In this week’s post, I will show some ideas I have come up with while I was mind mapping key features.
From this, I have formulated the idea of a mobile app for smartphone devices offering multiple tools for coping with mental health and allow to make quick appointments with shorter waiting times. It will also allow the user to know what is required from them for the appointment in advance, such as a doctor’s note or any background information. The journal feature will allow the counsellor to monitor the habitual patterns in behaviour to determine the best course of action. These features will streamline the system, allowing users and counsellor to make the most of the service with more responsive service.
The virtual reality headsets will allow users who suffer from high anxiety or stress to relax and uses the guided meditation to return to a calm state of mind. The use of VR is important in these cases as it immerses the user into another environment and away from their current situation which may be causing the affliction. The conclusions can also monitor when this feature is used and discuss this further during sessions. The headsets will be made from cardboard as it is a cheap and environmentally friendly material and can be mass produced cheaply at the Well-Being Centre and it will use the technology that can be found in most smartphones. This also can be fed into the guide mediation feature that will play a short meditation session, ideal for travelling to classes or other locations. These will be more tailored to improving mental attitudes daily and to change the habitual thoughts and mental states highlighted in the journal feature.
The instant messaging feature will be for those users who wish to talk about their problem anonymously and unload the weight of their burdens. This can help reduce the number of people who seek councilling for smaller problems such as homesickness, pressures of the university or just having a bad day. This can also allow work experience for Psychology students and allow them to gain experience with working with patients in a non-high risk situation. This service can also be used to recommend users when they should seek professional help at the Well-Being Centre or refer them to specific features on the app or workshops in the Well-Being Centre.
These are the ideas that have the potential to help improve the service at the University of Lincoln and help improve the mental health of student population of Lincoln. I will present these ideas to my peers and will do an update including their feedback and what features are appropriate and which are not suitable for this problem.