FLC | DoD mobile app helps warfighters reduce COVID-19 distress

DoD mobile app helps warfighters reduce COVID-19 distress

April 29, 2020

A mobile app designed by the Department of Defense may offer a way for the military community to cope with the changes to their daily lives brought on by COVID-19.

“Right now we’re all experiencing the uncertainty of COVID-19; we’re stuck in the house; we’re facing so many constraints that we’re not used to. So, we may be feeling a lot of distress,” said Kelly Blasko, counseling psychologist and mHealth clinical integration lead at the Defense Health Agency's (DHA) Connected Health branch. “Some of the distress you might feel may cause an increase in anxiety, changes in mood, and negative thinking.”

Virtual Hope Box was developed by Nigel Bush, a research psychologist for the DoD's National Center for Telehealth and Technology. The award-winning app provides users with an opportunity to manage distress in a personalized and immediately accessible way. The app, in conjunction with mental health professional guidance, can help maintain one’s health and wellbeing.

The app is modeled after the concept of a traditional hope box, where one might collect physical items that are meaningful and would bring up positive thoughts.

“You can’t carry a box everywhere; with Virtual Hope Box, the same resources are at your fingertips, virtually on your phone,” Blasko said.

The virtual experience allows patients to store a variety of rich multimedia content that they find personally supportive in times of need.

The app is divided into sections – Remind Me, Distract Me, Inspire Me, Relax Me, Coping Tools and Support Contacts. Through these sections, it provides:

* Positive reminders

* Distractions

* Inspirational messages

* Relaxation through controlled breathing

* Guided meditation

* Positive activity planner

One distinguishing difference between a traditional hope box and the virtual version, is Virtual Hope Box includes a function that allows direct dialing to 911, the Military Crisis Line, or user pre-programmed contacts. Blasko emphasized this feature underscores the importance of reaching out for help when needed from a support network or professionals.

Virtual Hope Box is available through app stores for various smart phones. It has been downloaded more than 680,000 times, with about 11,000 new downloads per month. In clinical trials, veterans who used Virtual Hope Box reported significantly greater ability to cope with unpleasant emotions and thoughts compared with a control group, and found the app to be more helpful than written educational materials.

The DHA maintains additional mobile apps that may serve as good self-care and health resources during the current crisis and beyond:

* Breathe2Relax: Provides instruction on diaphragmatic “belly” breathing, which might help lower stress and reduce anxiety. Graphics, animation, narration, and videos lead users through several breathing exercises.

* T2 Mood Tracker: Tracks a user’s range of emotions and behaviors to show how their life is affected by thoughts, moods, changes at home or at work, and events. Helps identify trends and triggers, and info can be shared with a health care provider.