Technology for psychologists

A mobile app developer registry for psychologists

2012-02-21T12:40:00.000-08:00

Several psychologists have asked me to recommend app developers to help them create their first iPhone or Android app. If you are a psychologist, you will be able to contact developers using this page. If you are a developer, and would like to have your name added, please email me at sylvan.r.roy@gmail.com - I will update this page occasionally.

iOS platform

Canada

Other

Android platform

Canada

Other

iOS app review : Dell Voice offers free Canadian phone numbers with free long distance calls

2012-02-12T06:02:00.000-08:00

During my discussions with clients and professionals, I am frequently asked if there is an app to make free phone calls from iPods, iPhones or Android devices. I always say yes, and that I had tested a few of them. The United States has been fortunate to have Google Voice to make free calls to the US and Canada. Talkatone is an app that takes advantage of this service. Getting a free Google Voice number is however a little difficult for Canadians to obtain (you need a valid US number for the activation).

As such, Canadians have been left with low cost alternatives such as Skype and Nettalk and Talkatone (with Google Talk only) for outgoing calls. There was no easy way to get a Canadian number for incoming calls, until now. Dell Canada has paired up Fongo to provide a unique Canadian experience. the new app is called Dell Voice.

Dell Voice is very easy to setup. Simply download the free app from the Apple app store. Once installed, tap "register". You will be brought to the next page and Canada will be set a the default. Tap continue. You will then need to provide a valid email account, a contact phone number, set a password and enter the capcha, then click continue. An email will be sent to you. Go to your email and click the activation link and follow the online instructions. Once you are complete, go back into Dell Voice and enter your email and password and voila! you will have a free phone.

The pro's of the phone are:

Decent call quality over wifi/3g.
It's free and you can call many cities in the US and Canada for free.
You get a real Canadian number.
Even if the app is turned off, your phone will ring.
It's easy to setup.
It doesn't use a lot of data.
Free voice mail service.

The con's of the phone are:

Some static or choppy quality when the 3g connection is weak.
If the app is powered off, your phone will ring but you will miss the call due to the delay (will go to voice mail).
Sometimes, you will need to log off and log back in to use the phone (will not fully activate)
Ads from Dell (I can live with this).
No texting option (I recommend downloading Text+ for the free texting equivalent).

Overall, the pro's in my opinion outweigh the cons. My clients love the app because their cell phone bills can stay at approximately $20 / month by combining Dell Voice with their Bell Canada 3g data tablet plan. It's not perfect, but as my clients say. It beat spaying $75+ dollars every month.

You can download the app [here]

Sylvain Roy, Ph.D

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iOS app review: iTunes U - Bringing free university lectures to your iPhone

2012-01-22T11:55:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone, I just stumbled on a great app called iTunes U. It's filled with great psychology talks and lectures! It's perfect if your looking for a refresher course or if you are looking to learn something entirely new. Simply search for psychology or counseling (or the topics of your choice) by tapping the magnifying glass at the bottom right of the page, tap on the title, then tap on "free" to download the audio or video file. Once the download begins, you can start listening to it immediately by tapping on the title (it needs a few seconds to buffer). Have a look and tell me what you think. It's Free!

You can download the app [here]

Sylvain Roy, Ph.D.

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iOS app review: iCouch CBT

2011-12-31T11:07:00.000-08:00

Some time ago, I was asked to look into a new CBT app called iCouch CBT. I was immediately seduced by the graphical interface and the ability to password protect sensitive information. To my knowledge, this is the first psychology app that offers a feature to protect a client's right to privacy. The app also provides an overview of CBT, which is useful for clients who want to understand the philosophy behind the technique. The interface is free of clutter and a home button makes it easy to return to the home page.

When the person using the app is faced with an anxiety provoking situation, he or she can document the event by clicking on "what happened". This person will then be asked to describe his or her negative thought and rate the felt emotion(s). The next step involves describing the cognitive distortion(s) (e.g. mental filter, should-be statements, blaming etc.), and input "a better thought" and a more adaptive behaviour. The client is then prompted to reassess his or her thoughts and feelings. Another wonderful feature of the app is its ability to save and email logs. This can provide valuable information to the therapist who can track the number of incidences and their intensities over time.

Have you tried this app in your practice? What are your thoughts?

You can download the app here for $1.99 [link]

Sylvain Roy, Ph.D.

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Voice Actions for iOS and Android: Not the new Siri, but the next best thing

2011-12-17T07:09:00.000-08:00

Need an app that can control your phone through speech commands? Both Voice actions and Siri are powered by Nuance, the company that brought us Dragon Dictate. This app will be extremely useful for clients who have trouble writing email or navigating the touch screen. In fact, it can search for music and locations, set alarms, send text messages and search the web. I plan to recommend the app to clients. I'll report back later to let people know how it was received by individuals with acquired brain injury. I don't recommend dictating any confidential information as the information is processed on the Nuance servers.

You can download the app here for $4.99 [link]

Here is a youtube video on it [link]

Sylvain Roy, Ph.D.

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Android App Review: Cognitive remediation for working memory

2011-12-04T11:39:00.000-08:00

If you have a patient with working memory or attention deficits, this app could be a very useful tool to use with him or her. The “Memory Trainer” android app focuses on working memory, spatial span and selective attention. Training is encompassed in six different exercises. One exercise involves generating a ToDo lists with full length sentences. The patient is then asked to remember parts of the sentences. The exercise is thus very ecological and potentially generalizable to real life.

You can choose to do a progressive training over 20 sessions or decide your activity and difficulty level. The app will log your session performance and plot it on a graph. This graph can be useful for the neuropsychologist wanting to follow-up on the client's progress, to confront them on their limitations or motivate them if needed.

The app, created by Urbian Inc, will also offer tips on ways to improve memory. For example, chunking information together, creating imagery, recommending healthy life styles, etc. Finally, the app also gives some information about what is short term memory. And it’s free.

Jocelyn Morettini

Health Psychologist / Neuropsychologist

jocelyn.morettini@gmail.com

View Jocelyn Morettini's [LinkedIn] page

SITE UPDATE: iPHONE, iPOD TOUCH AND iPAD APPS FOR PSYCHOLOGISTS

2011-12-04T11:38:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone: I just updated the iOS app list for psychologists. Great new finds were added. Take a look and let us know if we're missing an app.

Please share the list with your colleagues.

http://sylvainroy.blogspot.com/2011/02/iphone-apps-for-psychologists.html

Sylvain Roy, Ph.D.

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Android News: It's the end of Google App Inventor

2011-11-13T20:00:00.000-08:00

The App Inventor Beta did not make the cut. Although it was a good idea for creators, Google is dropping this project. You will have up until December 31, 2011 to download all your projects. After that, everything will be deleted from Google's server.

By the end of the year Google will make publicly available the complete App inventor source code. For now, no other open source instance is available to take up the relay for your App Inventor projects. Instead, Google will be funding the center for Mobile Learning at the MIT Media Lab.

Hopefully there will be someone who's going to follow up on that idea.

Jocelyn Morettini

Health Psychologist / Neuropsychologist

jocelyn.morettini@gmail.com

View Jocelyn Morettini's [LinkedIn] page

iOS app review: It's Done! A new task manager for clients with mild memory difficulties.

2011-11-07T14:54:00.000-08:00

It's Done! is available for $2.99 at the App Store

Have you ever wondered whether a "to do" app for clients with mild memory impairments exists? It's done is a task manager that lets people manage daily activities. It has the power to send immediate "completed" notifications to caregivers (or clinicians), making behaviour tracking easy.

On the upside, the app is well designed and simple to use. It displays the current time, date and day of the week, and tasks can be added, organized and edited easily. They can be made recurrent, and reminders can be set easily. Other useful features include having easy access to past or future events, and the ability to check off completed items.

On the downside, the app only provides one reminder. It can also get cluttered as there is no task auto-hide feature. Finally, the app has the potential to "leak" sensitive information and cause patients distress if the wrong contact information is entered for notifications. Caregivers and clinicians should pay special attention to this and discuss how to take steps to reduce risks.

I highly recommend this application as it is unique and can be used by anyone who is distractible or who have memory difficulties. I would love to see case studies which examine whether the app leads to measurable changes in patients’ life satisfaction, functioning, and memory and caregiver stress. I suspect that the app could be used in more severe cases if proper training and tools are provided (e.g.: Svoboda, E., Richards, B., Polsinelli, A., & Guger, S. (2010). Neuropsychological Rehabilitation).

To download the app or obtain more information visit the developers website [here]
The it's done app can be downloaded [here]

Sylvain Roy, Ph.D.
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iPad & Apps for autism - Interesting resources.

2011-10-28T08:13:00.000-07:00

Good Friday everyone! A colleague sent me this video I thought I would share [CBS News - 60 minutes] and the transcript [Here]. Here is another resources for Special Education (authored by: Eric Sailers & based on a list by Samuel Sennott, Eric Sailers, & David Niemeijer [See PDF file here].

Sylvain Roy, Ph.D.

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Blog update: iPhone Rehabilitation Program

2011-10-23T07:45:00.000-07:00

I have been working on a brain injury rehabilitation project at the Community Head Injury Resource Services (CHIRS) in Toronto, Canada. We have been using iPhones to help clients with memory and other cognitive impairments (see Dr. Richards lecture on the Memory Link Program [here]). We are expanding the project and using the devices to compensate for other cognitive impairments.

As part of this initiative, we are even offering Canadian tax credit for iPhone donations. If you would like to know more about our new iPhone program please feel free to contact me or check out ad [here].

Sylvain Roy, Ph.D.
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iOS App Review: The Questions App by Dr. Martindale

2011-10-10T09:41:00.000-07:00

From a clinical point of view, this app can help individuals gain insight (and identify potential sources of conflict) into their relationships by asking basic questions everyone probably should ask themselves before making a serious commitment. It has the potential to transform vague feelings into clear ideas. It can also be used as a relationship builder (a sort of game) for those who have been together for sometime. This could potentially be used with high functioning individuals during therapy.

The app itself is well designed and uncluttered and also has the ability to share the results to Facebook or by Email (which could be useful if thought of more as a game). As a clinician, I would like to see additional features to protect private information such as password protection (this goes for all the apps dealing with sensitive data). Overall, however, I think the app does what it says it will: It increases self awareness and provides insight about your relationships. If you are a psychologist, have you assessed its utility in your clinic?

The Questions App is based on Dr. Martindale's work which can be found on her website [here]

It can be purchased from the app store for $3.99 [here]

Sylvain Roy, Ph.D.
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Android News: Create a full Android App on your own, for free.

2011-07-26T14:00:00.000-07:00

Android has now taken the major part of the smartphone market. If you look at the new acquiring’s, Android is now taking 50% of the market in the last six months. To continue boosting their presence in the market, Google just released a new program in beta testing phase. The “Android App Inventor” is a tool which lets you create an application without any programming experience. This means you can just drag and drop some widgets and your android app will be ready to use. Although easy in theory, you still need to be somewhat computer savvy to create your own app. In essence, many will have to wait for the program to evolve from the beta testing phase into a ready to use program.

It is time for most of you to start thinking about making your own Android App, without having any programming skills. Start creating!

Jocelyn Morettini

Health Psychologist / Neuropsychologist

jocelyn.morettini@gmail.com

View Jocelyn Morettini's [LinkedIn] page

Android App Review: The Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale for free

2011-07-17T13:38:00.000-07:00

You are outside your office, at the bedside of a patient, and you need your tools to evaluate your patient’s mood state. The Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale is a well validated questionnaire that can answer your needs [see references]. This scale as a long and a short version, 42 and 21 questions [get it here]. The questionnaire is contains three scales: Depression, Anxiety and Stress. It is available in 28 languages [get it here] and has been validated for online use [see reference].

You can now have your own copy of DASS (long version) with the DAS Scale Android app (created by Radiant Monkey software). This app is straightforward and very user friendly. Once you have finished taking the test, you will receive the raw scores for the three scales and the appropriate normative interpretations. All the data can be exported has .db files either on the SD card or send by email (readable by programs such has SQLite).

Jocelyn Morettini
Health Psychologist / Neuropsychologist
jocelyn.morettini@gmail.com
View Jocelyn Morettini's [LinkedIn] page

Should Mobile Health Apps Be Regulated By FDA?

2011-06-28T22:09:00.001-07:00

Interesting article by By Marianne Kolbasuk McGee :
http://www.informationweek.com/news/healthcare/mobile-wireless/230300034
What do you think?

Sylvain Roy, Ph.D.

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Android News Flash: The PTSD Coach is now available on Android

2011-06-27T23:19:00.000-07:00

PTSD Coach (National Center for PTSD) is now available on the Android platform. This app, originally created for US veterans, can be useful to anyone with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). At this time, the app is really the only real option for the Android platform (at least by my research). In includes many functions, including an evaluation questionnaire, a distress thermometer, tools to manage some PTSD symptoms (ex. progressive muscle relaxation, falling asleep), a tool to find professional support and considerable information about PTSD. You can even schedule periodic self-assessments to prevent symptoms and track progress. For the full original review by Sylvain Roy [see here].

Jocelyn Morettini
Health Psychologist / Neuropsychologist
jocelyn.morettini@gmail.com
View Jocelyn Morettini's [LinkedIn] page

Android App Review: Get most of the Pittsburgh Sleep Dairy for free

2011-06-20T18:04:00.000-07:00

Many physical and mental illnesses can affect peoples' quality of sleep thereby impeding mental and physical recovery. For example, clients who suffer from a mood disorder such has depression, or an anxiety disorder such has PTSD, often report sleep problems. In addition, those with a comorbid physical ailment such has chronic pain (combined medication side effects), or a sleep disorder (ex. sleep apnea or insomnia) are also likely to report decreased sleep quality. A good initial assessment (and during follow ups) can be paramount to treatment outcomes, and necessary for sleep research. For that purpose, the Pittsburgh Sleep Diary (PghSD) was developed by Dr. Monk and is team at the University of Pittsburgh (Monk et. al., 1994) [read abstract]. It has become a gold standard in sleep research.

My Sleep Diary (by Veyette Software), a free Android app, provides 13 of the 21 most important questions contained in the PghSD (note that if you need the last 8 missing questions, you can instruct your patient to answer them in the Note section of this app and separate answers with commas). Information can then be saved in a .CSV file (comma separated file) that can be imported into programs such as Excel, SPSS, Statistica. This is a great app that I recommend to any clinical psychologist, medical professionals or sleep researchers.

Jocelyn Morettini

Health Psychologist / Neuropsychologist

jocelyn.morettini@gmail.com

View Jocelyn Morettini's [LinkedIn] page

Stress Free with Dr. Elaine Smith

2011-06-17T21:04:00.000-07:00

Feel like you need to unwind? Download your free copy of Stress Free with Dr. Elaine Smith! Her app uses psychological approches such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction and it's packed with useful information about anxiety. It also contains HD videos (Ocean shore & fireplace) to guide mindfulness exercises, which in my opinion, are what makes this application unique. The iPhone app itself is at first a little hard to navigate, and the sound will only work with earphones. The iPad version allows sound over the internal speakers, and the bigger screen makes scrolling easier. Overall, the app is appropriate for clients who can learn CBT and Mindfulness based techniques [About mindfulness].

When you first use the application you are brought to the home page, which provides an introduction to the app and a list of activities. Still your mind takes the user on a short adventure with a short and calming video of the ocean intertwined with classical music. It instructs the user on mindfulness practices. Take a break is a short calming video of a fire place that gives users the ability to take a time-out during the day. Reframe your thoughts contains educational materials that helps people reframe their thoughts. Finally, my favorite, the Relaxation Response is a neat relaxing tool that I will simply let you discover on your own.

To download the iPhone app [click here]

To download the iPad version [click here]

To visit her website [click here]

To see her LinkedIn profile [click here]

Sylvain Roy, Ph.D.
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Android App Review: How to increase sustained attention on the task at hand

2011-06-15T11:37:00.000-07:00

Have you ever had a patient who had problems completing his tasks? Maybe you had a patient with cognitive problems following a traumatic brain injury (TBI). Maybe you had a patient who is a procrastinator and always seems to drift away from what he has to do. Maybe you had a patient in a progressive desensitisation program for OCD, PTSD or Phobia that had problem staying focused on the exposition task. Whatever the reason, you might find yourself in need for a way to remind you patient to come back to the task.

If you said yes to any of the above, this app is for you. StayOnTask is a free app created by Jay Muntz. It’s a very simple app that does only one thing: it verifies with you at random time if you are still doing the task that you are supposed to do. This app can run on the foreground of your Android or in the background if that’s preferable to you. You can choose the minimal and maximal time interval in-between each query for “on task or not” (from 1 to 90 minutes). The graphic interface is simple, clean but very intuitive and well designed. You can also choose the volume of the alarm and set vibration. Since you have the ability to choose the interval in which there will be a query, you can then control the annoyance or distractibility effect it might have. You would probably choose a short interval for a cognitive patient with a TBI, but a long interval for a student having difficulty focussing on his studies. It is a great tool for any neuropsychologists and cognitive-behavioural therapists.

Jocelyn Morettini

Health Psychologist / Neuropsychologist

jocelyn.morettini@gmail.com

May/June issue in the National Psychologist - Mobile technology: Opportunities and dangers

2011-06-05T14:31:00.000-07:00

Make sure to get your copy of this month's National Psychologist. It showcases several interesting articles, including my own on the topic of mobile applications for psychologists.

http://nationalpsychologist.com/

Sylvain Roy, Ph.D.
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Would you like to write a review?

2011-06-02T12:52:00.000-07:00

It is becoming apparent to me that more and more applications are making their way on the markets and reviewing them should be a group effort.

If you are a psychologist or graduate student in psychology and you have been using mobile applications in your practice, would you like to write a short review about it?

Let me know!

Do some of your clients need social support? Let's talk about the Anxiety, Depression and Bipolar Connect apps

2011-05-29T15:46:00.000-07:00

By now everyone knows about Facebook! Approximately 500 million people have used the site to connect to others. In my opinion, the statistic speaks to many peoples' need for social connectedness.

This blog post, however, is not about Facebook. It is about Alliance Health Networks. The company has built a series of applications that harness the power of online social networking, and adapted them to help those struggling from depression, bipolar disorder, and anxiety (and other medical conditions). The social support apps allow members to share their thoughts and struggles and receive feedback from others in the community.

While I personally do not know if these type of applications are helpful (scientifically speaking - and please correct me if I am wrong). The fact that many individuals are using the apps is a good sign. For now, I can only praise Alliance Health Networks for making these tools available free of charge. Have any of you referred these applications to clients? Do you foresee positive or negative outcomes?

You can download the iPhone App of your choice free [here]
Sylvain Roy, Ph.D.
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PsycExplorer: The app that brings you the latest news, blogs, videos, podcasts and tweets in psychology

2011-05-26T15:23:00.000-07:00

I have recently began to read news articles and blogs, watch videos, and at times, follow "tweets" using my copy of PsycExplorer, an iPhone application designed to help you stay connected to the world of psychology. The app's content is highly informative, and its design makes browsing fun and easy.

I must admit that what impressed me the most about the application is Dr. Britt's relentless efforts in keeping the contents of the application relevant and up to date. He relies on numerous sources of information such as the New York Times Health and CBS News Health. In addition, the videos are carefully selected, which means that users don't have to look too far to find good content.

I highly recommend this application. It is great for students and professionals who want to stay informed about psychology.

You can download a copy the iPhone application [here]

You can download a copy of the iPad version [here]

For more information, you can visit Dr. Michael Britt's website [here]

Sylvain Roy, Ph.D.
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Need help getting your life back on track?

2011-05-21T16:24:00.000-07:00

II recently downloaded a copy of MoodKit, a new Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) application for iPhone. It includes several tools that are cleverly designed to help individuals get the most out of their life.

What I find unique about this application, is its ability to get people to "commit" to tasks or activities that are problem areas. For example, if bad eating habits are problematic, the app provides suggestions or attainable goals, which the person can commit to.

In my opinion, the application will profoundly change how people interact with their iPhone. The person, not some third party, ultimately decides the level of energy and engagement that will be invested in the process of change. Autonomy is an important ingredient in motivation, the desire to change, and the ability to follow through with the therapeutic exercises.

In my next blog post on the MoodKit application, I will discuss the remaining tools including the "Thought Checker", used for cognitive restructuring, the "Mood Tracker" that can track mood over time, and the "Journal" which allows users to make open-ended journal entries.

For more information visit Dr. Dorian & Dr. Erhardt's [website]

To purchase the iPhone application [click here]

Sylvain Roy, Ph.D.
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SmallTalk Aphasia: Free, simple & potentially life changing?

2011-05-19T23:22:00.000-07:00

Aphasia is an acquired language disorder, which can occur after a brain injury such as a stroke. Lesions to different areas of the brain can result in qualitatively different impairments (i.e. difficulty expressing or comprehending language).

Psychologists who have worked with such patients know all too well the debilitating effects it can have on someone's life. Often times, the patient can understand what others are saying, but simply lack the ability to communicate through speech or writing. Several of the patients I have worked with became depressed, withdrawn and isolated after their stroke. Fortunately, certain patients can benefit from augmentative or alternative communication (ACC).

To that end, technology can sometime help patients regain some basic communication skills. Today, I would like to introduce several small, but potentially life changing, iPhone applications created by [Lingraphica]. One of the FREE apps called [SmallTalk Aphasia] allows patients to scroll through common phrases designed to facilitate communication such as, "I have aphasia, I had a stroke, I have trouble speaking, yes, no etc." Other similar apps such [SmallTalk ADL] include common phrases related to activities of daily living. Pictures are provided beside the text to facilitate communication if reading is difficult.

There are other, more complex tools such as [Speak it], which will actually say the text you write. These type of apps are undoubtedly useful to patients who have retained the ability to write.

Sylvain Roy, Ph.D.
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