Validation of the Rootd App for Reducing Anxiety and Panic Attacks

During the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s become quite apparent that mental health needs to be prioritized. Due to the demands of social isolation, getting adequate mental health support can be difficult. However, the mobile application Rootd provides a low-cost and large-scale solution to this problem, as it can help the average person deal with increased anxiety and panic attacks. In this proposed work, we will undertake a scientific validation of the Rootd app through the use of methods from psychology and neuroscience. That is, we will track participants anxiety levels and panic attacks rates as user use the app. As well, we will collect people’s brain waves as they go through an 8-week cycle of using the app to provide further objective measures of the app’s effectiveness. We hope that this work will provide one possible solution to the mental health crisis that arose following COVID-19.

Faculty Supervisor:

Olave Krigolson

Student:

Thomas Ferguson

Partner:

Rootd

Discipline:

Psychology

Sector:

Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

University of Victoria