The Nevermind System: a system to empower those suffering from depression

NEVERMIND sets out to empower people who suffer from symptoms of depression related to serious somatic disease by placing them at the centre of their mental healthcare. Equipped with just a smartphone and smart sensors, patients seeking care and treatment for their mental illnesses interact with these devices that collect data about their mental and physical health, to then get effective feedback. We wish to help people reclaim their freedom, comfort, and routine by managing lifestyle factors such as diet, physical activity and sleep hygiene. Each of these factor significantly in the mediation of the development, progression and treatment of depression. The NEVERMIND system will be monitored by a real-time decision support system running locally on the patient’s smartphone, predicting the severity and onset of depressive symptoms by processing physiological data, body movements, speech and the recurrence of social interactions. The data will trigger a response encouraging the patient to conduct or alter activities or lifestyle to reduce the occurrence and severity of depressive symptoms.