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MENTAL HEALTH TOOLKIT
About NOTO NOTO is the first comprehensive journaling app that is specifically made for users suffering from depression and bipolar disorder. The goal of this app is to make journaling easier for these individuals. The app offers more traditional aspects, of a journalling app, such as handwritten element, as well as more touch-and-go elements (like a dictated entry through audio recording or choosing an already existing journal template to build their journals) for users who feels unmotivated to journal regularly. Moreover, the app will provides a daily mood check for the users. The user is asked to rate a series of emotions and the app will log the mood and compile the same ratings of the same emotions. This canbe used to find some kind of pattern that are the causes of negative emotions, as well as patterns that cause positive emotions, which can be shared to the user’s psychologists or physicians. Moreover the app will perform daily checkups for substance abuse, diet and self-harm. Lastly, the app will provide information on external help such as available practising psychologist/psychiatrists, materials on mood distorders and self-care tactics and emergency help lines. NOTO Toolkit
About NOTO
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The Science of NOTO Mood disorders are considered to be the most common mental illnesses that exist in the general population. According to Statistics Canada, 5.4% of the Canadian population aged 15 years and over reported symptoms that met the criteria for a mood disorder, including 4.7% for major depression and 1.5% for bipolar disorder. Almost one in 8 adults (12.6%) identified symptoms that met the criteria for a mood disorder at some point during their lifetime. There are various of methods treating depression that both pharmaceutically and holistically. However, One common way of managing depressive symptoms is through the act of journaling. Numerous studies have shown that journaling can have a positive impact on both physical and mental health, and make psychotherapy more effective. The act of journaling helps in recovery because it makes an individual more self-aware, lets them take control, allows them to use positive self-talk and helps them notice patterns and triggers. Though journaling is a successful method, many do not utilize this method because they often find it too intimidating to start or too unmotivated to continue. NOTO Toolkit
The Science of NOTO
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What Causes Depression? The exact cause of depression is unknown. However, both environmental and bodily (neurobiological) factors play an important role. Many studies show biological changes in the brains of people with clinical depression. Genetics also plays a role, as depression can run in families.
Types of Depression Major depressive disorder (clinical depression) Symptoms of clinical depressions:
of interest in previously Loss of interest in previously • Loss activities enjoyable activities • enjoyable
Disrupted sleep (either trouble Disrupted sleep (either trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, falling asleep, staying asleep, or sleeping tootoo much) or sleeping much) Significant changes in in Significant changes appetite or weight (eating appetite or weight (eating more or less than usual, losing more or less than usual, losing or gaining weight) or gaining weight)
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What Causes Depression?
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Feeling tired or having little energy
Feelings of guilt or worthlessness Difficulty concentrating or making decisions
Moving or speatking more slowly than usual, or being so fidgety or restless that others notice
Thoughts that life is not worth living, or that you are no good to anyone .
To be diagnosed with major depressive disorder, a person must have at least five of the symptoms listed for most of the day, for at least two weeks. Major depression may occur in episodes lasting weeks or months, or may be chronic, lasting longer periods of time. For some individuals, the depression will go completely away after the end of an episode. Others may continue to experience ongoing low levels of symptoms. This is clinically referred to as dysthymia . Seasonal affective disorder Seasonal affective disorder or SAD is a type of clinical depression that appears at certain times of the year. It usually starts with the shortening days of late autumn and lasts through winter
NOTO Toolkit
Types of Depression
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Postpartum depression Postpartum depression is a form of MDD that occurs most commonly in the early weeks after giving birth.
Psychotic depression About one in 10 people with major depression will have psychotic symptoms, such as hallucinations (hearing voices) or delusions (ideas with no basis in reality). A person with psychotic depression normally won’t experience psychosis every time they have an episode of depression. These may occur in as few as 15% of episodes
Bipolar disorder The two main subtypes of bipolar disorder are bipolar I (or manic depression) and bipolar II (or hypomanic depression). A person with bipolar disorder will experience cycles of moods, including periods of depression, normal mood, and elevated or agitated states referred to as the “manic” phase of the illness. Individuals with bipolar II will experience hypomania, which is a less severe form of the “high” phase of the disorder.
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Types of Depression
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Types of Treatment Possible treatments include psychotherapy, medication, light therapy, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) and electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). These treatments work best with complementary treatments such as journaling, exercise and meditation. .
Psychotherapy Interpersonal therapy (IPT) IPT focuses on different kinds of interpersonal problems that may cause problems for people with depression. After the key areas of difficulty have been identified, therapy then focuses on resolving the difficulties.
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Cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) Cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) CBTCBT works on helping individuals identify works on helping individuals identify patterns of negative thinking, and and thenthen learnlearn to challenge patterns of negative thinking, to challenge these when they arise. The CBT therapist works together these when they arise. The CBT therapist works together withwith the client on two areas: negative thought patterns and and the client on two areas: negative thought patterns behaviours that that maintain the depression. behaviours maintain the depression. Secondly, CBTCBT works on inactivity. Many people withwith de- deSecondly, works on inactivity. Many people pression have lost pleasure in doing things they normally pression have lost pleasure in doing things they normally did. In CBT, the therapist helps people to identify and and did. In CBT, the therapist helps people to identify prioritize some activity related goals, and and thenthen helps themthem prioritize some activity related goals, helps strategize about howhow theythey can can accomplish the goals. strategize about accomplish the goals. Lastly CBTCBT typically works on ison in is dealing withwith challenging Lastly typically works in dealing challenging situations that that ordinarily cause stress for the ThisThis situations ordinarily cause stress for individual. the individual. approach is known as the problem-solving approach is known as structured the structured problem-solving approach and and helps people identify and and prioritize problems. approach helps people identify prioritize problems. Subsequently it helps themthem identify, evaluate and and try out Subsequently it helps identify, evaluate try out potential solutions. potential solutions.
Medication In general, antidepressant medications, In general, antidepressant medications, like other psytchiatric medications, workwork like other psytchiatric medications, by affecting the transmission of of by affecting the transmission electrical impulses between brainbrain cells.cells. electrical impulses between NOTO Toolkit
Types of Treatment
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Which medication is most appropriate often depends on a person’s individual response to the medication and the side effects experienced. It is not possible to accurately predict which medication may work best for any given individual, and which of the possible side effects may come about.
Light Therapy Light therapy, also known as phototherapy, is an approach taken for people with seasonal affective disorder or SAD. The approach works by affecting the natural biological patterns of the body known as circadian rhythms, which are affected by daylight, or lack thereof.
Electroconvulsive Therapy People with severe depression or life-threatening depression that hasn’t responded to other forms of treatment may benefit from electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). Contrary to public stereotype, ECT as it is administered today, is a safe, effective treatment for clinical depression. NOTO Toolkit
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Can be used for individuals that may be in risk by the interactions between antidepressants and their other medications.
Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation A new treatment that shows evidence of effectiveness is called or repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS). This approach works by passing a magnetic field briefly over the left prefrontal lobe (around the top of the forehead) an area of the brain that has been implicated in depression. Unlike ECT, no anesthesia is needed and there are no obvious major side effects from the treatment. At this point, the evidence is strongest for the use of rTMS with severe treatment-resistant depression. The value of the technique for people with other forms or types of depression may become clearer as more research is completed.
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Types of Treatment
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References Macnaughton, E. (n.d.). Depression Toolkit: Information and Resources for Effective Self-Management of Depression. Retrieved from http:// www.gpscbc.ca/who-we-are Robinson, K. M. (n.d.). How Writing in a Journal Helps Manage Depression. Retrieved February 2, 218, from https://www.webmd.com/depression/ features/writing-your-way-out-of-depression#1
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