Mood Diary
The Covid-19 crisis has had a profound impact on the mental health of many young people. Young Minds says this may be related to fears about the virus, social isolation, the loss of routine and structure, and in some cases bereavement or other traumatic experiences.
The mental health of looked-after children is significantly poorer than that of their peers, with almost half of children and young people in care meeting the criteria for a psychiatric disorder. Young people leaving care in the UK are five times more likely to attempt suicide than their peers.
The information section in My Mood Diary app provides tips for young people on caring for themselves and improving their mental well-being.
Different things work for different people at different times. Young people are encouraged to try what they feel comfortable with, and what they find helpful.
My Mood Diary is a way to help young people identify and take action around their feelings. If someone can keep track of changes in their mood, they may find that they have had more good days than they thought. It can also help them notice if any activities, places, or people make them feel better or worse.
Recording triggers, associated thoughts, and rating them, has been shown to reduce anxiety and depression. One reason: putting down problems on paper often helps us see the causes — and therefore solutions — more clearly.
Self-report mental wellbeing screening has been shown to be more accurate than the reports of other people. Self-assessment questionnaires can help young people get a better understanding of how they're feeling. Research shows that adults, parents, and teachers in regular contact with young people, typically underreport depressive symptoms compared to self-report by young people.
Self-assessment mental well-being questionnaires based on measures used by health professionals are available with Viewpoint for use with My Mood Diary. Responses indicate depressive symptom severity and anxiety symptom severity.
Action for Children use the Mood Diary as part of their Blues Programme with:
‘76% of pupils showing an improvement in their mental health and emotional wellbeing, and with a specific decrease in depressive indicators’