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Mood app designed for youth by youth launches today at Sandbox Conference
Intuitive tool creates a shared language for youth to talk about how
they feel with those who support them
TORONTO, Jan. 17, 2013 /CNW/ - mindyourmood, a new app for Android and Apple mobile devices, launched today at The
Sandbox Project Conference. Developed by the award winning mental
health and youth engagement initiative mindyourmind for the AstraZeneca Young Health Program, the mood tracking app
provides young people with an intuitive platform to quickly record how
they feel - from day to day or hour to hour. App users can capture how
they feel and discuss it with their caregiver - be it their therapist,
doctor, parent or peer - creating a shared language that can lead to
more positive interactions and results.
"A major barrier for young people seeking support is being able to
relate how they really feel to an adult care provider," says Maria
Luisa Contursi, Program Director for mindyourmind. "The mindyourmood app helps remove that barrier by giving a young person a record of how
they have felt since the last session, displayed in a way that both the
caregiver and young person can understand."
mindyourmood was designed by youth for youth using the language of youth. There are
seven mood categories, each with four mood words selected by youth
including descriptors from pumped to chilled-out and empty to
pissed-off.
Dr. Bruce Ferguson, Community Health Resources Group at The Hospital for
Sick Children and Co-Chair of the AstraZeneca Canada Young Health
Program, agrees with the value the app brings beyond the
patient/therapist relationship. "Enabling a young person to manage
their mental health the way mindyourmood does is empowering for that person. It gives them an important tool in
building hope and resilience as they move forward."
"I think the app is going to be a really effective tool to help people
be able to track their mood and create a new kind of therapeutic
relationship," says Alicia Raimundo, Youth Volunteer. "Working on this
project has empowered me to learn more about mental health and be very
confident in my voice and my story."
mindyourmood was developed for the AstraZeneca Young Health Program, a community
investment initiative focused on adolescent mental health that is
delivered in partnership with leading charitable organizations: mindyourmind, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Canada and Physical Health Education Canada.
Working collaboratively with its program partners, AstraZeneca is
developing online resources and on-the-ground programs to help young
people strengthen their emotional resilience, gain the coping skills
they need to avoid risk behaviours, discover their own strengths, and
reach their full potential in life.
mindyourmood is immediately available for download to any Apple or Android mobile
device from http://www.mindyourmind.ca.
About mindyourmind
mindyourmind is a non-profit mental health program that engages youth,
emerging adults and the professionals who serve them to co-develop
reliable and relevant resources. These resources are designed to reduce
the stigma associated with mental illness and increase access and use
of community support, both professional and peer-based. Through the use
of active engagement, best practice and technology, mindyourmind
inspires youth to reach out, get help and give help. For more
information, please visit http://www.mindyourmind.ca
About the Young Health Program
The Young Health Program is a long term community investment initiative.
AstraZeneca Canada believes the issue of adolescent emotional
well-being provides an important opportunity to make a positive impact
on the health of today's youth and tomorrow's generations. Focused on
prevention and early intervention, the Young Health Program will help
youth move from risk to resilience by connecting them to positive
conditions and experiences that foster emotional and mental
well-being. For more information, please visit the program website at http://www.younghealth.ca
About AstraZeneca
AstraZeneca is committed to the research, development and manufacturing
of valuable prescription medicines. We have an extensive product
portfolio spanning six therapeutic areas: gastrointestinal,
cardiovascular, infection, neuroscience, oncology, and respiratory.
AstraZeneca`s headquarters are located in Mississauga, Ontario. For
more information, please visit the company`s website at http://www.astrazeneca.ca
SOURCE AstraZeneca Canada
AstraZeneca Canada
CONTACT: Maria Luisa Contursi
Program Director and Co-Founder
Mindyourmind
Tel: 519-859-8721
mlc@mindyourmind.ca Helen Seibel
Senior Manager, Corporate Responsibility
AstraZeneca Canada
Tel: 416-906-4643
helen.seibel@astrazeneca.com
Mood app designed for youth by youth launches today at Sandbox Conference
Intuitive tool creates a shared language for youth to talk about how
they feel with those who support them
TORONTO, Jan. 17, 2013 /CNW/ - mindyourmood, a new app for Android and Apple mobile devices, launched today at The
Sandbox Project Conference. Developed by the award winning mental
health and youth engagement initiative mindyourmind for the AstraZeneca Young Health Program, the mood tracking app
provides young people with an intuitive platform to quickly record how
they feel - from day to day or hour to hour. App users can capture how
they feel and discuss it with their caregiver - be it their therapist,
doctor, parent or peer - creating a shared language that can lead to
more positive interactions and results.
"A major barrier for young people seeking support is being able to
relate how they really feel to an adult care provider," says Maria
Luisa Contursi, Program Director for mindyourmind. "The mindyourmood app helps remove that barrier by giving a young person a record of how
they have felt since the last session, displayed in a way that both the
caregiver and young person can understand."
mindyourmood was designed by youth for youth using the language of youth. There are
seven mood categories, each with four mood words selected by youth
including descriptors from pumped to chilled-out and empty to
pissed-off.
Dr. Bruce Ferguson, Community Health Resources Group at The Hospital for
Sick Children and Co-Chair of the AstraZeneca Canada Young Health
Program, agrees with the value the app brings beyond the
patient/therapist relationship. "Enabling a young person to manage
their mental health the way mindyourmood does is empowering for that person. It gives them an important tool in
building hope and resilience as they move forward."
"I think the app is going to be a really effective tool to help people
be able to track their mood and create a new kind of therapeutic
relationship," says Alicia Raimundo, Youth Volunteer. "Working on this
project has empowered me to learn more about mental health and be very
confident in my voice and my story."
mindyourmood was developed for the AstraZeneca Young Health Program, a community
investment initiative focused on adolescent mental health that is
delivered in partnership with leading charitable organizations: mindyourmind, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Canada and Physical Health Education Canada.
Working collaboratively with its program partners, AstraZeneca is
developing online resources and on-the-ground programs to help young
people strengthen their emotional resilience, gain the coping skills
they need to avoid risk behaviours, discover their own strengths, and
reach their full potential in life.
mindyourmood is immediately available for download to any Apple or Android mobile
device from http://www.mindyourmind.ca.
About mindyourmind
mindyourmind is a non-profit mental health program that engages youth,
emerging adults and the professionals who serve them to co-develop
reliable and relevant resources. These resources are designed to reduce
the stigma associated with mental illness and increase access and use
of community support, both professional and peer-based. Through the use
of active engagement, best practice and technology, mindyourmind
inspires youth to reach out, get help and give help. For more
information, please visit http://www.mindyourmind.ca
About the Young Health Program
The Young Health Program is a long term community investment initiative.
AstraZeneca Canada believes the issue of adolescent emotional
well-being provides an important opportunity to make a positive impact
on the health of today's youth and tomorrow's generations. Focused on
prevention and early intervention, the Young Health Program will help
youth move from risk to resilience by connecting them to positive
conditions and experiences that foster emotional and mental
well-being. For more information, please visit the program website at http://www.younghealth.ca
About AstraZeneca
AstraZeneca is committed to the research, development and manufacturing
of valuable prescription medicines. We have an extensive product
portfolio spanning six therapeutic areas: gastrointestinal,
cardiovascular, infection, neuroscience, oncology, and respiratory.
AstraZeneca`s headquarters are located in Mississauga, Ontario. For
more information, please visit the company`s website at http://www.astrazeneca.ca
SOURCE AstraZeneca Canada
AstraZeneca Canada
CONTACT: Maria Luisa Contursi
Program Director and Co-Founder
Mindyourmind
Tel: 519-859-8721
mlc@mindyourmind.ca Helen Seibel
Senior Manager, Corporate Responsibility
AstraZeneca Canada
Tel: 416-906-4643
helen.seibel@astrazeneca.com