Comments on: Sad Scale is One Sad App

By: With Summer’s End, Back to Regular Programming « Chilmark Research

With Summer’s End, Back to Regular Programming « Chilmark Research — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 21:23:34 +0000

[...] mobile app such as the positive one we did on Atlas of the Human Brain and the less positive one on Sad Scale. If you are looking for even more frequent coverage of the mobile health space, we encourage you [...]

By: Why I think Personal Healthcare Technology will be Consumer Device Driven… « 3G Doctor Blog

Fri, 17 Jul 2009 12:25:01 +0000

[...] first heard about the “Sad Scale” from a blog post by John Moore Analyst with Chilmark Research. John had given Sad Scale a pretty scathing review saying that whilst this was one of the first [...]

By: Kim Fulda

Kim Fulda — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 03:50:03 +0000

I see the company has posted a new edition. It is NICE! It has more scales, it now plots mood and energy! Allows the user to email this information. It also has a notepad that can help depressed people with writing down their thoughts. This too can be emailed.
The App now is very good 1.2 edition!

By: Luis

Luis — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 09:40:51 +0000

I am sure this company is working on adding more features to it. They went from 2 scales to 4 scales. I like it.

By: John

John — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 16:17:53 +0000

Josh and David,
What really bugs me about the Sad Scale app is that it lacks any creativity, leverages unique features that are only available in iPhone API and frankly, is not all that great for many a person who suffers depression. As I see it, most who do suffer from this or other mood disorders typically know when they are feeling “blue” When one is in the dumps, do they really want to answer rote questions? Unlikely. Believe we can move the understanding of mood disorders significantly forward if we had mechanisms to record moods either spontaneously or timed and also record triggers.

Simple questionnaires are not the answer, but hey, I’ll give the developers some credit for at least looking into the mood disorder space.

Thanks Chris and yes, the more I think about it, the more I am intrigued by the possibilities as well.

Gerry,
I know PatientsLikeMe quite well and absolutely love what they are doing. Have actually talked to the founders about the topic of mHealth and mood recently.

By: Gerry Higgins, Ph.D.

Gerry Higgins, Ph.D. — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 13:25:00 +0000

Have you heard of ‘Patients Like Me’?, which has been around for several years, and allows the user to track their mood on any electronic delivery system. It has been endorsed by NAMI, the Natiional Association for Mental Illness. I believe it is a bit better than ‘Sad Scale’, but I have not extensively tested this app.

By: David Doherty

David Doherty — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 00:07:17 +0000

With the open SDK there’s little stopping anyone developing an app with the improvements you mentioned (and some more) so i agree with the “Josh Marks” comment and am slightly disappointed that you were not more encouraging and positive on the general direction taken and the material contribution this company has made.

By: Chris Hall

Chris Hall — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 13:53:32 +0000

John,

Love your analysis, and the fact that you shared ideas on making it better. Color and mood do seem like an easy fit. I’m intrigued by the possibilities you lay out in your post.

-chris

By: Josh Marks

Josh Marks — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 09:02:46 +0000

I actually like the Sad Scale app. I think it is more of a screening app that my doctor helps follow how I am feeling over time. Bottom line, I go to my doctor and not my Iphone for health concerns. The app got me talking about the subject…
I am happy to see some company trying to address the issue instead of making video games.