Delhi AIIMS develops mobile apps to deal with mental illness | Fusion - WeRIndia

To help patients suffering from mental health issues like anxiety and depression, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi developed two mobile applications, Shaksham and Disha.

Of these two apps, the Disha app helps people who experience the first episode of symptoms of anxiety and depression. The Shaksham app benefits patients suffering from chronic mental illness.

The pandemic affected not just the physical health of people but their mental health also. The number of cases of mental illness has been increasing since the onset of COVID-19.

AIIMS developed both these applications in association with the computer science departments of Indraprastha Institute of Technology, Delhi. The University of Warwick, UK, also helped them. The National Institute of Health Research, UK, sponsored the project.

Mamta Sood, a senior psychiatrist at AIIMS, said that the apps would be available for patients from next January. They are available for free. Before launching these apps for the public, the team wants to ensure the security of patients’ data. It will take some time; that’s why the apps will be available from January 2022.

These apps not just help patients deal with their psychological problems, but also alert caregivers about the medicines and other requirements of the patients.

Sood also said that their research on healthcare staff during the pandemic revealed that around half of the healthcare workers were suffering from mental issues like stress, anxiety, and depression.

She added that having symptoms does not mean that they all have mental disorders. Both are different. The disease affects patients, but symptoms do not affect them.

That’s why AIIMS, Delhi, developed two mobile applications. One app is exclusively meant for those who get the first episode of symptoms, while the other is dedicated to patients with chronic mental health problems.

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