression symptoms. Thus, we conclude that an informative journaling application can be a feasible and effective way to reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression for young adults.

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