When you are feeling sad or depressed it is hard to do things you used to enjoy or get through your day-to-day activities. DoNamic was designed to help you Do more and become a dyNamic participant in your own life. What you feel and what you do are related, so changing what you do in your everyday life can help improve your mood.
DoNamic is a web-based application available to Android and iPhone users. No downloads are required.
Why use DoNamic?
The approach is based on solid evidence
- Donamic is based on the Behavioral Activation model. Research studies show this form of treatment helps people with depression feel better.
- Behavioral activation helps people improve their mood by changing what they do.
- DoNamic will help you start doing activities that were part of your routine or that you used to enjoy doing.
Your account is personal and private
- You are not required to provide your name to use DoNamic.
- You set up your own password to protect your account.
- Everything you enter in DoNamic is saved on password protected servers -- not your phone.
- You use the application without guidance from anybody.
- You can log in when and where you want to (an Internet connection is required).
- There are no surprise pop-up notifications or text messages.
DoNamic combines features to help you learn about yourself and make changes in your life.
Self-Monitoring
- Track your mood and the effect your mood is having on different life areas (e.g., Personal Care, Social Life, School/Work).
- Record the time you spend negatively overthinking.
Activity Planning and Scheduling
- Receive personalized recommendations that will help you plan activities for the upcoming week.
- Schedule activities in DoNamic for you to do in your day-to-day life.
Activity Monitoring
- Visit your To Do list to see all of your scheduled activities.
- Keep track of whether or not you complete your activities, and how positive you felt completing activities or what got in your way.
Library
- Learn why making changes in your life can help you feel better and how to be successful when making changes.
- Learn about how to deal with your most common obstacles to doing activities in your life.
Progress Reports and Feedback
- See how your mood changes over time and learn whether DoNamic is actually helping you feel better.
- Become aware of your most common obstacles to doing activities; this is the first step in overcoming them.
- Learn what activities are helping you feel better the most.
Your rights and responsibilities
- You have the right to choose who, if anyone, you want to share any of your data with (e.g., your care provider).
- If you are 18 years old or over, you have the right to maintain your anonymity.
- If you provide any personal information in DoNamic you have the right to have it all treated confidentially, EXCEPT when you have been identified as potentially putting yourself at risk. Personal information may include your phone number and the phone number of your emergency contact person if you are 18 years old or over. If you are between 14 -17 years old, you will be asked to provide your phone number and your parent/legal guardian’s phone number. Before signing consent, please make sure that you understand when information will be released and what information will be discussed.
- DoNamic may help you feel better.
- For further details see the consent form which you can find when you apply to be included in our research study and have access to DoNamic.
Testimonials
These are comments from individuals with depression that helped us by providing their opinion while developing DoNamic.
Participants responses when asked if and how they thought DoNamic could help them:
Yes, I think that would help. One thing that the app really points to is the areas of a person’s life that are falling behind, which people are not necessarily aware of, it happens gradually, and before you know it you are not doing half the things you used to do you and you wouldn’t know until months or sometimes years down the road that you’ve regressed so far. So here it’s very obvious, I don’t do housework anymore, I don’t do this, whatever. Self-awareness of the issues is the first step in fixing the issues.
Good for monitoring your mood, it would be helpful… I often lose paper copies of mood charts and stuff, and having it on my phone I can bring it to my counselor or my therapist to show them how my mood has been. Now on a personal level I can see what has been working what hasn’t been working, so that I could personally reinforce myself. I think that this would be very helpful.
Get into habits of starting to just do things, because when you are low there are so many blockages that’s stopping you from things, so once you realize that things can actually make you feel better and you have a track record of what fulfilled you that’s going to be super helpful. I will learn about myself as well, if I think that I like doing an activity and it turns out I don’t ever get enjoyment from it, or if I think that I am not going to enjoy going to parties then I’m never going to go, but it turns out I actually did have fun, that would be nice to remember.
Do you want to try it?
If you are interested in taking part in the DoNamic study, email us at team@donamic.ca, and we will get in touch with you as soon as possible.
- We are doing a research study to learn how people use DoNamic and what they like and don’t like about it. We are looking for participants across Canada.
- Your participation would involve:
- Using DoNamic for 3 or 6 weeks. No downloads needed.
- Completing an online questionnaire at the beginning.
- Participating in a distance interview (via Internet or phone) to gather your opinions about the app after having the chance to use it.
- You would be compensated for your time.
- During the consent process and throughout this study you are not required to provide your name at any time. We ask for an email address when you consent to participate so we can send you study related information.
DoNamic was built with the evidence-based Martell principles of Behavioral Activation1 as its foundation. It is a self-help tool designed to encourage people with depression to Do more activities and become dyNamic participants in their life
DoNamic is a web-based application available to Android and iPhone users. No downloads are required.
1 Martell, C.R., Dimidjian, S., & Hermann-Dunn, R. (2013). Behavioral Activation for Depression. A Clinician’s guide. New York: Guilford
Why use DoNamic?
It can complement your practice
- DoNamic can be used by your clients between sessions to further enhance their learning and practice skills (e.g., grading activities, ACTION, problem solving)
- DoNamic can be used to help your client transition out of more intensive treatments
- In DoNamic, your clients can track the effect their mood is having on their life, and other factors that may be affecting their mood (i.e., negative overthinking). They can choose to share these results with you and help make decisions about their care
- Your clients are not required to provide a name to register for a DoNamic account.
There is no extra work for you
- DoNamic has undergone testing to ensure that its interface is easy to use
- Your clients will easily learn how it works through a video tour and quick start guide within DoNamic
- DoNamic can be used by both Android and iPhone users with an Internet connection
- We provide software support and manage any technical questions users may have
DoNamic combines features to help your clients learn about themselves and make changes in their life
Self-Monitoring
- Track their mood and the effect their mood is having on different life areas (e.g., Personal Care, Social Life, School/Work).
- Record the time they spend negatively overthinking.
Activity Planning and Scheduling
- Receive personalized recommendations that will help them plan activities for the upcoming week.
- Schedule activities in DoNamic for them to do in their day-to-day life.
Activity Monitoring
- Visit their To Do list to see all of their scheduled activities.
- Keep track of whether or not they complete their activities, and how positive they felt completing activities or what got in your way to completing it.
Library
- Learn why making changes in their life can help them feel better and how to be successful when making changes.
- Learn how to deal with their most common obstacles to doing activities in their life.
Progress Reports and Feedback
- See how their mood changes over time and learn whether DoNamic is actually helping them.
- Become aware of their most common obstacles to doing activities.
- Learn what activities are helping them feel better the most.
Your rights, responsibilities and liabilities
- Because DoNamic is a self-help program designed to be used without guidance, it is up to your client to determine whether or not they want to share their data with you; and what they want to share with you.
Testimonials
These are comments from stakeholders that helped us by providing their opinion while developing DoNamic.
Stakeholder responses show the benefits they felt DoNamic could have to their institution or clients.
A one-on one with a psychologist is very expensive and that’s where the big line up is… [Online resources] help us with access and provides a service… as we are dealing with an access problem.
It’s a great way to do things… for some people, this would be quite rewarding… keeping track of things and looking for patterns is really, really important… I can see it being very helpful.
If [the client] chose to push their information out to a therapist, that would be incredible… Through the eyes of a therapist working with a client, where we can work through resistance, that’s invaluable… that’s a huge strength to your program.
Are you interested in offering DoNamic to your clients?
- We are doing a research study to learn how people use the app as well as about its potential value from the users’ and the health care providers’ perspectives.
- Your participation would involve:
- Encouraging your clients to use the program.
- Participating in a distance interview (via Internet or phone) to gather your opinion about the app, its potential value, and how it has been implemented.
- You would receive:
- A test account.
- Our information package to familiarize yourself with DoNamic. The research team is also available to conduct an online demonstration sessions if you wish.
- Software support during a pre-specified period of time.
- Reports about usage of the app within your institution: You can opt to receive periodic emails regarding usage reports, which will provide an accurate count of how many one-time and repeated users come from your institution/practice/clinic, without providing further details about the user or their activity.
- Compensation for participating in the interview.
If you, as a health care provider, are interested in participating please contact us at team@donamic.ca.
Get Help
If you are at immediate risk of seriously harming yourself:
Since we are not a clinical but an educational service if you are in need of urgent help should NOT contact us but should contact your local emergency service. You can:
- CALL A CRISIS LINE
- Visit e-mental health to find the phone number for your area.
- CALL 911 (in North America)
- VISIT AN EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT
If your situation is not urgent or an emergency:
- Visit these websites to find resources in your area
- Visit your family doctor or got to a walk-in clinic near you
About
DoNamic is being developed by a Canadian team of experienced researchers, clinicians, and partners in community-based organizations. The team is based in the Centre for Research in Family Health at the IWK Health Centre in Nova Scotia, Canada. Funding for this research and the development of DoNamic is provided by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and Gambling Awareness Nova Scotia (GANS).
Team Leaders
Anna Huguet, PhD is trained as a psychologist, a newly independent researcher at the IWK Health Centre, and an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Community of Health and Epidemiology at Dalhousie University. Dr. Huguet has been specializing in the areas of pediatric pain and the use of everyday technology to deliver evidence-based care in the early stages of recurrent or chronic conditions.
Patrick McGrath, PhD is a Professor of Psychiatry, Pediatrics, and Community Health and Epidemiology at Dalhousie University. Dr. McGrath has extensive experience in developing, evaluating and implementing distance-delivered care for children and youth with chronic illnesses and mental health issues.
Sherry Stewart, PhD is a professor in the Departments of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, and Community Health and Epidemiology at Dalhousie University, as well as a licensed clinical psychologist in Nova Scotia. Dr. Stewart has extensive experience researching the comorbidity of emotional disorders (anxiety, PTSD, and depression) and addictive disorders (e.g., problem gambling). She has conducted several clinical trials of novel approaches for the treatment and prevention of co-occurring emotional and addictive disorders.
Co-investigators
Amanda Hudson, PhD (Dalhousie University)
Olga Kits, PhD (Research Methods Unit, Dalhousie University, Nova Scotia Health Authority)
Stanley Kutcher, MD (IWK Health Centre, Dalhousie University)
Sanjay Rao, MD (Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre, Dalhousie University, University of Ottawa)
Andre Sourander, PhD (University of Turku [Finland])
Lori Wozney, PhD (IWK Health Centre)
Contact
5850/5980 University Ave., Room K8527
Halifax, NS B3K 6R8
Canada
Phone: (902) 470-3912
Phone: 1-877-341-8309 (toll free line,for DoNamic press 4)
team@donamic.ca
