Mood Maestro: Therapeutic Software For Helping Alleviate Depression

Abstract

Depression is a serious problem for many people in the United States and around the world. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, is a non-pharmacologic form of therapy that targets depression through teaching strategies that focus on an individual's depressive thoughts and behavior. CBT has been found to be quite effective in treating depression, administered both through traditional therapy sessions with a psychologist, and with self-help products like books or CDs. CBT software offers the same benefits of traditional self-help, such as anonymity and low costs, but can potentially be more effective by providing a superior, more interactive, user experience. Despite these advantages, very few examples of CBT software have been implemented.This thesis explores traditional CBT methods and current software implementations and provides details on the specification, design, and implementation of a new CBT application called the Mood Maestro. In addition, this thesis describes product testing with the Mood Maestro, a comparative analysis with a leading CBT product available to the public, and finally suggests areas for future work.