Location

MIT Media Lab, E14-525 (Nagashima Conference Room)

Description

PART 1: Investigating Well-being and Character in Psychology
PART 2: Designing and Implementing Mobile Phone Interventions to Combat Depression
In recent years the field of positive psychology has helped expand the focus in mental health from alleviating negative states (e.g., negative emotions, depression) to promoting optimal functioning and flourishing. This broadening of focus has advanced the science of well-being and helped develop resources and interventions to promote happiness and positive mental health. Dr. Schueller will also discuss another new frontier, the use of mobile phone applications as mental health interventions especially in the service of treating and preventing depression and the implications of designing tools to improve one's mental health.

Biography

Dr. Schueller received his PhD in clinical psychology from the University of Pennsylvania, where his research focused on well-being, happiness, positive psychology interventions, and individualized intervention sequences. His current research interests include using Internet interventions in behavioral and mental health service delivery. Specifically, he is interested in how technology can aid users in receiving what they most need by providing opportunities to incorporate users’ choices, patterns of behavior, or characteristics to individualize care. He has conducted work on interventions to promote well-being, smoking cessation, and depression prevention with a strong focus on creating interventions that can be widely disseminated and thus provide services worldwide.

Host/Chair: Karthik Dinakar