Mobile-Web Emotion Self-management Tool
Condition: Stress; Depression
MeSH terms: Depression
Study type: Interventional
Phase: Phase 2

Summary: 
      The investigators developed a responsive mobile-web app, "Jauntly," which was designed to
      take advantage of the known connections between positive emotions, stress reduction and
      stress resilience. The app's goal was to lead users through research-proven positive
      emotion-enhancing exercises and relevant educational materials. Intervention activities
      covered five well-being-generating content areas: 1) promoting the experience and recognition
      of gratitude; 2) encouraging positive social relationships and feelings of social support; 3)
      improving stress resilience via mindfulness and other relaxation-focused activities; 4)
      focusing and capitalizing on individual strengths (as opposed to limitations and weaknesses);
      and 5) general positive mood inducing activities. Program content was adapted from a variety
      of stress-relevant research areas including health psychology/psychosomatic medicine,
      social/personality psychology, positive psychology, and clinical psychology.
    

Detailed description: 
      The overarching goal of the Jauntly mobile app was to experience exercises that encourage one
      to take care of oneself emotionally, improve positive emotions, and decrease stress and other
      negative emotions. The user interacted with the app through evidence-based activities (e.g.
      writing gratefulness notes, helping others, practicing mindfulness). The activities were
      selected based on the goals the user selected upon initiation of program and throughout
      engagement with the app. In order to promote sustained use of the program and mastery of the
      positive emotion based skills, the design of the program included activities that range in
      difficulty so that the user could progress and improve (i.e., simple "1 and done" types of
      goals versus multi-week goals).

      Research in positive psychology interventions suggests that increases in well-being are
      highest when the activity: 1) fits the person's interests and values and 2) is performed
      neither too frequently nor too seldom. Because of our desire to have a product with
      long-lasting usability and sustained engagement, it was critical that there were a diverse
      number of activities from which individuals could choose based on interest, current mood, and
      past success. The Jauntly user experience is structured around free use of the app partnered
      with regular emails, in-app messaging, videos, and articles. Emails remind users to utilize
      program content (including users in the control group who were reminded to visit the
      stress-management website). Use of the app and viewing of videos and other content is not
      restricted and users are able to self-tailor use according to their interest.
    

Intervention name(s): Jauntly; Online stress management information
Intervention type(s): Behavioral; Behavioral
Intervention description(s): Mobile app designed to encourage positive emotion-enhancing and stress reduction activities.; Online educational information about stress management
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)
Keywords: Positive psychology; Wellbeing; Stress reduction; Relaxation; Gratitude; Mobile app; Intervention; Altruism; Psychological well-being; Social well-being; Physical well-being; Workplace engagement