Desenvolvimento e análise de uma aplicação mobile no contexto do tratamento da depressão e prevenção do suicídio

Abstract

Can technologies be beneficial to man to the point of bringing even gains in mental health? Is it possible to think of a mobile platform that facilitates the diagnosis and work of psychomedical professionals? What this study helps to understand is what mobile mental health structures can really mean in the everyday lives of people suffering from illnesses such as depression and anxiety disorder. Thus, we sought to understand the needs and deficiencies of these populations, interpreting their requirements by creating a mobile application that could help these individuals in their moments of greatest psychological vulnerability. The result was the development of a prototype called Appathia, which aims to involve the academic community, professionals and users of the Portuguese public health system in an important work: to reduce the distances between citizens of the entire social structure, encourage volunteering and, above all, prevent suicide. The idea is that the user can be served, in the first instance, by the application created (Appathia), being evaluated by the volunteer who will provide the host service, so only, if necessary, can have direct contact with the specialist of the area.Through research among health workers and users, a model was arrived at that made possible a prototype focused, above all, on the most fundamental needs of the user. The goal, in addition to seeing the well-being of the patient as the main reason for the initiative's success, is to unburden the national public health network, providing care to as many people as possible and to reduce the alarming and rising suicide rates among the Portuguese population.