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Harvard University scientists developed an app that breaks cycles of ruminative thinking, which is a key factor in depression. Ruminative thinking is the repetitive cycle of negative thoughts that can worsen mood and amplify depressive symptoms. The app consists of five mini-games that engage the mind in positive, thought-disrupting activities.
As a result, players had more substantial improvements to their depressive symptoms than those who hadn’t played it. Harvard Professor Moshe Bar and colleagues tested the app on select participants and found significant, long-lasting mood improvements. The app had five mini-games that encouraged positive thoughts: READ: AI can diagnose depression better than doctors They observed the volunteers for eight weeks.
Consequently, the participants exhibited noticeable mood and thought pattern changes after every weekly evaluation. “The results indicate that across multiple clinical measurements..
. showed greater and faster improvement in depressive symptoms compared with their waitlist control counterparts,” the researchers wrote in their paper. READ: Social media causes poor mental health They published their findings in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (JMIR).
Moreover, its benefits extend beyond the study’s duration. Many continued to have reduced depressive symptoms four weeks after using the app. As a result, researchers believe it could become a powerful supplement to traditional therapies.
It could make mental health treatments more accessible as it’s free to use. Such innovations come at a time when depression and mental health crises are rising worldwide. Subscribe to our daily newsletter By providing an email address.
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