The Department of Defense is always looking for new ways to help the men and women in the armed forces who may be going through a tough time mentally. With funding through a grant from the Military Suicide Research Consortium, the DOD was able to release Virtual Hope Box.
Virtual Hopebox is a customizable app for military personnel who suffer from distress. Users can upload personal photos, videos, songs, recorded messages and reminders of successes and goals. In a tough time, or when deployed abroad and isolated from their family and friends, the DOD hopes that soldiers will turn to the app to help deal with the emotional drain.
Virtual Hopebox also includes various games that can be used to help take soldiers’ minds off negative situations or even just the situation at hand. The app also has a direct connect feature that can help the user make a quick call to a military counselor or support system with one click.
“It’s a supportive tool for people to help them remember the good in their life when they are felling frustrated, stressed out, confused, lacking direction, and less hopeful about the future.” Dr. Nigel Bush research psychologist at the National Center for Telehealth and Technology said.
Providers can incorporate the app into treatments designed for their patients by working together to set up the Virtual Hope Box. The inspiration for the app came from the physical “hope box” used when treating patients who entertained thoughts of self-harm. Because of the number of mobile devices available, creating a virtual “hope box” was seen as a way of updating a known intervention.
The Virtual Hope Box showed positive results when testing patients diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder, and mood disorder. Patients used the app more often than the physical hope box, with the most popular sections being the “Distract Me,” “Remind Me,” and “Inspire Me” options.
While the app is being used in therapeutic situations across the military, anyone can download it and may find comfort in using it. You can get the Virtual Hope Box app from the iTunes store here.
