Mobi

This project examines whether using smartphone applications as an add-on treatment tool in early psychosis care can improve treatment delivery and client outcomes. Mobile health technology has the potential to change the face of treatment delivery by accurately and rapidly informing providers of client status, assessing real-time treatment response, and prompting clients and providers to engage in relapse prevention strategies when needed. In this project, participants use a smartphone application to complete short daily surveys about their mood, symptoms, and social experiences. Participants' responses are then shared with their clinician via a secure website, allowing rapid response by the treatment team to any reported symptom exacerbations and facilitating discussion of symptoms and daily experiences between clients and their clinicians.

In Phase I of the project, we sought to determine the feasibility and acceptability of implementing mobile health technology in the UC Davis Early Psychosis Programs (EDAPT and SacEDAPT Clinics). Overall, individuals receiving treatment services in the UC Davis Early Psychosis Programs demonstrated high survey completion and reported high satisfaction with the smartphone application. In Phase II, we validated survey data gathered via the smartphone application against gold-standard research instruments, and examined whether survey data predict key patient outcomes, including relapse of psychosis. We are currently in Phase III of the project, testing the feasibility of implementing smartphone applications as add-on treatment tools in community based outpatient clinics, including the Supportive Outreach & Access to Resources (SOAR) Early Psychosis Programs in Solano and Napa Counties.

Phases I and II of the project were funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Phase III is funded by a UCD Behavioral Health Center of Excellence Pilot Award.

Principal Investigator: Tara Niendam, Ph.D.

Personnel: Laura Tully, Ph.D., Kathleen Burch, B.A., Divya Kumar, B.A., Lauren Zakskorn, B.A.