{"id":4337,"date":"2014-11-21T16:10:45","date_gmt":"2014-11-21T16:10:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsletter.alt.ac.uk\/?p=4337"},"modified":"2014-11-21T16:10:45","modified_gmt":"2014-11-21T16:10:45","slug":"sam-self-help-anxiety-app-offers-real-support-for-students","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/altc.alt.ac.uk\/blog\/2014\/11\/sam-self-help-anxiety-app-offers-real-support-for-students\/","title":{"rendered":"SAM self-help anxiety app offers real support for students"},"content":{"rendered":"
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A self-help anxiety app developed by UWE (The University of the West of England) is helping students to better manage their anxiety and provide 24\/7 mobile support at any time or place.<\/p>\n

The application called SAM provides a platform of therapeutic and immersive activities that students can access and use. Already in the top 100 health and fitness charts across 43 countries, this app is prov<\/span>ing to be invaluable.<\/span><\/p>\n

Developing an app, the process and <\/span>impact<\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n

At the inception of the project, the <\/span>project <\/span>team at UWE conducted surveys on social anxiety within different learning situations at lectures, presentations, seminars and group work at both UWE and Plymouth University. From the research <\/span>(<\/span>see: <\/span>Is social anxiety a hidden disability for university students?)<\/span><\/a> <\/span> <\/span>it<\/span> was evident that anxiety was <\/span>a<\/span> significant issue for undergraduate students. <\/span><\/p>\n

Following on from the research the computer science and creative technologies department suggested that an app may be a versatile mobile solution.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Computing students at UWE were then invited as part of their course to design and develop a prototype app to aid anxiety management. Some of the research was funded by <\/span>HEAT@uwe<\/span>, an EPSRC-funded programme of activities to develop, facilitate and communicate interdisciplinary research between the Institute of Sustainability, Health and the Environment (ISHE) and Bristol Institute of Technology (BIT).<\/span><\/p>\n

One of the important aspects for the development of the app was that many of the students involved in the design process had some social anxiety issues themselves, so many of the following considerations were aspects that the students would want in a self-help app:<\/span><\/p>\n