Mobile phones used in battle against depression

The Centre for Adolescent Health (CAH) is using teenagers’ favourite accessory to understand how adolescent depression starts.

Depression affects 30 per cent of young people and can lead to suicide. Dr Sophie Reid from CAH worked with Harvard Medical School to design the Mobile Tracking Young People’s Experiences Program (mobiletype).

The innovative program uses a phone survey to assess what adolescents do when they’re feeling down. These individualized reports provide unique insight for doctors into the moods, activities, stresses, coping strategies and other lifestyle factors affecting teenagers’ wellbeing and mental health.

Beyond Blue awarded $70,000 to Dr Reid in 2005 to develop the program and a further $70,000 in 2007 to fund the first ever GP trial of mobiletype in Bendigo.

The Telstra Foundation also donated $50,000 to set up the program and their suppliers, ZTE Australia and Legion Interactive have provided the hardware and services to make the program possible.

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